BlondeBomber

One of my favorite Tucson establishments. There is another thread on it.

The only disadvantage is distance from town if you want to go in and eat. Not that bad really but certainly not in restaurant row. If you like being close to the desert, hiking, golf, and swimming, it will be fine. Seem to treat Diamonds well!

For those who don't like snakes (I do--in fact I go looking for them), you may find them around the grounds, especially in the casita area. I had to help a western diamondback across the road one night and staff moved one from the entrance to our casita another night. The snakes are not typically aggressive and just want to get out of the way. Not a problem prior to April, but as things start to heat up, they start to move around more! Help to keep the rodents in check . . .

BlondeBomber

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...t=conquistador

cartcarol

Oh, I meant to do this much sooner!

My trip was quite nice and definitely lined up with what I expected from the resort. The hotel was full when I arrived - there was a large convention there for the first couple of nights of my visit and a number of other guests in my group (I was there for a wedding) could not get the bed configurations they requested. However, HH Gold paid off as I was assigned an excellent room on the 3rd (top) floor overlooking the pool, with an elusive king bed as requested.

Some people in my group were told that the casitas were better rooms than the rooms in the main building, but I saw both and did not really see a difference, unless you booked a suite. The casitas do seem to afford a little more privacy. If you plan on spending a lot of time in the main building or at the pool, you will find the casitas a little less convenient as they are a bit of a walk. There is a separate pool near the casitas; however, it does not have all the services of the main pool. If you are staying in a casita you will certainly have all privileges and access to the main pool - the choice will be yours.

The main pool was pretty crowded every day. People got out there early to get chairs and if you arrived mid-day, you'd have to hunt a while to find one. There were lots of kids in the pool at all times, including the whirlpool spa. However the gate to the whirlpool spa was left ajar after pool hours ended, so it was possible to take a quiet dip at night, undisturbed. There was also a nice gas-burning bonfire near the pool, which was great for evening conversation under the stars. No one seemed to take advantage of this, but our group certainly did.

My room was nice and clean and comfortable. Service was generally attentive when sought. Gold VIP benefit was a coupon that provided a $14 per person credit (good for 2 people or up to $28) for breakfast in the main restaurant. If you dine alone you will only get a discount of $14 even if you exceed that amount. However, we had breakfast parties of different sizes every morning and the wait staff unfailingly subtracted the full $28 from our bill, based on my coupon, regardless of how many people were in my party.

The other Gold VIP benefit is 2 free bottles of water from the gift shop - you are given a letter upon arrival which you must take to the gift shop in order to receive the bottles. These came in handy for hikes. There is one hiking trail/loop near the tennis courts - you will need to get directions from the hotel staff to find it. The trail is also used for horseback rides on the resort grounds. The day I did the trail there was a rattlesnake sighting on the trail just after I'd finished my hike... I would not let this deter me next time, but I would not wear an iPod! The other "option" for walking or jogging isn't really a trail; it's just a circuit of the hotel property, which is extensive.

I did not go horseback riding at the resort - not enough time - but I would nevertheless recommend this, as the fees were quite reasonable and the rides I witnessed seemed well-organized, safe and enjoyable.

The food at the resort was variable according to meal and location, but I would not characterize any of it as particularly excellent. It was okay for the most part, but nothing stood out. Prices were more or less to be expected. The $14 breakfast rebate did not fully cover the price of one breakfast unless you ordered judiciously, but it was nevertheless a helpful deduction.

There is a small business center on site, which I did not discover until the end of my visit. There are two computer stations which are free for guests (15-minute limit if others are waiting). There is a fee for printing, unless you are printing an airline boarding pass... When I went to check in for my return flight online there, I was told I could print my boarding pass for free. That was a nice touch.

Unless you have elderly or handicapped guests in your party, I would advise against using the valet parking service, which will cost an extra fee. There is a free self-parking area right in front of the hotel. It seemed to be full or nearly full during much of my visit, but I never had a problem getting a spot.

As other posters mentioned, the resort is quite a distance from downtown and the airport, but I didn't miss these things at all. The nearby Sabino Canyon is beautiful. I can't speak much to restaurants as I did not have a lot of meals that were not wedding-related, but there are other helpful posts here.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable stay - my first in Tucson - and I'd happily go back. Please feel free to PM me if you have particular questions that I didn't cover here... I hope you enjoy your trip!

Carolellen607

Thanks so much CartCarol. You really answered most of my questions. Sounds like we will love this place.

fromYXU

Plan to be in Tucson for a few days in June. Is it still worth staying there in the summer? Booked a "superior suite". Not sure what that would be like. Any comments?

cblaisd

Any recent reports?

bkafrick

I'm going the first week of May. I'll report back.

bharv

checked in last night and my diamond worked well for me upgraded to the casita and it is very nice and spacious all in all very happy

BlondeBomber

Cool!

Let us know if they still have evening drinks (no snacks other than peanuts as I recall) and what breakfast deal is still being offered to Diamonds (used to have a nice buffet or served meal on the patio which you could use your $$ credit towards) . . .

MeLike2Travel

Am contemplating a stay in early January and would like to hear about any recent stays. Particularly interested in:

1) I'm Gold. How do they do the breakfast benefit?
2) How are the pools?
3) Are the room upgrades worth it?
4) Is there an executive lounge and what do they have in it?

Bluefan75

Did you end up staying here?

MeLike2Travel

No, I didn't end up staying. Long story short I ended up going to South Lake Tahoe and stayed at the Embassy Suites. Great property, great staff. We had a fantastic time.

neuro0

Breakfast for diamonds is continental only.

cblaisd

We stayed in the summer (111 degrees) and there was no continental breakfast; Diamonds/Golds could simply order anything of the menu.

Was a lovely stay - got upgraded to a fantastic casita.

neuro0

My family stayed there in Nov, 09. We were given a coupon for continental breakfast. In the restaurant, there was a setup for continental breakfast buffet.
No other items other than breads, pastry and cereals.
We didn't partake in that since our rate included full breakfast buffet . Since they didn't have the full buffet out, we could order anything from the menu.