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The Big Blue House: Traveler Reviews


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Best fare found from Newark to Tucson: CAD354

Reviews you can trust

96% Recommend
4.5 of 5 stars 50 reviews
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[ Date ] [ Rating ]
great lil cottage at The Big Blue House

The Big Blue House

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4 of 5 stars
AlaskaWho   4 contributions
alaska
May 7, 2008 | Trip type: Couples

We spent five glorious days in mid April at the cottage of this wonderful bed and breakfast. Owners were so friendly and helpful when needed, but we had all the privacy we wanted. Afternoons on the veranda after a big day of hiking or site seeing were a bonus. Directions to Gates Pass for a fabulous sunset and driving directions or tips for where to eat on 4th avenue or beyond were readily given. I would stay at the Big Blue house in a New York minute again! Thanks so much, we really enjoyed our stay in Tucson because of you guys.

  • Liked — everything
  • Disliked — no pool :<
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay April 2008
  • Visit was for Other
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since May 07, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Families with young children, Families with teenagers
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: CAD142 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
Good but not great

The Big Blue House

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4 of 5 stars
TheHellers   7 contributions
Cincinnati, OH
Apr 21, 2008 | Trip type: Couples

My wife and stayed there this past March. First off, the location is PERFECT. Easy walk to 4th avenue, the University area and even downtown if you like to walk. The room was nice but needed some updating (knobs falling off and such, not a huge deal). The room was very clean and organized and included a small refrigerator (more on that later). We could not open the windows though and a couple afternoon is was pretty hot in there. The nights were cool and we would have liked to have the windows open.

Parking is on the street and we had no qualms about parking our car. It seemed to be a very safe neighborhood. The only two caveats we had were that there was no breakfast per se. They put food in your room and refrigerator. A lot of the items were past their expiration date and some of the fruit was no good. But they did stock it nicely. However, when my wife and I go to a B&B we prefer a common room breakfast so we can meet and talk to other guests. We have met many nice people over the years and have found out things to do that we wouldn't have known about. The second thing was that the owner was friendly but did not give us any advice about what to do or where to go. She didh't ask us anything about our interests, just pointed us to 4th street. In the past most proprietors have talked to us for a good 30 minutes and given us some good advice. But it's not like she was mean, just not as social as we have come to expect from B&B's.

Overal we had a nice stay but it could have been nicer. We've been to countless B&B's, I would not rate this as the best or the worst, more above average. But the location/price are great.

  • Liked — Location, location, location
  • Disliked — We like our B&B experience to be more social (interaction with other guests/owners)
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Visit was for Other
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since February 25, 2007
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, Great pool scene, Families with young children
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Great food / Wine, Other
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Management response from K G, Owner
(Management representative)
May 10, 2008
We appreciate these comments concerning Expired Items:
The Big Blue House Boutique Inn provides many items in your private kitchen area (refreshed daily) including: Fresh pastries, Fresh fruit, Oatmeals, Cream of Wheat, (room has hot water dispenser) Selection of cold cereals, bagels, apple juice, orange juice, V8 juice, other fruit juices, honey, jams, jellies, quality coffee, large selection of teas, individual milk servings... The list is too long to list all items... Milk servings are purchased in bulk and frozen until your arrival so sometimes shows expired when it is in fact quite fresh.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: CAD142 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
Well-located and reasonably-priced

The Big Blue House

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4 of 5 stars
ArtCarAngel   3 contributions
Joshua Tree, CA
Apr 12, 2008 | Trip type: Business, Couples

We go to Tucson once or twice a year, and this was our second stay at the Big Blue House. This is the best location from which to experience urban Tucson. It's walking distance to the University and Fourth Ave., which has lots of coffee houses, cool shops and restaurants. One could theoretically walk downtown, too, although we ended up driving most of the time. BBH is a comfortable place to stay and it gets the basics right: good beds, in-room kitchenettes, WIFI, thick towels, plenty of toiletries. My only complaint was that in a room graced by 5 windows, most were really difficult to open, and none stayed open without propping. There is train noise in this part of Tucson, but a pair of earplugs (don't leave home without them!) does the trick. The rooms could use some kind of visitors' guide - I mentioned this to the owner and she said that it's one of the things they will be adding soon. All in all, a good place to stay.

  • Liked — location, location, location!
  • Disliked — windows don't stay open
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay April 2008
  • Visit was for Business
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since October 24, 2007
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Shopping
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: CAD142 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
nice and relaxed

The Big Blue House

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5 of 5 stars
moldytoe   2 contributions
Newbury, Massachusetts
Apr 2, 2008 | Trip type: Family
1/1 found this review helpful

We stayed at BBH for 2 nights on a bicycling trip. The owner/managers went out of their way to answer any questions and to assure us our bikes would be safe in the van. Note: parking is on the street, but it's a nice neighborhood and they have video surveillance cameras. We had no problem. Comfy beds and nice in room gear, tv, fridge, micro, ac, etc. It was nice to return after a long day on the trails, park the car, relax for a bit, then saunter down to 4th Ave. for a meal.

A step above the normal motel by the highway. Highly recommended.

  • Liked — relaxed homey atmosphere
  • Disliked — nothing
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Visit was for Hobbies / interest / culture
  • Traveled with Family with teenagers
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since April 02, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Outdoor / Adventure
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: CAD142 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
Great alternative to a hotel

The Big Blue House

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5 of 5 stars
at_home_everywhere   1 contribution
Paris
Apr 2, 2008 | Trip type: Business, Solo travel

The BBH is a great alternative to a hotel, especially for visitors in Tucson for a longer stay. The room I stayed in was large, with upscale furniture, modern bathroom, and a reasonable kitchen. The UA campus is an easy walk and Time Market and 4th Ave restaurants are very close. At roughly the same price as the Plaza (Sheraton), this is a great value. Highly recommended for UA visitors.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Visit was for Business
  • Traveled with Solo traveler
  • Member since April 02, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Check Rates ABS:HotelCheckRates-d594399?ext=true&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Button_Reviews
Average price*: CAD142 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
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The Big Blue House Address

144 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85705