Winter Desert Destination
 

My boyfriend and I live in Manhattan and desperately want some sunshine and outdoor activities (hiking, biking, tennis, golf, horseback riding, etc). We're in our mid-20's and pretty active. We're thinking of heading to Tucson, AZ. Any suggestions on where to stay? Are there nice options for around $150-200 per night? We'll probably travel in late March or early April. Will it be warm enough there for swimming in the pool? Would you recommend staying in Tucson or just outside in the foothills? We've looked at a few resorts and the scenery around the base of the mountains is breathtaking so we're thinking of staying out there.
Are there other destinations you'd recommend over Tucson? Any advice is appreciated! We're both from the Northeast and aren't too familiar with the Western US.

Tucson sounds great for your trip, and I would stay out of town. There are fun day trips to Tombstione and/or Kartchner Caverns.
http://kartchnercaverns.com/

sorry, it's Tombstone. http://www.tombstone.org/

We loved the JW Marriott Starr Pass, in the foothills. Pool should be heated,but don't think it is going to be suntan weather. You will need a rental car as it is a short drive into Tucson proper. The hotel has wonderful restaurants and spa. Lots of neat things to do in area.. Sonora Desert was great.

Hope this helps...
Debi

March & April should be wonderful in Tucson.

Lots of great hikes in the Saguaro Nat'l Parks. Tucson has lots of great eateries but I've not been since '99 so I have no current info on that.

Check this place out:

http://www.casatierratucson.com/rates.html

It is outside of town on the west side in the desert without close neighbors.

Great folks and breakfast. We loved the hot tub ramada out away from the house. Alas, they have no pool but it will be great "tubbing" weather.

Close to Saguaro Park West and the Sonoran Desert Museum (like a zoo and botanical garden rolled into one.

Make sure to drive up Mt. Lemmon too.

Sabino Canyon & the Desert Museum are both great.

We visited Tucson from NYC a few years ago, during January. One of my priorities was swimming and we found the Arizona Inn to be fantastic, not only for their large heated pool but for everything else as well. I think the room cost in that price range but that could have changed in the years since..check it out. We loved Tucson.

Thanks for your responses. I'm pretty sure we'll go to Tucson. Probably willing to pay a bit more for a nice resort with golf (at least nearby), pool, and tennis. I've been looking at some websites and the Westward Look Resort, Golf Villas at Oro Valley, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Lodge at Ventana Canyon, and Starr Pass Golf Suites seem nice. Westward Look seems to be very nice for the price. Is it too good to be true? Has anyone had any experience with it or the others? Also, the Canoa Ranch Resort, which opened in Dec 2006 looks nice as well but I have no idea what their prices are.
DebitNM- I appreciate your input but just had a bad Marriott experience so I'm staying away for awhile.


Thanks again!

Arizona is great. Another option might be Death Valley National Park. You could fly into Las Vegas, rent a car and be there in 2 hrs, maybe less. We usually stay at Furnace Creek Ranch now, but Furnace Creek Inn is lovely and has an amazing view from its pool. Furnace Creek Ranch has the golf course, an older pool, and horseback riding. Hiking opportunities are tremendous and very different from East Coast! Do a little research if you are interested. It is an extremely unique place.

You mentioned the Canoa Ranch Resort. I don't think this is the place for you at this time. It is in Green Valley with not so much to do in the immediate area. But the main reason is it is very new and there is a lot of construction going on around it and just won't give you that resort feel at this time. They do have some very good rates but I think you would be happier in the Tucson area.

Thanks traveller- that's helpful!
elnap- sounds great but the 2 hour drive after flying is not too appealing! I'll check out the places you recommended though. Do you know the average temps there? Warmer or cooler than Tucson?

Have you looked at Westin's website? Their resort is gorgeous.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin...ropertyID=1001
They have it all there including golf. It will certainly be warm enough for swimming and suntanning. It was 80 degrees here the other day.

