JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, AZ [Master Thread]
Dec 7, 2012, 9:46 pm
#31
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 252
Our family is going to stay in this resort during Christmas. Can anyone recently stayed in this property tell me:
1) if it is possible to ask for waiving the $25 resort fee but just paying self-parking instead? I really do not care about other things included in that resort fee. I booked three rooms, so it could be some savings for us.
2) if it is possible to have complimentary breakfast for Platinum member? I remember seeing reports in earlier posts that it was only given to Premier Platinum member. I wonder if that still stays the same. If I have to pay, how much is the breakfast buffet?
Thank you.
1) if it is possible to ask for waiving the $25 resort fee but just paying self-parking instead? I really do not care about other things included in that resort fee. I booked three rooms, so it could be some savings for us.
2) if it is possible to have complimentary breakfast for Platinum member? I remember seeing reports in earlier posts that it was only given to Premier Platinum member. I wonder if that still stays the same. If I have to pay, how much is the breakfast buffet?
Thank you.
Jan 2, 2013, 5:42 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 252
We just finished a one-week wonderful stay at this resort. Here is my mini trip report. This is my first trip report, so please be gentle with your comments. And if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know.
Hotel: Beautiful
The hotel was tucked in the Tucson Mountain Park, and its Terrace has a terrific view for sunrise in the morning and skylights at night. The hotel has three pools, all were kept at 84 degrees. We first thought the lazy river pool was closed, but it turned it was open up till 4pm during the week we were in. We did not see this until 10 minutes to 4pm, the lady was ready to lock it up, but she was nice enough to let us float one round.
Parking: Far
The hotel has 6 buildings, and the parking is attached conference room area. If your room is still Building 1 as ours, it is a long walk as cjw2001 indicated in his post as you need to walk through Buildings 6, 5, 4, Aki Bridge, 3, front desk, finally to 2&1. The sign to Guest Self Parking is bit tricky. When you drive uphill towards front entrance, you will see the sign of "Deliveries" on this side. When you leave front entrance, and drive downhill, you will see "Guest Self Parking". So, it has different markings on either side.
Staff: Fabulous
Every staff that we talked to, bumped into was courteous, professional, and all has a positive attitude. The Concierge desk was closed during Christmas, so the front desk staff handled all those questions as well. The answers, directions, instructions we got were all precise and accurate, and all with a smile. And regardless of what we asked, everyone was able to give us the answer right away. There was no 'check with the manager' moment, it looks like they are all well-trained. This is probably the most professional group of staff I have ever seen in all US Marriott hotels.
Room: Average
We got one of our rooms upgraded to the Hospitality Suites, which actually has two room numbers, one for the living room and the other for the bedroom, you actually have to use two different keycards to enter either side of the room. The other two King rooms were average. It has flat screen TV, but we could not change its input source to view the camcorder videos. And you can only use up and down button to change TV channels, the number keys do not work. My biggest complaint (sort of) is that the TV monitor does not have access to room charges. Since we have one week stay there, and our room comes with breakfast, I want to make sure the breakfast was not accidentally charged, nor was any mini-bar charge. With that lack of functionality, I had to ask the front desk to print out the bill the night before to review since we had an early check-out. This is probably my only complaint during the entire stay. On the other hand, I found the internet speed was very fast, I got 20Mbs for download and 3Mbs for upload, which is almost the same as that at home.
Restaurant: Expensive
It has three restaurants, two on site, and one off site. Primo is the fine dining restaurant, it has lamb pasta for $37, you get the idea. Signature Grill is less expensive, but still on the high side. Our room has $50 credit, so we had dinner once in Signature Grill. Paella ($29) and Short Ribs ($28) were very good. The breakfast buffet was $24 for full buffet and $15 for continental buffet. Kids under 12 was $5.99. Platinum members do not get complimentary breakfast. I asked when I checked in, the manager came out and confirmed that it started about 1.5 years ago. The hotel also has a bar and Starbucks there, the coffee there was about $0.80 to $1.00 more expensive than average Starbucks. But it is convenient to have a quick breakfast if your room rate does not include breakfast and you don't want to spend $50 for the entire family on the breakfast. The only off site restaurant is the Catalina BBQ, the food portion is very generous. Two people can definitely share one entree, and the waiter had no problem doing that. And what was nice for them is that they serve the food already split onto two plates.
