My husband and I (we're a young 51 and 60), just spent five days at the Arizona Inn and really enjoyed the ambiance and graciousness of this resort. We were looking to get away someplace in the continental U.S., and previously stayed in Scottsdale and thought we'd try Tucson. Tucson is a sprawling city, with The Arizona Inn located near the U of Arizona. Not much around the U but a bunch of fast food places, but there are a few gems, including Beyond Bread for sandwiches, and Mexican food nearby at Rosa's. Our best find of the whole trip was the cafe at the Tucson Museum. Even if you don't want to go to the museum (which is small, but good), do go to the incredible cafe. The food is amazing, and the desserts are like nothing you have ever seen. Also loved the Desert Museum and Sabino Canyon for hikes. Don't miss the San Xavier Mission and the Pima Air Museum as well. Breakfast at The Arizona Inn by the pool is THE best. The staff is lovely, and you can order their own granola with fruit and yogurt for a healthy alternative to the big buffet. Also, a nearby air base gives you your own blue angels type show while you are sitting by the pool while reading your daily delivered NY Times. Also don't miss the wonderful afternoon tea and scones in the library.

We drove up into the more affluent hills north of the hotel, and visited The Westin, which is nice, but it felt like going into Wal Mart after staying at The Arizona Inn. So I'd say that if you like local charm and amazing comfort, choose The Arizona Inn.

We have been staying at the Arizona Inn for the last 4 years when visiting our daughter at the University of Arizona and will stay there the next 4 years while visiting our other daughter who just started there. We have stayed at all the other luxury hotels in Tucson and none of them can touch the Arizona Inn as far as service, convenience, absolute beauty of property, excellence of food and overwhelming charm. In the summer the rooms come with breakfast either in the lovely dining room in the main building or at the sublime pool area where a wonderful buffet is featured. The food is excellent wherever you choose to eat. As well, every evening an ice cream bar is featured at the pool (included in the price of your room), which features possibly the world's best chocolate sauce. (Yes, it is all you can eat!). In the fall and winter, to replace the breakfast and ice cream bar, a full English tea is served in the afternoon. It is served in the imposing yet comfortable library (so called because the walls are lined with books which you are free to take back to your room. I like to curl up on one of the plump couches or in front of the roaring fireplace in the library for a peaceful afternoon of reading). The tea features little open face sandwiches, coffee, tea and hot chocolate and wonderful tiny scones served with jam and delicious clotted cream. This tea is included in the price of your room. The rooms are all different, every one of them. Some are smaller, some are larger. Some have two beds, some one. Some of the bathrooms are much larger than others, yet I have never been dissatisfied by any room in any way. I love the fact that they are all different! Of course, over the course of 4 years, I have my favorite rooms by now. I imagine everyone who stays at the Arizona Inn will eventually pick out the room they love the most for any number of reasons: the way the sun sets/rises in the window, the shape or location of the patio, the views of this wonderful property, etc., etc., etc. Here are some must dos when you visit: do sit on the outside patio at dusk and enjoy a prickly pear margarita--virgin or regular. If you have never had prickly pear syrup you are in for a delicious treat. Enjoy it with one of the best hamburgers in town. Watch one of the old movies they show in the evenings featuring famous actors who stayed at the Inn. Stroll around the grounds with your camera: your friends will not be able to tell in what year those pictures were taken--the Inn is timeless and makes me feel as if I have happily fallen into a time warp and gone back to the first half of the last century. Sit at the bar in the evening and listen to the live piano music. Stroll back to your room afterwards and see more stars than you ever knew were in the sky. The staff is all young and eager and attentive and willing to please. If you let the front desk know if you will be arriving late, you will find waiting in your room a thermos of divine hot chocolate and a plate of little sandwiches. Sheer heaven!!

My husband and I, along with another couple, stayed two nights at the Arizona Inn in mid October 2006. This lovely hotel and deluxe service set the tone for our vacation - a week long trip by rail to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. While our stay at the Arizona Inn was not part of our tour, it was a highlight in itself.

We were fortunate to arrive when hotel was very uncrowded, and enjoyed two relaxing days - swimming and lounging by the pool, eating when we felt like it, and napping through the afternoon. The Arizona Inn is truly the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, very low key, quiet and beautiful. There was nothing the hotel staff wouldn't do for us.

Our standard room was bright and clean, with two sets of screened windows that opened out onto a gentle fountain, a generous closet with refrigerator, safe and lots of storage space, a big comfy king sized bed and plenty of room.

The grounds were immaculate, flowers and shrubbery well tended.

If you want a place to stay that's refreshingly different from the big resorts and chain hotels, give it a try. We have raved about our stay to all our friends back in Canada, our travel agent, and anybody else we met during our time in Arizona and Mexico.

ebianco, Canada

My wife and I enjoyed a 3 night stay at the Arizona Inn and found everything about the hotel far above par, save one situation.
Upon check-in, we were escorted to our wonderful room by our bellman. He opened the windows and patio door to let in the gorgeous Tucson fresh fall air, pointed out the amenities and complimentary basket of fruit and champagne, graciously accepted a token of our appreciation and left.

After a rather long trip from Las Vegas, we disrobed to our underwear, and settled on our private patio with the champagne and fruit. When it became uncomfortably hot from the afternoon sun, we decided go inside, and had we ben informed that we needed a key to reenter we could have avoided the most embarassing moment of year. With no towell or robe, which are provided, I had to exit thru the patio gate and loudly call for attention. A passing service attendant with a key let us back in and after overcoming our anger and embarassment, we laughed about it and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy the great food and service at the Arizona Inn.