Historic Hotels of America Tour: Arizona Edition
It’s no secret that baby boomer travelers love to visit the grand, luxury hotels of yesteryear. We certainly fall into that camp and we go out of our way to visit historic properties whenever we travel.
As such, we thought it might be fun to visit Arizona’s historic hotels and share them with our audience. To make our selection criteria simple, we decided to visit those Arizona properties who are members of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America.
The Historic Hotels of America was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation®, Historic Hotels of America® identifies quality hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.
To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized as having historic significance. Historic Hotels of America partners with Historic Hotels of Europe, a federation of 21 hotel associations in 21 countries, and with Historic Hotels of Mexico, an association of hotels and restaurants located in buildings of historical significance including haciendas, palaces, monasteries, convents, fortresses, and country estates.
With that backdrop, let us share with you six of Arizona’s nine Historic Hotels of America properties.
Note: if you can’t see the following six videos, click here.
Arizona’s Historic Hotels of America
Luxury Level: Gold
Royal Palms Resort and Spa
This historic hotel is one of our favorites in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. It also carries a AAA Four-Diamond award, has a highly notable chef, and its mature landscape makes it appear to be an oasis in the desert. For more information, click here for our full feature.
Hotel Valley Ho
This property was a complete blast. It recently received an $80 million renovation, also carries a AAA Four-Diamond Award, and with its brilliant mid-century design, we fully expected to see Rosie the Robot, George Jetson, or his boy Alroy buzzing around the property in their glass-domed space craft. For more information, click here for our full feature.
Hermosa Inn
This luxury boutique hideaway has been delighting guests since 1930. Another AAA Four-Diamond Award winner, it features stunning cuisine and was once the desert home of cowboy artist Alonzo “Lon” Megargee. For more information, click here for our full feature.
Luxury Level: Silver
Tubac Golf Resort and Spa
This property is one of our favorite “out of town” resorts. In fact, it is one of the places we tend to bring our out-of-town guests for a nice weekend away. As an added bonus, the resort sits in one of Arizona’s most notable artist colonies. For more information, click here for our full feature.
Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort
Formerly a girls school for the rich and famous, this beautiful property sits in the Catalina Mountain foothills, features a AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, and even offers trail rides and cowboy cookouts. For more information, click here for our full feature.
Hassayampa Inn
This mile-high hotel sets in the historic district of Prescott, Arizona. It features a fabulous restaurant, and is a short walk from the town’s famous Whiskey Row. For more information, click here for our full feature.
While our schedule only permitted us to visit six out of nine properties, you can find and book all of the properties on the Historic Hotels of America website.
Well, I think it is plain to see that historic hotels have a lot to offer luxury baby boomer travelers, and we’re looking forward to sampling another state’s historic offerings. There are literally hundreds to choose from, and we can’t wait to sample more.
Do you have a favorite historic hotel? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
Disclosure: our historic hotel experiences were provided by each of the individual properties. Thanks! We had a blast!
If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter. [tfg_social_share]
Dear webmaster, thank you for writing that article on Hotels. I had a good time while reading this. I wish you all the best, Bob!