Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

"Beautiful family hotel with waterfall in the foothills of Tucson"

I’d never stayed at a Loew’s hotel before our visit to the Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort in Tuscon. After experiencing their incredible service from long-time staff members, I will definitely look for this brand when we travel.

The room
The room had the biggest bathtub I’ve EVER seen in a hotel. There was no chance of getting the floor wet. The room had a very large patio overlooking the Ventana Window Walk. If we were on the opposite side of the hotel we could have had a view of the waterfall.  They also offered views of the city which was pretty spectacular.  I felt very much at home in our roomy room. We weren’t there much, though, with all the activities.

The pools
Pools are a big deal when you visit the desert. The main pool welcomes kids and is right in the middle of all the action. It’s shaped like a T with 3 sets of wide stairs and 3 1/2 feet entries. The deep end is 8 feet where the T crosses. It’s nice because you can hang out by the stairs and not worry about impeding anybodys progress, because they can always choose another set of stairs.  A staffed cabana served all of our pool needs: water, magazines, sunscreen, and towels.  Bill’s Grill, the poolside restaurant and bar, is open from lunch to sunset. Servers circulated throughout the pool area. There is an adults only lap pool at the Lakeside Salon & Spa for those who don’t want to interact with families.  I never felt like we were “bugging” the adults at the main pool, since they had the option to go to the adults only pool area.

Ventana Window Walk
I spent one magical morning exploring the half mile Ventana Window Walk alone. It begins behind the lobby and walks a loop up to to the canyon waterfall and around.  It was completely quiet and peaceful that morning. I was fascinated by the interpretive signs explaining the geology of the Tucson Valley and some of the geographic landmarks. So much so, in fact, that another guest was out for a stroll and scared me half to death by commenting on the waterfall!  The Window Walk is representative of hotelier, Jonathan Tisch’s, desire to “build a luxury resort in a pristine, desert landscape without disturbing the environment.”  It’s pretty amazing to think that “not a single one of the 3,500 saguaro cacti was destroyed and all of the riparian habitats were kept in tact” on a project that spanned 100 acres.

The concierge and Coyote Kids Club
The concierge answered every question we threw at her. Definitely stop at her desk in the lobby early in your trip. They can even set your kids up for some time in the Coyote Kids Club which is really reasonable ($40 for a half day) for the adventures and entertainment it provides. Jacqueline runs the club and she’s spectacular. She’s been working at the resort a long time and mailed the cutest little homemade scrapbooks to our kids as keepsakes of their special time in the desert!

Side Trips
El Charro Cafe is right down the hill from the resort and has great Mexican food.  We checked out Sabino Canyon, but wished we’d left more time for swimming, hiking, and exploring the Visitor Center.  If we go back to Tuscon, I’d love to check out the Pima Air and Space Museum which is west of Tucson off I-10 with 80 acres and 300 aircraft!  That could be a whole day trip, though. I’ve been to the Sonora Desert Museum and I’d recommend that, too. I’ve also heard Kartchner Caverns State Park is pretty amazing.

Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay and meals at the resort in order to complete an unbiased review and this subsequent article. The resort did not request that any specific opinions be expressed.