Westward Look Resort
Tucson AZ

If you’re looking for a blend of nice views, a nature setting, outdoor activities and good food in a casual atmosphere, then this may be the place for you.

This Tucson resort is hidden away in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains on the north side of the city.

Tucked into a residential area, the resort reflects its neighborhood locale and has the feel of a comfortable Southwestern home.

Westward Look Resort's main building has the atmosphere of an old southwestern hacienda

That’s partly because it was once a 1912 homestead estate.

You can still see the original family living room located just off the lobby in the main building.

At one time, the property was a successful dude ranch and there is still some of that Old West feeling here with its horse stables and open desert views.

But with its spa, tennis courts and the award-winning, gourmet Gold Room restaurant, Westward Look is definitely a modern resort.

Westward is not part of a large resort chain like most Arizona resorts.

This is a relaxed, laid back property with historic touches, casual Southwestern style and a nice desert setting that offers a pleasant, low key Tucson getaway.

The Westward underwent a $10 million renovation in 2008, which included updates to the lobby, guest rooms, pools, fitness center, Lookout Grill restaurant and meeting spaces.

Tucked between the buildings are lovely beds of colorful flowers, cactus, leafy mesquite trees, tall palms and patches of lawn that attract grazing cottontail rabbits.

All of the gardens and native habitat are a magnet for wildlife, making the Westward Look Resort a great accommodation for nature lovers.

Pick a shady spot to sit quietly and you may be rewarded with seeing roadrunners, Gambel’s quail, butterflies and even a coyote.

The original living room retains its historic details

The main building, which was part of the original house on the property, houses the lobby, restaurants and gift shop.

Its décor is a blend of Spanish Colonial, Mexican and Native American influences.

Original historic details such as the hardwood floor, stone hearth, wrought iron chandeliers and ocotillo-ribbed ceiling are still in place.

One design feature that we really liked about Westward Look Resort is that there are no multistory buildings and long, enclosed hallways here.

The guest rooms are in small clusters of buildings spread out over the grounds.

These buildings, however, lack the charm of the main building, having a simple, 1960s residential style.

Despite this, the resort has a pleasant atmosphere with its open and airy layout.

Pathways wind through the buildings, revealing hidden flower-filled courtyards and burbling fountains.

Residential style buildings and gardens are characteristic of Westward Look Resort

Because Westward Look Resort is in a residential area, you can see homes from the property.

However, this is no different from Tucson’s other resorts such as the Westin La Paloma Resort and Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

Unlike many other resorts, you can park right outside your room - making arriving and leaving quick and easy.

The sitting area of our room at Westward Look Resort

In 2008, Westward Look Resort renovated much of the property including the guest rooms. New features include new furniture, linens, pillowtop mattresses, slate countertops, and 42-inch HD plasma televisions.

The resort’s rooms former Southwestern style interiors have been replaced with a contemporary look.

The living area had a sofa, armchair, coffee table, wall mounted television and a writing desk and chair.

The sleeping area had a king sized bed and nightstands.

The sleeping area of our room

Beyond the sleeping area was a spacious dressing area with a long, vanity with a sink and a big closet.

A separate bathroom also had a full counter and sink.

There was a small combination bathtub and shower, which was a bit too narrow for our tastes.

Every guest room has its own private balcony or patio with garden, mountain, desert or city views.

Our balcony looked west toward the Tucson Mountains and the city.

Westward Look Resort bathroom

We’ve also stayed in a Stargazer Spa Suite ($159/night-summer rate).

These rooms have a completely enclosed, semi-private patio, each with its own freshwater hot tub.

The Stargazer Suites are similar to the regular Suite Size Rooms in layout and décor with the addition of a small refrigerator.

A large sliding glass door leads out to a brick patio surrounded by a 7-foot tall wood fence.

The hot tub is tucked off in one corner, leaving plenty of room for an umbrella-shaded table and chairs.

The main pool at Westward Look Resort

There are three pools, all of which are a bit on the small side. Nevertheless, they are in pleasant settings.

