The Arizona Inn is just the place to stay if you want gentility, privacy, and quiet mixed with a dose of old-world unpretentious elegance.
The front facade. Watercolor by Elizabeth Keller.
Because my parents live next door to the Arizona Inn, I never stay there. Until last weekend that is. My husband and I traveled to Tucson to celebrate my father’s 85th birthday.
Beautiful silvery green agave and cactus dance before the pink walls.
Star lights dot many ceilings.
I have always loved the Inn. My grandparents loved to walk over taking friends to dinner or breakfast. My father has enjoyed doing the same. I would take my children over to eat lunch by the pool and swim. They used to offer ice cream by the pool in the afternoons. An ice cream happy hour of sorts.
The fabulous library at The Arizona Inn.
One of my favorite events at the Inn was their Christmas Eve cocktail party. The large library hosted the tall Christmas tree. Guests would congregate for champagne and appetizers. We would meet some elegant elderly couples who traveled to the Inn every year for the holiday. One attractive couple in particular stood out. He was tall and thin dressed up in his bolo tie and cowboy boots. She was blonde with glamorous movie star hair wearing a squash blossom necklace and turquoise bracelets.
An oasis.
The heavy rains of monsoon season left their mark on this usually spotless patch of grass.
The Inn looks manicured all year round. Somehow even in 100 degree temperatures in summer, their flower beds are full of blooming varieties. They have citrus trees scattered about and patches of very green grass. Bunnies and butterflies enjoy the gardens as well as the guests.
The entrance to casita no. 408.
Seeing the warm pink exterior accented with deep turquoise accents fills my heart. It feels like home to me as I have seen it so often and spent many occasions there from family dinners to my sister’s engagement party.
Created by woman.
Photos of Isabella Greenway pay tribute to the Inn’s creator.
Isabella Greenway founded the Inn in 1930. She “created the Inn as a candle against the gathering darkness of the Great Depression”. People would travel by train to the Inn and stay for months at a time. Consequently, the rooms and closets are large. The hotel has stood the test of time due to quality construction. The quiet of the hotel is achieved by its thick walls. Double columns of soft-fired red brick have a space between them buffering sound. Underneath the hotel is an elaborate tunnel system holding the plumbing and now housing electrical and fiber optic cables. A plumber once found an old derby hat left behind years earlier by an original workman. He left it where he found it before sealing up the tunnel again.
Hecho a mano.
I love these sconces and will need to recreate them someday for either a client or myself.
This is a detail one does not see everyday.
Love reverse-painted glass.
The elegant Arizona Inn dining room has been closed due to covid, but is reopening in October.
The touch of human hands makes the Arizona Inn unique and inviting. Clay roof tiles were laid by hand. Hand-painted metal sconces light the main public spaces. A hand-shaped and plastered fireplace warms the library. Hand-hewn wood beams support the roof in the same room.
A peak into the dining room from the bar.
The bar with its large skylight and unique decoration.
Should you ever find yourself traveling to Tucson you might consider staying in this special place that has endured almost 100 years. I hope they are around for another one hundred for my future grandchildren to go swim in the pool and eat ice cream.
Casa V Interiors can create a home for you made with talented hands that will stand the test of time.