Resort Fee: Opt-Out
I had questions earlier that if all of my three rooms were charged with $25 resort fee every day, that would be $75 a day. So, when I asked them if it could be reduced for the other two rooms, the check-in agent was actually generous enough to opt-out the resort fee for all of my three rooms. If you are not a elite member, you might still want to keep that, as it includes parking, internet, water, and now $10 credit in Starbucks every day.
Hiking: Be Aware
The hotel is connected to two trails: Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail and Bowen Trail. You can start out either one, and come back on the other one. When you go out of the hotel entrance, you can make a right, then you will start from the Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail for 1.2 miles, then make a left to Bowen Trail for 0.3 mile, then another left onto Starr Pass road back to hotel. Well, be aware that there is no markings throughout the trail, and it turns out the Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail does have some parts HIDDEN because we got lost mid-way. Eventually we managed to climb up to a high ground and were able to see the trail in a distance and made our way back onto the trail. The getting lost part actually made the entire hiking experience more interesting and exciting.
Attractions: Plenty
I recommend you get Tucson Passports before you go to any of the attractions, it has 2-for-1 offers for many of them. The passport itself costs $18, but you can get it back after visiting 1 or 2 places. We visited Pima Air & Space Museum, BioSphere 2 and Desert Museum. We also went to Houston Horseback Riding, which was very good, highly recommend it.
Hotel: Beautiful
The hotel was tucked in the Tucson Mountain Park, and its Terrace has a terrific view for sunrise in the morning and skylights at night. The hotel has three pools, all were kept at 84 degrees. We first thought the lazy river pool was closed, but it turned it was open up till 4pm during the week we were in. We did not see this until 10 minutes to 4pm, the lady was ready to lock it up, but she was nice enough to let us float one round.
Parking: Far
The hotel has 6 buildings, and the parking is attached conference room area. If your room is still Building 1 as ours, it is a long walk as cjw2001 indicated in his post as you need to walk through Buildings 6, 5, 4, Aki Bridge, 3, front desk, finally to 2&1. The sign to Guest Self Parking is bit tricky. When you drive uphill towards front entrance, you will see the sign of "Deliveries" on this side. When you leave front entrance, and drive downhill, you will see "Guest Self Parking". So, it has different markings on either side.
Staff: Fabulous
Every staff that we talked to, bumped into was courteous, professional, and all has a positive attitude. The Concierge desk was closed during Christmas, so the front desk staff handled all those questions as well. The answers, directions, instructions we got were all precise and accurate, and all with a smile. And regardless of what we asked, everyone was able to give us the answer right away. There was no 'check with the manager' moment, it looks like they are all well-trained. This is probably the most professional group of staff I have ever seen in all US Marriott hotels.
Room: Average
We got one of our rooms upgraded to the Hospitality Suites, which actually has two room numbers, one for the living room and the other for the bedroom, you actually have to use two different keycards to enter either side of the room. The other two King rooms were average. It has flat screen TV, but we could not change its input source to view the camcorder videos. And you can only use up and down button to change TV channels, the number keys do not work. My biggest complaint (sort of) is that the TV monitor does not have access to room charges. Since we have one week stay there, and our room comes with breakfast, I want to make sure the breakfast was not accidentally charged, nor was any mini-bar charge. With that lack of functionality, I had to ask the front desk to print out the bill the night before to review since we had an early check-out. This is probably my only complaint during the entire stay. On the other hand, I found the internet speed was very fast, I got 20Mbs for download and 3Mbs for upload, which is almost the same as that at home.
