Arizona’s deepest, darkest hotel room has closed for good. Here’s why

The world’s deepest, darkest and quietest hotel room is gone for good.

Staff at Grand Canyon Caverns, the roadside attraction in Peach Springs near the Hualapai Indian Reservation, announced on March 2 that its Caverns Suite is permanently closed.

“We know that this decision did not come lightly,” Grand Canyon Caverns staff said in a Facebook post. “Ultimately, the decision came down to upholding the preservation of the Cavern.”

Grand Canyon Caverns reopened in June 2025 after a nearly three-year closure to repair the elevator into the caverns, which broke in October 2022 and stranded five visitors for an evening. The Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health fined the business $6,250, noting that a steep staircase did not have a proper handrail, among other issues.

While the Caverns Suite is closing, Grand Canyon Caverns will continue to offer tours and meals at the Crystal Restaurant, named one of the 10 best secret restaurants in the U.S. in 2023.

Why is the Caverns Suite closing?

Preservation of the 345-million-year-old cave system is the main priority of the Havasupai Tribe, who own the Grand Canyon Caverns.

The Tribe bought the attraction in 2022 and was concerned about the suite, which was built in 2010 under former owner John McEnulty, because it allowed guests unsupervised access to the cave that could negatively affect preservation efforts, according to Grand Canyon Caverns staff.

The cave has rare forms of selenite, which staff said “can be a really delicate mineral.” Stonewall Palace, a portion of the caverns that’s abundant in selenite, showed “noticeable decay” from tourists touching the selenite in the years when self-guided tours were offered.

When Grand Canyon Caverns reopened in June 2025, staff said the Caverns Suite would be available to book when repairs were finished. A manager at Grand Canyon Caverns was not immediately available to clarify whether the Caverns Suite was ever reopened under the Havasupai Tribe’s ownership.

Why was the Caverns Suite famous?

Since opening, the Caverns Suite attracted global attention as the world’s deepest, darkest and quietest hotel, located 210 feet below ground.

Atlas Obscura described the in-suite experience as having “a darkness that has no shadows, no movement and no light … so silent that you can hear your own breath, heartbeat and inner monologue.”

The suite included two beds and two futons and could accommodate six people, according to tour manager Hillary Bowers. It also contained a refrigerator, bathroom, a tea and coffee maker, a TV with a DVD player and a library of movies, books and board games. It was not equipped with cable or internet.

It cost $1,000 plus tax per night for two guests.

Can you go into the Grand Canyon caves?

While the Caverns Suite is closed, cavern tours and dining at the cavern restaurant are still available.

Grand Canyon Caverns offers 25-minute short tours and 45-minute standard tours of the caverns, where visitors can see the cave’s formations, split-twig figurines used by ancient cultures and mummified remains including a bobcat. It costs $29.30 for the 25-minute tour or $40.59 for the 45-minute tour.

The Crystal Restaurant, the restaurant in the caverns, offers 360-degree views of the caves and has no sound other than the conversations of other diners. Food is cooked in a kitchen at ground level, brought down by elevator and hoisted 25 feet up to the elevated dining area using a pulley before a server brings it to the table. Reservations are required and can be booked as a combination with a cavern tour.

People can also book a wedding in the cavern. And people can still enjoy a hotel stay at the caverns — just above the ground. The Grand Canyon Caverns Inn has standard rooms and cabins available for booking.

Details: 115 Route 66, Peach Springs. 928-422-3223, gccaverns.com.

Reporting by Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic

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