An Eco-Focused Resort℠
Beautiful Ventana Canyon Resort, Tuscon, ArizonaEco-Focused℠ Reports: Ventana Canyon Resort opened its doors December 1984, the governor and Clinton Administration Secretary of Interior raved that it was the most important thing to happen to the community in 25 years. They were so successful protecting the extremely fragile plant and animal habitat of the Catalina Foothills the Resort was named by the Architectural Digest,the first environmentally-conceived resort in North America.The efforts resulted in a plethora of awards and media attention. It is the finest facility of its kind!
His challenge was to build a luxury resort in a pristine desert landscape. His desire was to incorporate the resort rather than destroying and overpowering the area. From its inception, every aspect was conceived, designed and built with the idea of preserving the 100 acre outcropping. Assisting Tisch was Bill Estes Jr. President of Estes Home Building Company who owned the land on which the resort was developed. Kim Richards, the President of the Community Development Division for the Estes Company also assisted. Almost immediately, this trio hired environmental consultants to maintain consistency in their approach to protecting the environment. Not one of the 3500 saguaro cacti was destroyed and the habitats were left intact. A beautiful natural 80 foot waterfall supplies water for over 130 different spices of birds. The architect of the project John Hill designed the structures in chocolate brown vertical ribbed style to blend with the landscape. The guest rooms have big windows and large balconies providing gorgeous views of the desert and Catalina foothills. The decor consists of relaxing colors throughout the resort. All Sculptures and paintings are provided by Arizona artists.
John and I loved our room and having drinks on our balcony. We could see the natural botanical garden and waterfalls from our room. See the picture below. The grounds and pool areas are immaculate and the service and food was perfect. We enjoyed our short hike to the waterfalls one morning and played croquet after lunch. On our first evening, we made a trip to Peak National Observatory which is an hour and half drive from the resort. 56 miles southwest of Tucson, to be exact. This is well worth the trip! Kitt Peak National Observatory has the world’s largest collection of optical telescopes. We arrived well before sunset, met up with our group (The Scottsdale Sea & Ski group), grabbed a sandwich, and listened to speakers as we watched the sun go down. We then separated into smaller groups to view the planets, stars, and constellations. What an entertaining and informational evening!
When we got back to the hotel we were pleasantly surprised to hear a great band playing in the lobby of the Ventana Canyon Resort. Who would have thought we would fit some dancing in this busy day? A perfect ending to a perfect day!
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson 
Find out what you can do to help, rather than hurt the ecology of our world
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In 1982 Jonathan Tisch rose through the ranks of Loews, a leader in the lodging industry. He was quoted saying "A hotel is a piece of real estate that cannot be picked up and moved. It is anchored in the community."