Restaurant: Expensive
It has three restaurants, two on site, and one off site. Primo is the fine dining restaurant, it has lamb pasta for $37, you get the idea. Signature Grill is less expensive, but still on the high side. Our room has $50 credit, so we had dinner once in Signature Grill. Paella ($29) and Short Ribs ($28) were very good. The breakfast buffet was $24 for full buffet and $15 for continental buffet. Kids under 12 was $5.99. Platinum members do not get complimentary breakfast. I asked when I checked in, the manager came out and confirmed that it started about 1.5 years ago. The hotel also has a bar and Starbucks there, the coffee there was about $0.80 to $1.00 more expensive than average Starbucks. But it is convenient to have a quick breakfast if your room rate does not include breakfast and you don't want to spend $50 for the entire family on the breakfast. The only off site restaurant is the Catalina BBQ, the food portion is very generous. Two people can definitely share one entree, and the waiter had no problem doing that. And what was nice for them is that they serve the food already split onto two plates.
Resort Fee: Opt-Out
I had questions earlier that if all of my three rooms were charged with $25 resort fee every day, that would be $75 a day. So, when I asked them if it could be reduced for the other two rooms, the check-in agent was actually generous enough to opt-out the resort fee for all of my three rooms. If you are not a elite member, you might still want to keep that, as it includes parking, internet, water, and now $10 credit in Starbucks every day.
Hiking: Be Aware
The hotel is connected to two trails: Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail and Bowen Trail. You can start out either one, and come back on the other one. When you go out of the hotel entrance, you can make a right, then you will start from the Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail for 1.2 miles, then make a left to Bowen Trail for 0.3 mile, then another left onto Starr Pass road back to hotel. Well, be aware that there is no markings throughout the trail, and it turns out the Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail does have some parts HIDDEN because we got lost mid-way. Eventually we managed to climb up to a high ground and were able to see the trail in a distance and made our way back onto the trail. The getting lost part actually made the entire hiking experience more interesting and exciting.
Attractions: Plenty
I recommend you get Tucson Passports before you go to any of the attractions, it has 2-for-1 offers for many of them. The passport itself costs $18, but you can get it back after visiting 1 or 2 places. We visited Pima Air & Space Museum, BioSphere 2 and Desert Museum. We also went to Houston Horseback Riding, which was very good, highly recommend it.
Mar 31, 2013, 10:13 am
#35
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 904
Just returned from a short 2-night stay:
First off, the setting is absolutely fabulous! The buildings are well-integrated into the hillside and the landscape is left natural and stunning. The views from the suites over the property to the valley beyond are sensational, especially when the lights of the city come on. If like me you are coming from the central time zone (2 hours ahead in spring/summer) you may rise early enough to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the city.
Now some comments, mostly just to help others zero in on whether this is the right place for them-- for my family it wasn't quite the right fit but fine for a couple nights.
1. There is a lot of smoking in this hotel (and Arizona in general). People smoke on their balconies and on the main terrace/bar that all the hotel circulation goes thru to and from the pools. So this was a constant, if slight, irritation.
2. The herd of javelinas that inhabit the golf holes immediately below the hotel were a huge hit with my children, especially the two 2-day old piglets.
3. There is a boorish element to a substantial minority the guests: loud people at the pool and bars with nothing to say, cell phone screamers at the pools talking the WHOLE DAY, and some of the clientele was the cigar smoking, Maserati driving, scantily clad female trophy date, throw a lot of money around, kind of people.
4. There are 4 restaurants: Primo the most expensive we did not try. Signature was $275 for a family of 5 with a $60 bottle of wine and 3 desserts. The BBQ place Catalina was just OK, requires a shuttle to get to, interesting that we ordered 3 burgers not pink and they all came quite pink at our table and the one next to us, $135 for 5. The fourth place Plunge is a snack bar for the pools and was quite expensive for what you got, triple the price that you would expect.
