Destination Guides
Arizona
by Lisa A. GrimaldiApril 1, 2012
Fast Facts
• Arizona has five distinct regions: Northern, North
Central, Phoenix/Central, Tucson/Southern and the state's so-called West
Coast (named for the Colorado River and numerous lakes).
• Among
the state's key attractions are its parks, including the Grand Canyon,
Monument Valley, Petrified Forest and Seguaro National Park. For more
information: arizonaguide.com.
• For
fishing, swimming, boating and more, Arizona has dozens of lakes worth
exploring. For a guide to some of the best, including lakes Havasu, Mead
and Powell, go to bit.ly/zhADyA.
Illustration: ©iStockphoto.com/
jsnyderdesign
Tucson
Brent DeRaad has been named president/CEO at the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Prior to this, he served as executive vice president of the Scottsdale
Convention and Visitors Bureau. DeRaad replaces Jonathan Walker, who
held the post for 18 years.
The 241-room former Westward Look Resort and Spa has been reflagged as the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa.
The property, designated as a Certified Green Hotel by the Arizona
Hotel and Lodging Association last year, has 20,000 square feet of
meeting space.
On 500 acres of colorful, high Sonoran Desert terrain in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the 428-room Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort
will open its new Executive Conference Center this spring. The
facility, which will span approximately 11,000 square feet and contain
eight meeting rooms, has applied for membership in the International
Association of Conference Centers and is now offering all-inclusive
meeting packages. The hotel currently has more than 100,000 square feet
of indoor and outdoor event space,
The Casino del Sol Resort, Spa & Conference Center opened last fall. The 215-room property has 65,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Meeting Hotels
Properties include the 575-room JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort &
Spa, 487-room Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, 428-room Hilton El
Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, 398-room Loews Ventana Canyon
Resort, 307-room Hotel Arizona at the Tucson Convention Center,
301-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Tucson Airport North, 299-room
Radisson Suites Tucson, 295-room Doubletree Hotel Tucson at Reid Park,
267-room Hotel Tucson City Center Conference Suite Resort, 250-room
Tucson Marriott University Park, 244-room Westward Look Wyndham Grand
Resort and Spa, 233-room Hilton Tucson East and 216-room Sheraton
Tucson Hotel & Suites.
Airport Transit Tucson International Airport, about eight miles south of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $20-$22
Convention Center Tucson Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 148,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, eight; (520) 791-4101
Taxes
Hotels within Tucson city limits: Room tax, 13.05%; sales tax, 9.1%;
total tax on hotel rooms, 13.05% plus a $2 per-night surcharge. Hotels
outside Tucson city limits but within Pima County: total tax on hotel
rooms, 13.05%
Contact Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 638-8350