Just got back from a long weekend at the Westin La Paloma. Tucson is an easy 2.5 hour drive from our home and we’ve stayed at La Paloma previously, so we figured this was the easiest, cheapest, and quickest getaway. The weather turned out to be a little chilly, but we got in plenty of R&R.
We arrived on Thursday afternoon and were greeted with nothing but smiles. We opted to self park and cart around our own luggage, but the extra assistance with valet parking and a golf cart ride to a room was available if we wanted it. Our room was located at the back of the property, facing the gold course, on the top floor of Building C. Building C is reserved specifically for SPG members and since I am Platinum, I also received free continental breakfast. The room was nice, though a little dated. It’s not up to Westin standards, in my opinion, but the hotel category on SPG.com reflects that. We used points to book our stay and it came in at a rate of 7,000 points per night. I was not overly disappointed, though, and welcomed the chance just to have some down time. We later found out that the rooms will go through a renovation this year, so we’re looking forward to heading back to check out the updates.
The rest of the property is also in that phase of needing a facelift. The pool area could be fantastic if they upgraded the seating. We sat at the adult pool, but noticed the other pools were the same way. The lobby is somewhat oppulent, but in an old school kind of way. It was very clean, but just very dated. The gym area was actually renovated, but there was nothing overly exciting about it in terms of looks. The gym itself has a lot of machines and is great for someone looking to do both weights and cardio. The resort also has an extensive tennis area.
We enjoyed breakfast each morning and the wait staff was super friendly and accommodating. One thing that really stood out for me was having my Diet Coke included in the breakfast package. Most hotels only include juice, milk, and coffee, so I was head over hills thrilled to not have to pay extra. It’s the small things that count for me! The food was good and quite filling, even though we never ordered off of the full breakfast menu. The only other restaurant we dined at while on the property was Sabino’s Grill, which is the pool bar. We had an assortment of drinks, some fries, and chicken fingers. It was a little pricey, but our server was attentive and personable.
While in Tucson, we hit up a few local attractions. We did a lot of hiking, specifically at Sabino Canyon and Saguaro National Park East. Both Sabino and Saguaro have several trails to choose from. We chose Bear Canyon and Seven Falls at Sabino and we chose the Loma Vista Loop at Saguaro. After all of that hiking, we had to eat well to build up our strength. We had dinners at The Melting Pot, Grimaldi’s, and El Charro Cafe. For lunch, we ate at the Sabino Pool Grill, Beyond Bread, and Chipotle. Definitely figure out when Grimaldi’s has their Buffalo Chicken pizza and run, do not walk, there. It’s so good and we happen to live near a Grimaldi’s! Beyond Bread also has fantastic macaroni and cheese.
So, while our trip was wasn’t over the top, full of activities, or terribly long, we really enjoy driving down to the Tucson area. We did what we came to do and we enjoyed our time doing it. The desert was in bloom and the food and drink was flowing- what more can you ask for?