6 Best Hotels in Southern Arizona, Arizona

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.