Arizona Inn- Tucson, AZ

Opened in 1930 by Isabella Greenway, Arizona’s first United States congresswoman, the Arizona Inn is the architectural equivalent of sunshine. For certain, in the depths of winter, it is an absolute pleasure to bask in its glow. Consisting of a series of casitas set amid lushly landscaped grounds, it is as if you have entered the Garden of Eden, sans snakes.

Born in 1886, Isabella Greenway (née Disnmore Selmes) was educated in New York City, alongside the Gilded Age elite at Miss Chapin’s School. She was a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt’s, serving as a bridesmaid at her 1905 wedding to Franklin Delano Roosevelt; she later went on to marry two of FDR’s Rough Rider’s herself. It was after the death of her first husband in 1922 that Isabella married Gen. John Cambell Greenway, and moved to Arizona.

Although her second husband died suddenly in 1926, Isabella remained in Arizona, running their 130,000 acre ranch. In 1927, she opened a furniture manufacturing company in Tucson, which employed disabled World War I Veterans. Known for it’s quality, the furniture was sold across the country in high end department stores such as Marshall Field’s, Wanamaker’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

In 1929, when the country slid into the Great Depression, demand for furniture slumped. Ever the entrepreneur, Isabella decided to create a demand for the Arizona Hut furniture by building her own resort, the Arizona Inn, and outfitting the entire property with pieces from her factory. Designed by Tucson architect Merritt Starkweather in the Spanish Revival Style, the lobby, dining room, and four casitas were completed in 1930.

Despite the economic climate, the property added five villas in 1931, followed by the pool and pool house in 1937. The result was a small village of pink stucco buildings, with blue trim and red clay tile roofs, facing an interior courtyard. Inside, the buildings featured simple white walls, with soaring dark beamed ceilings in public spaces. An overwhelming success, it attracted visitors from across the country, who arrived in town on the train.

Today, the resort retains its original grandeur. The library, located in the main building, exudes an air of timeless elegance; it is the perfect place to enjoy one of the Inn’s classic cocktails. The formal dining room remains largely untouched by time, and includes original Arizona Hut furniture pieces. The rooms themselves capture the essence of a bygone era, when guests would remain at the resort for months. With large closets, updated baths and private patios, they are quite comfortable.