5. Parking is remote and requires a 10 minute indoor walk, price is included in the resort fee even though 2 employees told us it wasn't.
6. Rooms are smallish, but we got the executive suite add on (an adjoining room) which was quite spacious with a large dining room table and 3 fridges total.
7. Fussy sliding bathroom doors get off track easily and don't really close well.
8. Pools were chilly, especially the lazy river.
9. Complementary tequila toast at 5:30 was disappointing, a 1/3 shot of tequila and an extra long 5 minute toast lead up (isn't there an unwritten rule that toasts have to be 30 seconds or less?).
10. Double beds are extra long so fit a tall person like me, same length as a queen.
First off, the setting is absolutely fabulous! The buildings are well-integrated into the hillside and the landscape is left natural and stunning. The views from the suites over the property to the valley beyond are sensational, especially when the lights of the city come on. If like me you are coming from the central time zone (2 hours ahead in spring/summer) you may rise early enough to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the city.
Now some comments, mostly just to help others zero in on whether this is the right place for them-- for my family it wasn't quite the right fit but fine for a couple nights.
1. There is a lot of smoking in this hotel (and Arizona in general). People smoke on their balconies and on the main terrace/bar that all the hotel circulation goes thru to and from the pools. So this was a constant, if slight, irritation.
2. The herd of javelinas that inhabit the golf holes immediately below the hotel were a huge hit with my children, especially the two 2-day old piglets.
3. There is a boorish element to a substantial minority the guests: loud people at the pool and bars with nothing to say, cell phone screamers at the pools talking the WHOLE DAY, and some of the clientele was the cigar smoking, Maserati driving, scantily clad female trophy date, throw a lot of money around, kind of people.
4. There are 4 restaurants: Primo the most expensive we did not try. Signature was $275 for a family of 5 with a $60 bottle of wine and 3 desserts. The BBQ place Catalina was just OK, requires a shuttle to get to, interesting that we ordered 3 burgers not pink and they all came quite pink at our table and the one next to us, $135 for 5. The fourth place Plunge is a snack bar for the pools and was quite expensive for what you got, triple the price that you would expect.
5. Parking is remote and requires a 10 minute indoor walk, price is included in the resort fee even though 2 employees told us it wasn't.
6. Rooms are smallish, but we got the executive suite add on (an adjoining room) which was quite spacious with a large dining room table and 3 fridges total.
7. Fussy sliding bathroom doors get off track easily and don't really close well.
8. Pools were chilly, especially the lazy river.
9. Complementary tequila toast at 5:30 was disappointing, a 1/3 shot of tequila and an extra long 5 minute toast lead up (isn't there an unwritten rule that toasts have to be 30 seconds or less?).
10. Double beds are extra long so fit a tall person like me, same length as a queen.
Apr 1, 2013, 1:43 pm
#36
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago (ORD)
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, UA Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 566
Just returned from a short 2-night stay:
First off, the setting is absolutely fabulous! The buildings are well-integrated into the hillside and the landscape is left natural and stunning. The views from the suites over the property to the valley beyond are sensational, especially when the lights of the city come on. If like me you are coming from the central time zone (2 hours ahead in spring/summer) you may rise early enough to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the city.
Now some comments, mostly just to help others zero in on whether this is the right place for them-- for my family it wasn't quite the right fit but fine for a couple nights.
1. There is a lot of smoking in this hotel (and Arizona in general). People smoke on their balconies and on the main terrace/bar that all the hotel circulation goes thru to and from the pools. So this was a constant, if slight, irritation.
2. The herd of javelinas that inhabit the golf holes immediately below the hotel were a huge hit with my children, especially the two 2-day old piglets.
3. There is a boorish element to a substantial minority the guests: loud people at the pool and bars with nothing to say, cell phone screamers at the pools talking the WHOLE DAY, and some of the clientele was the cigar smoking, Maserati driving, scantily clad female trophy date, throw a lot of money around, kind of people.
