Red Lion Inn & Suites Tucson Downtown

Clean beds , nice restrooms

Spacious rooms comfortable beds and a staff that goes out of their way to take care of what your needs are excellent

Nice, clean toom with very comfortable bed. We just needed a place to stop over after a late flight We slept well and were able to even grab breakfast before we headed out in the Am. Only complaint was that there wasn't anything cold to drink for bkfast besides OJ..Would have just been glad to get cold water. But we will likely stop here again.

It's important to understand that the 5-star rating is one given within the context of the niche world in which the Red Lion operates. The Red Lion is part of a string of discount hotels just west of downtown Tucson that overwhelmingly cater to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (Jan and Feb each year). It is, I assume, very convenient for vendors and serious buyers, since each of these hotels hosts their own venue for the sprawling multi-week market. This was not the context in which I stayed. I stayed on the Monday night immediately following UofA's Parent Weekend, which - since the renovation window for Gem Show hotels runs mid-October to late-December, and most Tucson hotels cut hours severely during the dangerously hot off-season - is possibly the best day of the year to see a west-downtown Tucson hotel at its least prepared. I am nonetheless very happy with my stay. I had a junior suite with an oversized mini-fridge, a clean and functioning microwave, separate rooms for shower/toilet and sink/vanity/closet (good for multiple people on a tight schedule), two exit/entry points, plenty of floor space, comfortable furniture (though the desk chair in the sitting room should be rotated out), and a very helpful and friendly front office and cleaning staff. So the 5-stars are not because the Red Lion is a 5-star hotel (that's not their niche), but because under the most extreme circumstances they showed 5-star preparedness, and a 5-star effort.