I had booked us in a hotel in downtown Tucson over Christmas and have now read that downtown hotels are dangerous. Does this apply to all downtown areas? Where could non-US visitors find safe, comfortable and attractive hotels/motels to use as a base with good restuarants within walking distance? We like hiking and plan a week's holiday around Tucson.

I've live in Tucson for over 30 years, trust me, you do not want to stay downtown. Tucson has some wonderful hotels, but unfortunately, Tucson is a spread out city,there really isn't any group of hotels and restaurants in one area. www.tripadvisor.com is a wonderful resource for hotel comments and what to do and see. Another website is www.dotucson.com Have fun and enjoy our city! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you, Azgirl, I've noticed you are a wonderful source for this area. Does just North of the University count as Downtown?

Hey azgirl, are you familiar with any moderate (in size AND price) resorts / hotels that would be a fun destination for a family's spring break in April?

We're thinking a 3* type, nothing too expensive, since we'll be flying and also want to enjoy great restaurants etc. We also on't want to stay in a mega resort.

Can you (or anyone) think of someplace like that? For example, in some areas, a certain chain hotel may go beyond the norm and be surprisingly different. In other words, any hidden secrets in Tucson?

Thanks so much!!

Do not, under any circumstances, stay downtown Tucson. It's old, ugly, many homeless wandering about and devoid of any charm whatsoever. Tucson is very spread out, about 40 miles from one mountain range to the other. The University area is no place to stay either, it's not in the nicest part of town by any means (there is a nice Marriot next to the Univ. but it is very expensive). Stay away from the Sheraton 4 Points on Campbell Ave. at the University, it's a dump.

So where does that leave you .. well it depends on your budget. I highly recommend Windmill Inn and Suites on Campbell and River Roads in St. Phillip's Plaza. Very nice hotel, very nice plaza and all rooms are 2 room suites. It's close to many places to eat as well. The Sheraton on Grant Road is a very nice hotel and conveniently located. There is an Embassy Suites and a Viscount Suites on Broadway Blvd. that are nice.

Stay away from any motels along Interstate 10 near downtown Tucson..they are in not so nice areas.

There is a Hampton Inn on Oracle Rd. as well as a Best Western Inn Suites on Oracle. Both are moderate in price. There are a number of "resorts", i.e. Westward Look, Westin La Paloma, Loew's Ventana Canyon, etc. but they are very expensive in the winter months.

Basically there is no place that is good to use as a base to walk to restuarants .. the best of the lot for that is Windmill Inn. You will really need a car to go most places tho.

As for eating, I can recommend PF Chang's on River Road (near Windmill), Cafe Terra Cota (expensive), Soleil (expensive), Vivace and Ovens (in same plaza as Windmill Inn). A trip downtown to Cafe Poca Cosa is worth while .. food is fantastic.

Enjoy your visit -- but please do not stay downtown or around the University if you want to experience nice areas.

My family stayed at the Windmill Inn at St Philip's Plaza for eight days last spring and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a nice long trail along a wash right next to the motel, and they have bikes you can use.

keith

I can't really tell you what hotels are best, I live here so I don't need them. I can tell you where the good and bad parts of town are (every city has them). As I suggested before try www.tripadvisor.com, reviews are from people who have stayed in hotels here. The hotels suggested above are in nice areas. Do stay away from the University. If your going to be here for Christmas here are a few fun places to go: Winterhaven,festival of lights. Gaslight Theatre always has a Christmas show, Westward Look Resort usually has some kind of Christmas hayride. Hope this helps.

Rockinrep, look at La Tierra Linda in Tucson. A very nice place for the family, a two-room suite is about $200 with breakfast.

We stayed at LaPaloma a few years back during spring break (last week of March). Had snow flurries, cold, warmest was in the low '70's. Still found lots to do - canyon hike, missile museum, airplane museum, golf. However, if one more person told me how unusual the weather was, I was going to scream. A fun trip overall, but not warm enough to swim or get a tan.

I really enjoyed the Ghost Ranch Lodge, just off I-10 on the western side of Tucson and convenient to the Saguaro National Park West, one of my favorite spots on earth.

The hotel is moderately priced, the rooms are large (some with kitchens) and the grounds are lovely. That said, it's a bit of an oasis in a dingy commercial area. There is nothing within walking distance worth walking to. And the hotel's own restaurant is not appealing.

So, I found it a great spot to stay at night after we spent the day hiking and seeing the sights around Tucson. But it's by no means a resort.

Ghost Ranch should be avoided at all costs. It's in an area known for dingy bars and hookers (sorry, no nice way to say that). It's a horrible area. It's a hotel way past it's prime in an area that needs to be bulldozed off the map.

Ghost Ranch Lodge is part of the "Red Light area" don't go there. If your still looking for a central part of town, try the Arizona Inn. If you know some addresses of the hotels you are thinking about here is a general rule. Anything with a address of 4000 east and above is usually good and 4500 north and above is also a good indicator. This doesn't mean there are not nice hotels elsewhere (Arizona Inn) just a guide line.