4. There are 4 restaurants: Primo the most expensive we did not try. Signature was $275 for a family of 5 with a $60 bottle of wine and 3 desserts. The BBQ place Catalina was just OK, requires a shuttle to get to, interesting that we ordered 3 burgers not pink and they all came quite pink at our table and the one next to us, $135 for 5. The fourth place Plunge is a snack bar for the pools and was quite expensive for what you got, triple the price that you would expect.
5. Parking is remote and requires a 10 minute indoor walk, price is included in the resort fee even though 2 employees told us it wasn't.
6. Rooms are smallish, but we got the executive suite add on (an adjoining room) which was quite spacious with a large dining room table and 3 fridges total.
7. Fussy sliding bathroom doors get off track easily and don't really close well.
8. Pools were chilly, especially the lazy river.
9. Complementary tequila toast at 5:30 was disappointing, a 1/3 shot of tequila and an extra long 5 minute toast lead up (isn't there an unwritten rule that toasts have to be 30 seconds or less?).
10. Double beds are extra long so fit a tall person like me, same length as a queen.
First off, the setting is absolutely fabulous! The buildings are well-integrated into the hillside and the landscape is left natural and stunning. The views from the suites over the property to the valley beyond are sensational, especially when the lights of the city come on. If like me you are coming from the central time zone (2 hours ahead in spring/summer) you may rise early enough to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the city.
Now some comments, mostly just to help others zero in on whether this is the right place for them-- for my family it wasn't quite the right fit but fine for a couple nights.
1. There is a lot of smoking in this hotel (and Arizona in general). People smoke on their balconies and on the main terrace/bar that all the hotel circulation goes thru to and from the pools. So this was a constant, if slight, irritation.
2. The herd of javelinas that inhabit the golf holes immediately below the hotel were a huge hit with my children, especially the two 2-day old piglets.
3. There is a boorish element to a substantial minority the guests: loud people at the pool and bars with nothing to say, cell phone screamers at the pools talking the WHOLE DAY, and some of the clientele was the cigar smoking, Maserati driving, scantily clad female trophy date, throw a lot of money around, kind of people.
4. There are 4 restaurants: Primo the most expensive we did not try. Signature was $275 for a family of 5 with a $60 bottle of wine and 3 desserts. The BBQ place Catalina was just OK, requires a shuttle to get to, interesting that we ordered 3 burgers not pink and they all came quite pink at our table and the one next to us, $135 for 5. The fourth place Plunge is a snack bar for the pools and was quite expensive for what you got, triple the price that you would expect.
5. Parking is remote and requires a 10 minute indoor walk, price is included in the resort fee even though 2 employees told us it wasn't.
6. Rooms are smallish, but we got the executive suite add on (an adjoining room) which was quite spacious with a large dining room table and 3 fridges total.
7. Fussy sliding bathroom doors get off track easily and don't really close well.
8. Pools were chilly, especially the lazy river.
9. Complementary tequila toast at 5:30 was disappointing, a 1/3 shot of tequila and an extra long 5 minute toast lead up (isn't there an unwritten rule that toasts have to be 30 seconds or less?).
10. Double beds are extra long so fit a tall person like me, same length as a queen.
Apr 3, 2013, 7:34 am
#37
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 904
Reply to dcchi: Ritz Dove Mtn is even more expensive and even more remote from attractions and restaurants. And I just wasn't taken with Tucson in general: long, long drives on 6-lane city streets to get anywhere (45 min of heavy city street driving from this resort to Sabino Canyon or E Saguaro Nat'l Park-- then of course return), freeway doesn't work for shortening time to intown destinations, very sprawling with teeny weeny downtown, native landscape look of the city is, well, appropriate but brown is brown. I prefer Phoenix's Southern California subtropical look with lush palms, Australian plants, Mediterranean plants-- palms in Tucson are scrawny and heavily browned (by recent frost?, Tucson is higher/frostier). I also was struck by the fact that every public school was fenced-- not by a low chain link, but high, closely spaced bar fences with rolling gates for vehicles-- like one would see around Beverly Hills mansions-- what is up with that??
