Hi!
Heading to Tuscon in Mid-March. What can we expect for weather? Outdoor activities?

We haven't booked our hotel yet. "Thought" of Canyon Ranch, but $9,000 for a 4 night stay is a bit too much.

We do like some spa treatments, good food, but would really enjoy hiking and horseback riding.
Thanks!
Maria

We head for Tucson every mid-March for a month. We have had every kind of weather from 50s to 90s during the day, sunny and rainy - bottom line, it changes a lot that time of year. Whatever it is, we love it and the next day will probably be different. No matter where you stay, there is lots of hiking and some horseback riding available not too far away. Tucson is a small city with lots to do. There are many good restaurants to try out. We rent a condo or house, so I can't speak for many of the hotels except the Hampton Inn at the airport which is great when we have a late arrival or early departure. Clothing is casual everywhere, layers are good at that time of year.

We have stayed two times at Westward Look Resort in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains and liked it very much.

It is not 5-star, more 4-star, but it has southwestern feeling while some of the other resorts have the "Hilton" charme which can be found everywhere. Expect very nice, extremely spacious rooms, beautifully landscaped gardens, three pools and some hot tubs, good restaurants, spa, outdoor activities etc.

http://www.westwardlook.com

I had looked into the Westward Look for my trip to Tucson in January but it was undergoing major renovations so I opted against it.

One thing I learned during my research is that there is a wide range of lodging options depending on your budget. I thought the Starr Pass Marriott looked great but I was traveling with a baby and wanted a large room which was a bit more expensive than I was willing to pay for peak rates. If you aren't worried much about a budget it might be nice.

I ended up at the Paloma Village Embassy Suites which might sound a bit business-like for a vacation but it is brand new (only open since Oct (?) 2007 therefore still pretty clean) I was pleased with the price, location and service.

The location was great because it is at the foothills of the Santa Cantalina mountains and is very close to the road to Mt. Lemmon and Sabino Canyon. In addition it was convenient for getting to both the east and west sides of Saguaro National Park. It is just a mile or so from the Westin where you might be able to go for spa treatments.

JW Marriott Starr Pass [for future reference] is a wonderful hotel. It is a bit out of town, but that also makes it special. The views are great and the restaurants are very good.

The room we had we quite spacious. We didn't get anything above a regular room, but it was handicap accessible and as such, it was a bit bigger than regular room

Deb

We stayed at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon and absolutely loved it. The rooms are large and the area around the lodge is beautiful. It's almost a country club with rooms in it. It was a great place. We also go in March every year and have had a range in temperatures. Usually it's colder in the morning and warm during the afternoon (60-70s)