The main pool and hot tub are located directly behind the main building.

Some of the resort’s rooms are adjacent to this area and have gated patios that lead directly to the pool.

The Westward Look Resort’s lobby and restaurants look out onto the pool, so it doesn’t feel very private.

If you’d like a little more seclusion while you swim, try the quiet lower pool tucked away out on the grounds.

There is also a lap pool next to the Fitness Center.

The tennis courts at Westward Look Resort

Westward Look Resort’s other on-site activities center on outdoor recreation.

You can:

• schedule horseback riding from Westward’s on-site stables (fee),
• play a game of tennis,
• play basketball, baseball or volleyball,
• take a guided hiking or biking excursion (fee).

There is no golf course at the Westward Look Resort.

However, the concierge can arrange for you to play golf at one of the nearby championship courses.

At night, you can get a close up view of Tucson’s star-filled night sky.

The resort has a high-powered Celestron telescope - located on the lobby’s upstairs patio - for stargazing.

It’s available every evening at dusk, weather permitting.

The Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden is a good place to see flowers also.

One of our favorite features at Westward Look Resort is the two interpretive nature trails.

The Saguaro Trail is on the western edge of the property and is a 2/3-mile unpaved path that meanders through native desert habitat.

It is divided into two loops – the Coyote Loop and the Javelina Loop.

Try the Coyote Loop if you only have time for a short walk.

Look carefully and you may see the tracks of desert animals along this trail.

The Hummingbird Trail is a 1/3-mile paved pathway with many shaded benches, interpretive displays and picnic ramadas.

We loved being able to go for a nature walk right on the grounds.

During our strolls, we saw lizards, cottontail rabbits, cardinals, cactus wrens, quail and many other species of birds.

The Tinaja Nature Gallery

If you'd like to know more about the local plants and animals, there’s a small nature museum in the Tinaja Desert Gallery upstairs above the lobby.

Although the spa doesn't have a sauna or steam room,it does have a nice assortment of Eastern and Western style spa treatments.

Therapies such as the Desert Stone Massage ($109 for 60 minutes) incorporate the healing traditions of the native cultures of the region.

The recently renovated spa also offers Ayurvedic treatments inspired by the ancient therapies of India.

Post-treatment, you can relax on the spa’s stone terrace with its lovely views of the mountains.

The Gold Room at Westward Look Resort

The nationally acclaimed and upscale Gold Room features gourmet cuisine with creative presentations and smaller portions.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Gold Room’s specialties include:

• house smoked salmon, papaya jicama slaw and a shot of Absolut vanilla sky vodka ($7),
• filet of beef tenderloin with "blue spinach," green chile tater tots and ancho demi glace ($29),
• blackened ahi tuna with crab dumplings, jasmine rice and pineapple sauce ($24).

Executive Chef Jamie West uses fresh ingredients from the resort’s own organic garden.

You can sit inside or outside on the patio and enjoy great views either way.

We’ve eaten breakfast and dinner in The Gold Room during our stays, always sitting at a windowside table with a sweeping view that looked south over Tucson.

We loved having the Southwestern Omelets ($9) for breakfast, which were large and delicious.

We particularly liked the small plate tastings at dinner.

These allow you to try small samples of all of the soups, appetizers, etc. on the menu.

Our meals were delicious and the service was prompt and friendly.

Every Saturday morning, Chef West leads a free tour of the garden. You'll learn about cooking with Southwestern herbs, chiles and produce and how the chef creates each night’s dishes.

The Lookout Bar & Grille is also just off the lobby.

The Lookout Bar and Grille

The Lookout is a casual venue that serves Southwestern and American style comfort food for lunch and dinner.

Menu items range from grilled prickly pear chicken sandwich ($10) and penne pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and basil ($12) to their signature dessert - cinnamon chocolate nachos with chocolate mousse ($5).

The Lookout has live music every Friday and Saturday night.

There’s also a big screen television in the bar.

The staff has been friendly and gracious; the resort always quiet and relaxing.

We have only a few negative comments.

