A Review of One of Tucson’s Crown Jewel Hotels!

As I continue on my journey to visit the best hotels around the world, thought I’d check in with all of you lovely readers to drop some knowledge on a recent stay I experienced this month in Tucson, Arizona, specifically, at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort. While I’ve been to Arizona before (the Phoenix and Sedona areas), I had never been to Tucson before. The El Conquistador resort, which is located in Ora Valley about 40 minutes from the airport, was my introduction to this charming city. And what an introduction it was! The El Conquistador is a massive and delightful resort, designed for families, couples, and groups, and that offers a variety of various amenities for guests to enjoy. In its own way, the El Conquistador resort has created a world of its own. If you’re the kind of vacationer that never likes to leave the resort, this resort has everything you need on property. If you like a bit of adventure outside the property, you’re right in the mix of things, and can easily experience much of what Tucson has to offer within 30 minutes of driving.

Let’s kick things off with a discussion about the amenities at the resort!! The amenity offerings are easily some of the most diverse and extensive I’ve seen in a hotel out on the West Coast, particularly in Arizona. So what can you do at El Conquistador? First, hanging out at the pool out here is different — there are several pools, spring pools (hot and cold), and a water slide. On weekends, there’s a DJ by the pool, bringing all the vibes. For the kids, there is a bouncy castle slide that adds to the tons of fun. In addition to the activities by the pool, there is an incredible spa on property–Spa Well— that offers an array of treatments, steam baths, a relaxing spa pool, and a salt treatment room. There is also a golf course on the property, which, for a golfer like myself, is a huge selling point. There are also two restaurants on property–Sundance Cafe and Epazote Kitchen, the former of which serves breakfast and lunch, and the latter of which serves dinner. The grounds are incredibly large and there’s so much to do. Check out a video I created of the property here!!

With that amenity overview, I’d love to tell y’all a little more about the dining experience. If you’re anything like me when you’re traveling, knowing where you’re going to eat is particularly important for at least most of the trip. A huge part of my process when looking at hotels/resorts to visit is to know what their dining options are because, if they’re good, that will entice me to stay at the property a little more. During my stay at the El Conquistador Resort, I ate three meals: in-room breakfast, buffet brunch at Sundance Cafe, and dinner at Epazote Kitchen. The breakfast and brunch meals were particularly great, and dinner was decent. I’m told Tucson is known for having America’s best tacos, and while the tacos at Epazote Kitchen were pretty good, I don’t know that I’m ready to proclaim them “the best.” All in all, if you’re looking for a resort with very good food options, this is the place for you!!

Finally, I want to talk about the accommodations. (This review is limited specifically to the Presidential Suite, which is where I stayed during my visit). The Presidential Suite, room 4300, was absolutely exquisite. It featured a living room, kitchen, dining room, enormous balcony that could be accessed from three different places, a spacious king-size bedroom, work space with a desk and reading lamp, one restroom adjacent to the living room, and one full bathroom in the bedroom, which features a vanity area, two sinks, one shower, one jacuzzi tub, and a gigantic walk-in closet. The bedroom and living room areas both have a television and the living room area also had an exercise bike (amazing, right?). If you’re a luxury traveler, this is the perfect room for your stay. The aesthetic skews more classic than modern, but that fits perfectly with the Arizona desert aesthetic. The kitchen probably needs some upgrades, but that’s really about it. I loved having a refrigerator in the room as it allowed me to indulge in my leftover chocolate chip pancakes at 10:00p when I needed a night-time snack.