19 Best Hotels in Southern Arizona, Arizona

Steps from the heart of downtown, this all-suites inn includes seven pretty and spacious units of varying size, all with hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings, and fully equipped kitchens. It is in the Allen Block Building, formerly a furniture store and miners' rooming house. Local art (for sale) adorns the walls.

Bird-watchers are drawn to this contemporary hacienda-style B&B abutting the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Hiking trails pass behind the property, and guided birding tours can be arranged. Each of the bright and modern rooms has handcrafted wooden furnishings from northern Mexico. A labyrinth for meditation and butterfly gardens surround the house.

Rimmed by giant sycamore, ash, and cottonwood trees and surrounded by the Patagonia–Sonoita Creek Preserve, this seasonal guest ranch with plenty of activities served as a setting in the movie Red River and in several episodes of Gunsmoke. Rooms in the adobe-style buildings have hardwood floors, area rugs, and antique Monterey pine chests. Riders from beginner through advanced can be accommodated on adventurous, scenic trails. All meals, riding, and amenities are included (rates are lowered if you opt not to ride).

The closest lodging to Kartchner Caverns State Park, this modern motel just off Interstate 10 at the "Kartchner Corridor," a few miles west of Benson, has the comfort and amenities you'd expect, but with a bit of Southwestern elegance rarely found in properties around the area. Rooms have coffeemakers and hair dryers, and a plentiful hot breakfast is included.

Built in 1938, this Spanish tile–roofed motor hotel has been well cared for and was where Bob Hope used to stay during World War II, when he entertained the gunnery troops training in Yuma. See an impressive collection of historical photos at the on-site Yuma Landing Restaurant & Lounge, and an equally impressive exhibit of artifacts at the Casa de Coronado Museum, housed in one of the original hotel rooms. The updated rooms all have pillow-top beds, flat-screen TVs, refrigerators, and microwaves.

Twelve miles south of Chiricahua National Monument, this 27-acre property has plenty of wildlife, from deer to Mexican blue jays, and a U-shaped hacienda with five rooms, all with large walk-in showers, ceiling fans, and private entrances that open onto a flower-filled courtyard. A cooked-to-order breakfast is included, and a lavish, five-course dinner with wine is prepared upon request for an extra fee. Affable hosts John and Julia, fluent in French and German, advise guests on hiking and birding activities at the monument.

Built as a miners' boardinghouse at the turn of the 20th century, this adobe home has rooms painted in pastel Southwest colors, lovingly and whimsically detailed by a local artist, and decorated with hand-stitched quilts and Mexican folk art. All the rooms are suitelike, with sofa beds in the sitting rooms, and have private entrances. Enjoy breakfast, served Friday through Monday mornings only, in your room or in the colorful Santa Fe–style great room. A tiered backyard garden with hammocks adds to the tranquility.

Though not technically suites, all the rooms at this convenient hotel have kitchenettes, sitting areas with pull-out sofa beds, and king-size beds (the bedroom and sitting room are separated by a half-wall). Pleasant indoor and outdoor common areas, free Wi-Fi, and friendly staff make this property a great choice for business or pleasure travelers.

One of the newer hotels in town, the Hilton Garden Inn Yuma caters to families and business travelers equally, with well-equipped rooms, an on-site restaurant, a pleasant pool area, and convenience to historic sights and the highway. Colorado River State Park is right next door, or you can walk or run on the 3-mile path along the river banks. Breakfast is available for an additional fee.

The pickings for hotels are slim in cowboy country, so the Holiday Inn Express, with clean and well-furnished rooms and full breakfast buffet, is a welcome option. It's located just across the highway from historic downtown Willcox and around the corner from the visitor center and Apple Annie's Country Store.

This beautifully restored boutique hotel is perched above the galleries and shops of Main Street and well appointed with upscale comforts. Eleven-foot ceilings and bay windows accent elegant furnishings that blend British and Chinese influences. Don the plush robe provided as you await an in-room massage (for an additional fee) or indulge in a glass of champagne.

With a lodge and a few cottages on the eastern side of Chiricahua National Monument, this humble structure near the New Mexico border is notable less for its rooms (clean and pleasant but nondescript) than for its winged visitors: the elegant trogon, 14 types of hummingbird, and 10 species of owl are among the 330 varieties of birds that flock to nearby Cave Creek canyon. The rooms, all of which are nonsmoking, share a large deck. The café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day from late March through September; October through mid-March it's closed on Tuesday. Sack lunches are available on request.

The Ramsey Canyon Preserve is an internationally renowned bird haven, and the neighboring Ramsey Canyon Inn is a bird-watcher's delight. Antique furnishings and original watercolors of hummingbirds adorn the rooms in the inn and those in the well-equipped, creekside apartment suites (unlike the main inn, kids are welcome here, but breakfast isn't included). The innkeepers serve a rotating menu of breakfast treats, such as French toast stuffed with cream cheese and nuts, each morning, as well as homemade pie in the afternoon. Reserve rooms in advance during the busy spring season.

For a blast from the past, stay in one of the funky vintage aluminum trailers at this trailer park south of town, where accommodations range from a 1952 10-foot homemade unit to a 1951 33-foot Royal Mansion. The entire collection is decked out in midcentury style, including vintage magazines, books, and vinyl records. Most trailers have small bathrooms, but only a few have private showers; the park restrooms are clean, with hot showers.

The former owner of this small hotel also owned the Triple Crown–winning racehorse Secretariat, and the inn, built to resemble a huge barn, celebrates the horse's career with photos, racing programs, and press clippings. Hardwood floors, colorful woven rugs, and retro-cowboy bedspreads distinguish the spacious rooms, some of which have window seats with views of the Santa Rita Mountains.

Nestled into a hill just outside town, this modern two-story property offsets basic rooms with spectacular views of the mountains and desert valley. The rooms are Western-themed, of course, and nightly activities might include a singing cowboy, a Wild West storyteller, or an old Western movie screening.

Enjoy the romance of the Old West at this historic ranch on 160 acres of prime real estate in Texas Canyon. Although the cozy casitas offer Western charm, the big draw to this rustic ranch is the immediate access to the startling and stunning rock formations found in the canyon. (Also available are campsites and RV sites.)