During one stay, the mini fridge in our Stargazer Suite had not been cleaned out and contained a plate of half-eaten chocolate-covered strawberries. Also, the tissue box was empty.

We called the front desk and a friendly attendant stopped by within a few minutes to correct the problems.

The lower pool has good views of the Santa Catalina Mountains

Our biggest disappointment was not being able to use the Stargazer Suite’s private hot tub.

Summer evenings in Tucson often cool down enough to make using a hot tub appealing.

Unfortunately, the water was too hot in our tub, almost at the scalding point.

The front desk clerk had instructed us to call him after we had settled into our room so that he could send an attendant over to put fresh water into the tub.

When we pointed out that the water was too hot, the guy punched some buttons on the temperature control and said it should cool down.

As we had plans to meet friends for dinner, we left.

Unfortunately, the water never cooled down.

It took several attempts at fixing the problem before the water was cool enough to use. By that time, it was after 1:00 a.m.

Our advice if you decide to book a Stargazer Room would be to check the hot tub immediately upon your arrival.

Location and Atmosphere

The private patio of one of the resort’s Posada rooms

• Westward Look Resort is in a residential neighborhood, as are most of Tucson hotels and resorts. You can see homes from the property but it also has some good mountain and city views.
• Westward Look has convenient access to shops, restaurants and hiking trails. Getting to the resort is an easy drive down Ina Road from Interstate 10, the main freeway through Tucson.
• Westward is an older property and has a retro feel. The property is casual and laid back. Don’t expect swanky décor and lavish furnishings.

• Westward Look Resort has great low summer rates – some rooms can be as low as $79 in July – making this a very affordable resort for a summer vacation, if you don’t mind the heat.
• The Westward Look Resort hosts one of the smaller gem and mineral shows during the huge, annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, held every February. If you wish to stay here during that time, be sure to book a room several months in advance.
• Not all rooms at Westward have mountain or city views. When booking a room, you will need to request a preference.

You have quick and easy access to your vehicle at this resort

• Some rooms are near Ina Road and some traffic noise may be heard from these rooms.
• This resort is spread out. You will want to ask for a room near the main building if you don’t want to do much walking.
• Most rooms have parking close very close by.

Favorite Features:   Open, airy feel; spacious layout; beautiful grounds and setting; good food and service.

What We Didn’t Like:   Our room’s hot tub didn’t work properly.

Good for Kids:   Yes, for those who like outdoor recreation and exploration. Westward Look does not have a kids camp.

Pet Friendly:   Yes with pet fee.

Location:   North Tucson foothills

Address:   245 E. Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85704

Google Map Directions: Click on "+" and "-" signs on Map Controls in upper left hand corner to zoom in and out on the location.

Management:   Gemstone Resorts

Style:   Southwestern

Room Types:   244 large standard rooms and suites (some with private hot tubs) spread out in 30 two story buildings.

Book a room at the Westward

Cost:   In-season: $$$ - $$$$
Summer: $-$$
Go to Cost Key

Extra Fees:   Westward Look Resort charges a $12 per night resort fee. The fee includes:

• wireless internet access in rooms and public areas
• local phone calls
• valet parking
• use of business center
• access to fitness center
• in-room coffee, tea and newspaper.

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Views/Setting:   Mountain and city views; desert and garden setting

Pools:   Three. The main pool and hot tub are behind the lobby, the lap pool is located next to the spa and the quiet lower pool is tucked away out on the resort’s grounds.

Restaurants:   Two. The Lookout Grille has casual, Southwestern and American food ; open for lunch and dinner. Entrées start around $12.95.
The Gold Room serves upscale, gourmet cuisine; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner entrees start at $19.
There is also a small Starbucks stand in the lobby but it is only open in the mornings.

Spa:   The Sonoran Spa offers signature treatments (massages, body wraps, facials, manicures) using desert plants, fruits and herbs. Therapies incorporate healing traditions from many cultures.

Golf:   No onsite course. Concierge can arrange for play at nearby courses.

Activities:   Nature walks, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, biking, volleyball, baseball, basketball.

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