4 Best Hotels in Tucson, Arizona

This hotel, built in 1919, has been artfully restored to its original Western version of art deco; it's now the center of Tucson's hippest scene and a great place for younger and adventurous travelers to stay. The gangster John Dillinger was almost caught here in 1934—apparently his luggage, filled with guns and ammo, was suspiciously heavy. Each room has a black-and-white tile bath and the original iron bed frames. The convenient location Downtown means it can be noisy, so make sure you don't get a room over the popular Club Congress (a nightclub with dance parties) or Century Room (a jazz lounge with live music nightly), unless you plan to be up until the wee hours.

For a more authentic desert experience, head to this intriguing complex of lodgings, a café, a trading post, and an observatory, set on over 5 acres just off the main road to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. Some rooms have mountain views and a wraparound porch, while others share a flower-filled courtyard; all are colorfully decorated with indigenous art and include a voucher for each guest for breakfast at the adjacent Coyote Pause Café. Say hi to Juanita, the resident desert tortoise, as you meander through the desert gardens and labyrinth. Stargazing with an astronomer through a 14-inch Celestron telescope (for an extra fee) is a rewarding on-site activity in this dark sky zone.

This 1960s motor lodge has been reborn as a Santa Fe–style boutique hotel with a Latin theme. Though most rooms in the three-story building have Saltillo-tile floors and hand-painted Mexican headboards, a few are whimsically decorated with blue-and-lime-green–checkered bedspreads and curtains, along with kitschy furniture and lava lamps, as a tribute to the hotel's past life. Upper-floor rooms have balconies with mountain and city views. A full breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Gringo, is included.

Down the lane from the shops and eateries of Tubac village is this charming two-story inn, tastefully decorated in contemporary Southwest style. The rooms are more like suites, with sitting areas and kitchenettes, and the common outdoor space is a tranquil desert flower garden with willow chairs and a Mexican fireplace. Each morning a breakfast basket of muffins, cheeses, fruits, and juice is brought to your door.