Mt. Lemmon Lodge

The Mt. Lemmon Lodge is a jewel less than an hour from Tucson in the Catalina Mountains. I first experienced the Lodge approximately a year ago with my wife. It is reminiscent of an Alpine Chalet that you might find in Europe or a ski town in the West. A great deal of thought, planning, and love went into the construction, decorating, furniture, etc. The rooms are spacious as is the bathroom. I believe most every room has a covered balcony looking out across the little valley the Lodge is located in. Every room has a fireplace. The beds are extremely comfortable. Everything about this place is first class including sheets, robes, towels, etc. The interior design is rustic but eloquent. I know that that sounds like a contradiction but it works really well. My wife and I first discovered the Mt. Lemmon Lodge about this time last year and we loved it. We were close to great hiking. This time of year it's wonderful to go up to Mt. Lemmon and wander around, mountain bike, fish, whatever you want to do. The Lodge has a beautiful lobby/sitting area with a big fireplace downstairs, as well as a huge deck overlooking Summerhaven, which is a great place to have meals this time of year. Even when it's cooler, they have heaters outside. They have all sorts of game tables as well. The Beyond Bread restaurant located inside, is perfect. You don't have to leave the Lodge to eat if you don't want to and the food is always top-notch. We were so impressed with the Lodge that we booked 3 days for our anniversary in October upon checking out of our July visit. We had an identical experience, again with great service from the staff both at the restaurant and at the Lodge. The rooms are reasonably priced. You really don't want to miss this wonderful Lodge as a quick getaway from Tucson in a very beautiful part of Southern Arizona, Mt. Lemmon. Ed G.

I have been to Mt. Lemmon Lodge numerous times, Both the ambiance, reminiscent of a Swiss chalet, and the beauty of the mountains are spectacular, I have stayed there on weekends to escape the summer heat of Tucson, though I imagine that staying there throughout the year would be a wonderful experience. The staff are top-notch, and the owners are very engaging with the guests. Rooms are fully equipped with coffee, tea, a refrigerator and a microwave. Sitting on your balcony, overlooking the mountain in front of you, and breathing in the smells of the forest is a delight. The special thing about this summer is that the Lodge is renewing an old tradition from the '70s-'90s of having local Tucson bands play music on the weekends. This summer's Music on the Mountain series is a fantastic bonus to a stay at the Lodge.