Also, not a single Tucson resort has a 2 queen bed configuration, making it hard for families to get by in basic rooms.
I was completely taken with the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in Phoenix and would stay there again: 2 queens plus sofa bed easily accommodates family of 5 with tall people, sink outside of toilet/shower perfect of families, lush subtropical landscape, middle class clientele, quick access to city attractions and restaurants, more pools and pool concept choices, reasonable prices.
Also, not a single Tucson resort has a 2 queen bed configuration, making it hard for families to get by in basic rooms.
I was completely taken with the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in Phoenix and would stay there again: 2 queens plus sofa bed easily accommodates family of 5 with tall people, sink outside of toilet/shower perfect of families, lush subtropical landscape, middle class clientele, quick access to city attractions and restaurants, more pools and pool concept choices, reasonable prices.
Last edited by tom_MN; Apr 3, 2013 at 7:42 am
Apr 3, 2013, 8:50 pm
#38
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago (ORD)
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, UA Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 566
Reply to dcchi: Ritz Dove Mtn is even more expensive and even more remote from attractions and restaurants. And I just wasn't taken with Tucson in general: long, long drives on 6-lane city streets to get anywhere (45 min of heavy city street driving from this resort to Sabino Canyon or E Saguaro Nat'l Park-- then of course return), freeway doesn't work for shortening time to intown destinations, very sprawling with teeny weeny downtown, native landscape look of the city is, well, appropriate but brown is brown. I prefer Phoenix's Southern California subtropical look with lush palms, Australian plants, Mediterranean plants-- palms in Tucson are scrawny and heavily browned (by recent frost?, Tucson is higher/frostier). I also was struck by the fact that every public school was fenced-- not by a low chain link, but high, closely spaced bar fences with rolling gates for vehicles-- like one would see around Beverly Hills mansions-- what is up with that??
Also, not a single Tucson resort has a 2 queen bed configuration, making it hard for families to get by in basic rooms.
I was completely taken with the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in Phoenix and would stay there again: 2 queens plus sofa bed easily accommodates family of 5 with tall people, sink outside of toilet/shower perfect of families, lush subtropical landscape, middle class clientele, quick access to city attractions and restaurants, more pools and pool concept choices, reasonable prices.
Also, not a single Tucson resort has a 2 queen bed configuration, making it hard for families to get by in basic rooms.
I was completely taken with the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in Phoenix and would stay there again: 2 queens plus sofa bed easily accommodates family of 5 with tall people, sink outside of toilet/shower perfect of families, lush subtropical landscape, middle class clientele, quick access to city attractions and restaurants, more pools and pool concept choices, reasonable prices.
And, yes, Dove Mountain is certainly pricier than Starr Pass. I have to admit that I am able to take advantage of gov rates, so am able to get some great pricing for our stays, and when the resulting rate is the same between the two, Dove is the way to go. I agree that Phoenix and the JW resorts there are far preferable on many fronts, but the rates for Camelback and such are even higher than Dove (and gov rates essentially totally unavailable), so that's why we've been ending up in Tucson in recent years (rather than PHX).
Mar 11, 2020, 10:33 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Alaska 75K
Posts: 91
Feb 16, 2021, 7:41 am
#41
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
Spent the weekend here. The location is great for an outdoors getaway, with lots of great hiking nearby (including a very nice two mile loop trail right across the street from the resort). The resort itself is a massive 7 story structure (575 rooms) that doesn't really fit into the surrounding environment at all. To me the place felt like a mid-tier shopping mall or airport departure lobby, but I generally don't like these kinds of resorts (JW Desert Ridge being another, similar, example). Views of Tucson and surrounding mountains from the lobby and pool area are fantastic (unfortunately, our room lacked these views).
