Lodging

Mountain Vista Guest Room

How about including warm Arizona sunshine, desert golf and a little pampering in your holiday plans this year at the Omni Tucson National Resort?

Intimate luxury. That’s how General Manager, Danny Goldmann describes the Omni Tucson National Resort. “We aim for a more upscale pampering experience,” he says. Guests are announced from the welcome center as they enter the resort grounds. By the time they reach the front door, an Omni Tucson staff member waits to greet them by name.

Accommodations include a spacious Casita or Hacienda with private balcony and mountain view. The newly renovated rooms of the Mountain Vista Collection sit among winding sidewalks with pockets of outdoor seating. The spacious rooms seem more like residential housing than hotel lodging. The vaulted-ceiling bedroom offers a sitting area with flat panel TV. A five-piece bath includes separate shower and tub areas while plank tiling adds to the motif.

Close by, the resort’s no-edge pool has a classical feel. Four cabanas flank one side near a pool bar. At night, copper bowls, perched on columns, glow with flames bathing the area in romantic lighting.

Bob's Steak & Chop House

Intimate is the word that applies to Bob’s Steak and Chop House. A separate entrance leads to the restaurant’s lobby. Inside, low ceilings mixed with a subdued décor offer a quiet venue for 56 dinner guests. The outdoor patio seats 26 more with the added bonus of a fireplace.

A second restaurant, Legends, sports a pub theme complete with pool table. But it will be hard to stay indoors with a patio overlooking the finishing hole and Pusch Ridge.

Speaking of golf, Omni Tucson offers two distinct courses, one traditional, the other for desert golf lovers. If pampering is more your style, surrender your holiday stress to a Sunshine Sugar Scrub at the Spa, a Mobile 4-Star resort spa.

A holiday escape to Omni Tucson National Resort comes with special holiday rates:
From December 4-30, 2009, room rates begin at $89 for the Casita or Hacienda or $119 for Mountain Vista Guest rooms.

Omni Tucson National Resort
2727 West Club Drive
Tucson, Arizona 85742
Phone: (520) 297-227
Reservations: 1800-843-6664

Photos courtesy Omni Tucson National Resort

Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet

Our Room at Glendine House Jody Halsted www.havekidwilltravel.com

Glendine House perfectly fits the romantic images the mere mention of Ireland conjures in the mind.  The Georgian Manor was built in 1830 and is filled with history (from their website): The 18th Century former Dower House of the Marquis of Donegal was built in 1830. It was first occupied by the Chichester family and later by land agents until one of them absconded with a Nursery Nurse causing a great scandal. Home to the Crosbie family for over 60 years, Glendine retains many of its original 1830 features and is full of old world charm.

Our rooms were in the original portion of the house and featured antiques, beautiful hard wood floors and, in our case, a window seat overlooking the pasture and the Barrow Estuary. Read More »

Lake Tahoe in winter.

The plan was to spend Christmas in Tahoe. But the 115 mph winds and 100 percent precipitation that dumped some two feet of powder on Christmas day put a stop to that.

Instead, we waited out the storm and packed up the kids, their new toys and a cooler full of juice boxes and sippy cups, and headed to South Lake Tahoe on Friday, under clear blue skies and sunshine that glittered off a blanket of pristine powder.

The roads were still iffy — the median along Emerald Bay Boulevard (89) was an impenetrable snowbank, but descending the grade into this wonderland felt like being sprinkled on top of a sugar-frosted confection, the sparkling blue lake surrounded by a generous layer of white icing.

We arrived at our rental in early afternoon, a cozy A-frame cabin a few blocks from the Tahoe Keys. Crystalline icicles clung heavily along the high-pitched roofline. I broke one off and handed it to my daughter Parker, who had never seen one. Delighted she chomped on it like a popsicle.

Our South Lake Tahoe cabin dripping with ice.

Cabin rentals are a popular, convenient and affordable way for families and groups to visit Lake Tahoe. Ours, a three-bedroom, two-bath, betrayed it’s ’70s vintage with wood paneling, an avocado-colored kitchen sink and glossy, framed posters of the lake. The spoon collection was a homey touch of Tahoe kitsch.

The large brick hearth dominated the living area and was instantly and often put to use. An upstairs closet was stocked with baby gear including a pack ‘n play, toys and a booster seat.

Our cabin was deceptively roomy and we shared it easily with husband’s parents without ever feeling like we were on top of one another.

The cost was a reasonable $150 per night.

Not exactly the White Christmas we’d imagined, but I’ll take the day after — drinking coffee in pjs in front of a crackling fire, kids romping in the snow outside.

Some cabin rental companies include Tahoe Cabin Rentals, Vacation Rentals by Owner, and First Accommodations.

Photos by Lisa Dion