I checked the Westin but there is no availability when we're thinking of going.

It seems (from other threads) that the Westward Look is older but has been renovated. Has anyone seen it or stayed there since the renovations? Is it much better? A lot of people seemed to recommend the Loews Ventana over the Westward Look. WL is cheaper but I don't want a run-down hotel. Any thoughts? What about the Lodge?

Here is a suggestion for you. I checked Priceline to see what RESORTS they have. They have three in North Tucson Westin, Ventana and Sheraton Conquistador. Any of those would be perfect. You could try a bid for your dates and just stick to N. Tucson. The other they offer are just Tucson which are the Marriott you don't want and the Starr Pass suites. See what you think about that. I don't recommend Westward Look.

Starr Pass Suites is just down the road from Marriott and I believe you have privledges at Marriott [not sure] The pool at the suites is nothing special.

We stayed one night at Westin LaPAloma before we went to Starr Pass. Unless they have renovated, I wouldn't stay there again. The pool is great, but that was it. They charge a resort fee.

I actually complained to the manager that we were there for about 12 hours and felt that the resort fee was an absolute rip off for what it included. They refunded the fee and offered us a "deal" next time we were in Tucson.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34843007

Hope this helps...
Debi

Canoa Ranch Resort is now open, but there is a lot of construction there, and it is not really suited to your age or interests. It is on the southside of Green Valley which is about 25 minutes south of the Tucson airport (closer than the moutains on the north of Tucson). Green Valley offers many golf courses with great rates and great mountain views, but it is a retirement community so plan to have leisurely play. Tucson offers many tourist attractions, the daytime weather now is 50-80 depending on the day, but it should be 75-80 in March/April. The evenings and early mornings still can be cool, but the sunshine is wonderful! The Desert Museum is a must for most tourists and well worth your time if you want to learn about the desert plants, animals and birds. Tucson will be a drastic cultural change from Manhattan, but it offers many of the outdoor activities you are looking for plus wonderful weather! You will enjoy Tucson!

The AZ Inn is fantastic, but check to make sure that their pool renovations will be complete by the time you visit - I live in the neighborhood and as of a few weeks ago the main pool was closed for renovations and guests were using the "guesthouse" pool.

Randolph Park golf course is the public course in town and in centrally located and is a fantastic golf course with an affordable price. www.tucsoncitygolf.com/randolph.html

It could be warm enough for swimming - especially if you come closer to April.

You will be well served having a car whether you stay in the foothills or central Tucson. Public transportation isn't like NYC where everyone uses it and it doesn't go everywhere, and cabs are expensive.

The foothills are georgous and the Westin La Paloma and Loew's Ventana are both world class resorts, but during March/April might be out of the price range you mentioned. The Omni Tucson also has great golf, but is far outside central Tucson. There's also the Hilton El Conquistador - very nice with golf.

You might also want to check out Lodge on the Desert - super-nice rooms and grounds, but iffy service last time I was there.

Some great day trips: drive up to Mt. Lemmon, Saguaro National Monument East, and the AZ Sonora Desert Museum.

You might also want to look into spending a night in Bisbee - it's an old copper mining town a couple of hours east of Tucson that has been restored by artists and is filled with lovely inns and great restaurants. (www.bisbeearizona.com)

You're picking a great time of year to visit and will have many many options.

Also - Westward Look is nice, it's old and there's a reason it's less expensive than its nearby competitors.

While I had an enjoyable visit to Tucson a few months ago, I also wanted to suggest the Palm Springs area as an option. We're enjoying beautiful, warm weather right now. It was 80 degrees today. Joshua Tree national park is nearby and there are a lot of hiking trails here in the Coachella Valley. There are golf courses throughout the area.

I would use biddingfortravel.com and consider bidding on priceline. I have received very very good deals doing this at both the Omni Resort and Ventana Canyon, also consider renting a condo or house, especially if you go in April or later, check out www.vrbo.com, email me if you need help.

Greg
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