Service was very good, especially considering that the property was booked full for the holiday weekend. Never waited more than five minutes for the car (valet parking $29, self park for free, but they don't have enough spaces, so people wind up parked on the access road with a fairly hefty hike to the resort).
Some initial drama about room assignment and upgrade (Post 2296), but ultimately wound up with SNA upgrade into an Executive Suite. The room was spacious, but a bit dark without any real view, and the carpet and furnishings were tired and outdated. There are clearly some deferred maintenance issues which negatively impacted our stay. Most problematic was the lack of hot water. The best we ever got was lukewarm, and that took about 5 minutes. The toilet's flapper valve was broken and had to be manually reseated every other flush. The HVAC didn't work well, and seemed mostly effective at recirculating large quantities of dust throughout the room. Also had problems with unstable internet - had to use cell audio for zoom. As "compensation" for the lack of hot water we were offered 1000 points at checkout. (I was not fishing for comp, just responding honestly to agent's question about out stay, so just thanked her politely.)
Pleasantly surprised that a true complimentary elite breakfast was offered - we ordered off the menu, and the charges were removed. (I was advised gratuity was not included, so left cash tips.) Menu was a bit limited, but the food was good.
Daily housekeeping is offered. The Signature Grill, poolside bar, and Market are open, all other dining options closed. Closing hours are early, both on property and in Tucson, so suggest planning ahead or you may find yourself with very limited options. Mask compliance among staff and guests was high (much higher than we see in Phoenix/Scottsdale).
Overall, we loved the location, and the service was good, but we were turned off by the maintenance issues and never really comfortable with the factory-resort feel of the place.
ETA: I'm compelled to respond to the negative comments about Tucson upthread. Yes, it's really different from Scottsdale and its charms are perhaps less obvious to the weekend visitor, but having lived here in the early 90s, it's still one of my favorite places. Easy access to fantastic Sonoran desert hiking, great people, great Mexican food, and a pleasant, relaxed, slightly funky vibe.
Service was very good, especially considering that the property was booked full for the holiday weekend. Never waited more than five minutes for the car (valet parking $29, self park for free, but they don't have enough spaces, so people wind up parked on the access road with a fairly hefty hike to the resort).
Some initial drama about room assignment and upgrade (Post 2296), but ultimately wound up with SNA upgrade into an Executive Suite. The room was spacious, but a bit dark without any real view, and the carpet and furnishings were tired and outdated. There are clearly some deferred maintenance issues which negatively impacted our stay. Most problematic was the lack of hot water. The best we ever got was lukewarm, and that took about 5 minutes. The toilet's flapper valve was broken and had to be manually reseated every other flush. The HVAC didn't work well, and seemed mostly effective at recirculating large quantities of dust throughout the room. Also had problems with unstable internet - had to use cell audio for zoom. As "compensation" for the lack of hot water we were offered 1000 points at checkout. (I was not fishing for comp, just responding honestly to agent's question about out stay, so just thanked her politely.)
Pleasantly surprised that a true complimentary elite breakfast was offered - we ordered off the menu, and the charges were removed. (I was advised gratuity was not included, so left cash tips.) Menu was a bit limited, but the food was good.
Daily housekeeping is offered. The Signature Grill, poolside bar, and Market are open, all other dining options closed. Closing hours are early, both on property and in Tucson, so suggest planning ahead or you may find yourself with very limited options. Mask compliance among staff and guests was high (much higher than we see in Phoenix/Scottsdale).
Overall, we loved the location, and the service was good, but we were turned off by the maintenance issues and never really comfortable with the factory-resort feel of the place.
ETA: I'm compelled to respond to the negative comments about Tucson upthread. Yes, it's really different from Scottsdale and its charms are perhaps less obvious to the weekend visitor, but having lived here in the early 90s, it's still one of my favorite places. Easy access to fantastic Sonoran desert hiking, great people, great Mexican food, and a pleasant, relaxed, slightly funky vibe.
