Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort

The resort is at 245 E Ina Road in northwest Tucson's Casas Adobes neighborhood, set on 80 acres at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. It's approximately 20 miles (around 30 minutes) from Tucson International Airport (TUS). No airport shuttle is provided — a rental car or ride-share is the practical option, and a car is recommended for exploring Tucson more broadly.

Westward Look is Tucson's first resort. William and Maria Watson purchased 172 acres in 1912 to build a hacienda-style family home; by 1920, fifteen guest cottages had been added, making it a pioneering dude ranch. Robert and Beverly Nason gave it the Westward Look name in 1948. Walt Disney filmed The Living Desert here; Dean Martin and other Hollywood figures were regulars. RKO film studio owned the property through the 1980s and 1990s, adding the ballroom, rooftop terrace, and the Sonoran Spa. Part of the original 1912 stone adobe homestead survives as a lobby sitting area with a wood-burning fireplace. The property became a Wyndham Grand Resort in 2012 and underwent a full renovation in 2021.

The spa menu runs across massages (Sonoran Spa Massage, Desert Stone hot stone massage, sports/deep tissue, reflexology, and couples duet formats), body treatments (Monthly Wellness Garden Scrub — seasonal ingredients, always changing; Herbal Detoxification Wrap; Sonoran Spa Wellness Garden Ritual — a 185-minute farm-to-body experience beginning at the outdoor apothecary), and skin care facials (Fountain of Youth, Desert Detox, Perfect Balance, Soothe Your Soul, Men's Organic Facial, Teen Facial, Organic Back Facial). Nail care, waxing, and nail enhancements round out the menu. All skin care uses Eminence Organic Skin Care products. Select treatments are available in-room or outdoors.

Two things set it apart. First, the Spa Wellness Garden: a working apothecary of desert botanicals and herbs — citrus in spring, aloe and mint in summer, pomegranates in autumn — from which guests select fresh ingredients to personalize their treatments. It's a hands-on, sensory experience that most resort spas don't attempt. Second, the outdoor labyrinth, its path laid in Sonoran Desert stones and modelled on the Tohono O'odham "Man in the Maze" symbol. Blessed by a tribal elder, it's offered as a meditative walking practice and is genuinely unusual in a resort context. The spa lacks thermal facilities (no sauna, steam room, or cold plunge), but the outdoor wellness infrastructure here is more considered than most properties in this category.

No. The Sonoran Spa does not have a sauna, steam room, or cold plunge. The whirlpool/hot tub adjacent to the spa and pools is the primary thermal amenity. The Stargazer Spa Suite — the resort's most premium room category — includes a private outdoor hot tub on its patio.

Three outdoor heated pools. The adults-only lap pool sits alongside the tennis courts with views of the mountains and the original adobe structures. Two additional resort pools serve general guests. Hot tubs are available in the pool complex.

Westward Look has one of the broader activity programs among Tucson's resort spas. On-property options include horseback riding ($40–$75), two guided hiking trails (Hummingbird and Saguaro), bike rentals, a birding programme with complimentary guides and binoculars, the outdoor labyrinth, the Spa Wellness Garden, basketball, volleyball, and eight championship tennis courts with a resident pro and eight pickleball courts. The 80-acre property — planted throughout with indigenous desert species, bird feeders, and wildlife interpretation — is itself designed for unhurried exploration.

GOLD Restaurant serves contemporary Southwestern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Lookout Bar & Grille offers comfort food with a modern twist on an outdoor terrace, with a notable tequila selection and specialty cocktails. A café serves coffee. The rooftop terrace — a three-storey ballroom building with panoramic views of all five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley — is available for events and serves as an orientation point for the landscape, rewarding guests for the climb.

No on-property golf course, but Westward Look maintains affiliations with numerous courses in the Tucson area. The resort's strength is in its non-golf outdoor activities — the tennis programme is particularly well-developed, with eight courts, a pro shop, and a year-round community of local members mixing with resort guests.

A daily resort fee of $29 + tax per room covers Wi-Fi throughout the property (including meeting rooms and tennis courts), fitness centre access, pool access, and access to wellness programming and events. Free parking is included and not charged separately — a meaningful contrast to several larger Tucson resorts.

Yes. Dogs and cats are welcome for a non-refundable fee of $75. Pets must remain leashed at all times on the property.

241 rooms and suites across approximately 40 one- and two-storey buildings, dispersed across the 80-acre grounds. Standard rooms feature rough plaster walls, Southwestern décor, wood-beam ceilings, spacious bathrooms, and private balconies or patios with mountain or valley views. Junior suites have mountain views. The Stargazer Spa Suite is the flagship — it includes a private outdoor hot tub and its own patio. Rooms were renovated in 2021, though some guests note uneven results; requesting an updated room at booking is advisable.

Check-in is at 4:00 PM; check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Yes, it's family-friendly. Children 17 and under stay free in the same room as a paying adult using existing bedding. The property offers basketball, volleyball, hiking, and horseback riding, which suit older children well. There is no dedicated kids' club.

Yes. Local guests and visitors are welcome to book treatments directly. The Sonoran Club local membership programme provides 20% discounts on spa services, food and beverage, and hotel stays, plus priority access to wellness events, in exchange for an annual membership fee.