Last edited by Kacee; Feb 16, 2021 at 8:14 am
Feb 16, 2021, 1:30 pm
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,483
ETA: I'm compelled to respond to the negative comments about Tucson upthread. Yes, it's really different from Scottsdale and its charms are perhaps less obvious to the weekend visitor, but having lived here in the early 90s, it's still one of my favorite places. Easy access to fantastic Sonoran desert hiking, great people, great Mexican food, and a pleasant, relaxed, slightly funky vibe.
Also, as a native Californian who is usually disappointed by Mexican food in Texas (and I'm talking about Mex-Mex food NOT Tex-Mex), I will say that TUS has the best Mexican food in the US outside of California.
Also, Pima Air Museum and a Titan missile site. Try to find those around SDL.
Feb 16, 2021, 2:20 pm
#43
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
Yes, you can connect to a network of trails right from the resort. It's great hiking - scenic and challenging enough to count as exercise, without being technically challenging. There are also numerous other trailheads within easy reach. Not to mention the Sonoran Desert Museum, which is about a 20 minute drive away.
Apr 15, 2021, 9:42 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,711
Just completed a two-night stay and most of what Kacee posted in February regarding COVID impacts on what's open is still accurate. We had a very different impression regarding upkeep, however, and I felt this was a resort that truly lived up to the JW expectations in terms of build quality, upkeep, cleanliness, and customer service.
I booked a luxury suite and received a complimentary upgrade to the presidential suite. The room was fabulous. We do wish the spa was open (the one at the Ritz down the road is open, so I know it's not health regulations keeping it closed), and more of the on-site restaurants, but what is open is firing on all cylinders. As noted above, the elite welcome gift is a choice of 1,000 points or complimentary breakfast for two every day, and they are not stingy at all about what's included in the breakfast--order whatever you want off the menu. As always, it's annoying to be hit up with both a resort fee and valet parking charges but I've learned to just factor that kind of stuff into my nightly rate calculus.
I booked a luxury suite and received a complimentary upgrade to the presidential suite. The room was fabulous. We do wish the spa was open (the one at the Ritz down the road is open, so I know it's not health regulations keeping it closed), and more of the on-site restaurants, but what is open is firing on all cylinders. As noted above, the elite welcome gift is a choice of 1,000 points or complimentary breakfast for two every day, and they are not stingy at all about what's included in the breakfast--order whatever you want off the menu. As always, it's annoying to be hit up with both a resort fee and valet parking charges but I've learned to just factor that kind of stuff into my nightly rate calculus.
Apr 15, 2021, 2:16 pm
#45
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,809
Just completed a two-night stay and most of what Kacee posted in February regarding COVID impacts on what's open is still accurate. We had a very different impression regarding upkeep, however, and I felt this was a resort that truly lived up to the JW expectations in terms of build quality, upkeep, cleanliness, and customer service.
I booked a luxury suite and received a complimentary upgrade to the presidential suite. The room was fabulous. We do wish the spa was open (the one at the Ritz down the road is open, so I know it's not health regulations keeping it closed), and more of the on-site restaurants, but what is open is firing on all cylinders. As noted above, the elite welcome gift is a choice of 1,000 points or complimentary breakfast for two every day, and they are not stingy at all about what's included in the breakfast--order whatever you want off the menu. As always, it's annoying to be hit up with both a resort fee and valet parking charges but I've learned to just factor that kind of stuff into my nightly rate calculus.
I booked a luxury suite and received a complimentary upgrade to the presidential suite. The room was fabulous. We do wish the spa was open (the one at the Ritz down the road is open, so I know it's not health regulations keeping it closed), and more of the on-site restaurants, but what is open is firing on all cylinders. As noted above, the elite welcome gift is a choice of 1,000 points or complimentary breakfast for two every day, and they are not stingy at all about what's included in the breakfast--order whatever you want off the menu. As always, it's annoying to be hit up with both a resort fee and valet parking charges but I've learned to just factor that kind of stuff into my nightly rate calculus.