Desert Oasis

Guest: Mike and Shawnie (Boulder Co)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/24/12

My husband and I returned to the Hacienda for a second time with our daughters, 7 and 9. A great time was had by all. The home is beautiful and peaceful, the wildlife abundant. Our girls loved going out and spending time with the hens and gathering the occasional egg. We travel almost 100% over the last 11 years by VRBO and this by far and away is the nicest property we have stayed in. Thanks for another great stay!

Owner response:Once again, it was wonderful to visit with you and your family. I am happy the girls enjoyed the Hacienda and hens. I was thrilled that you consider Hacienda Tucson the best vacation home you have ever visited. I strive to give my guests a unique first class experience. Come visit whenever you need to leave the cold & snow in Colorado. Thank you, -Constance

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway.

HACIENDA TUCSON

Guest: amedeo e isa m.
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

Flaming colors for Constance's Hacienda. Indeed it is a very special place where everything is just perfect. The house is so comfortable, welcoming, colorful, well appointed. Its lacks absolutely nothing and it is a place you feel has been planned thoughtfully and with love. The location is ideal for people that love silence, quiet, nature and desert with all its creature and wonderful vegetation. One is sorry indeed to leave when the times come. It is really very far from our home or we would be back very very soon Photos in the internet do not even come close to show the charm of the Hacienda and all its treasures and Constance is just the perfect host. Would we recommend the porperty? Yes, of course, just a bit jelous

Owner response:Thanks Amedeo! It was a pleasure hosting my Italian guests. I enjoyed visiting with the four of you and learning more about your farm in Tuscany. Your farm's Olive oil is delicious. In the future, I hope to share the fabulous desert and a glass of wine with you at Hacienda Tucson. Chao, -Constance

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HACIENDA TUCSON WAS DELIGHTFUL

Guest: Pat (Asheville, NC)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

We stayed at Hacienda Tucson for a week with another couple, and we all loved it. It’s beautifully decorated and pleasant inside and out. We used all the outdoor seating areas to enjoy the Sonoran Desert environment. The remote setting added to the desert experience, from watching the birds and animals at the feeder and fountain to viewing the spectacular desert sunsets to hearing the coyotes and other desert sounds at night. We counted more than two dozen species of birds just from the porches. The kitchen was well-equipped and large enough that we could all be in it at once preparing different parts of our meals. There were no unpleasant surprises, but one very pleasant one: there is a chicken coop, and we could collect fresh eggs every day from the five beautiful and friendly hens. Every other morning we had enough for a breakfast of fried or scrambled eggs, which we enjoyed in the courtyard. Constance was very helpful in orienting us to the hacienda and suggesting things to do and had a lot of literature available about dining and activities. The spectacular Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and the western unit of the Saguaro National Park are both just a few minutes away. We did not find the location to be too remote; we drove in to Tucson once or twice every day. Even though the temperatures were in the nineties at the beginning of our week (the first week of April), we found the hacienda very comfortable in both the daytime and nighttime. We highly recommend Hacienda Tucson for two couples to share.

Owner response:Thanks for staying at Hacienda Tucson. I am so happy you had a wonderful time. I enjoyed visiting with everyone. It's great you got to collect the delicious chicken eggs for your morning breakfast. Thanks, -Constance

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

The perfect desert retreat

Guest: Artlady (Ogden, Utah USA)
Date of Stay: 04/08/11 Review Submitted: 04/25/11

April 2011 Three friends badly in need of a restful retreat, found the incredible Hacienda Tucson on the Homeaway site. We were intrigued by the beautiful photos of Constance Negley's home in the Sonoran Desert, so we "Three Amigos" came from snowy Salt Lake City feeling more like the "walking wounded". After a splendid week at Constance's Hacienda of treasures, we have all found renewed strength and inspiration. We marveled at the incredible creativity Constance, an artist, has put into her home. From painted floors, doors, and walls, to an extensive library of books, we found something new and wonderful every day. There are so many favorite things to remember...coffee on the sunrise porch; birds & critter watching; sunsets; the beautiful courtyard; and of course, gathering eggs from "the girls". Constance assisted us with restaurants and local attractions, our favorite being the nearby Desert Museum. We will especially remember her warm and gracious hospitality. Thank you for all the extra care Constance! Fondly, Judy, John & Rebecca

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Amazing Retreat!!!

Guest: The Kirkpatricks (Visalia, California)
Date of Stay: 03/31/10 Review Submitted: 06/04/10

This is the most beautiful house imaginable!!!! Our family was very comfortable, felt intensely pampered, and enjoyed the nicest hostess ever! The artwork and decor throughout the home is stunning, yet the house retains a comfortable vibe. . . and the sunsets are spectacular. When we arrived with three teen girls in tow, they were agog at the accomodations, and could not believe their good fortune to be staying in such a lovely place. Have your coffee on the porches and patios, and enjoy the abundant wildlife!! Lots of birds, lizards, and even a rabbit visitor. Comfortable beds, luxurious baths, this place is Heaven on Earth! Thank you Constance!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Wonderful escape!

Guest: Olmecgirl (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 02/04/10 Review Submitted: 05/11/10

We've been staying at the house for several years now in early February and just love everything about it. There's nothing more fun than the drive down the road to almost the last property and the wonderful feeling of escape from ordinary life that this creates. The natural beauty of the area and close proximity to the Saguaro National Park make the house the perfect getaway in the Tucson area. The comfortable house is well laid out and nicely furnished, but with all of the scenic outdoor beauty, it is hard to spend much time inside except for the evenings. After all, you might miss spotting a javelina, a coyote, or multitudes of birds!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

This home made our vacation!

Guest: Eileen, John and the boys (Vermont)
Date of Stay: 02/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/24/10

My husband and I took our 3 pre-teen boys on their first trip to Arizona, and wanted to immerse ourselves in the desert for a week. We found the perfect place to do it. The Hacienda is absolutely beautiful, yet perfectly comfortable and welcoming for a family full of boys. There is plenty of room to stretch out inside, and a wonderful courtyard and patios outside. And then there's the desert all around you. The boys would beg me to wake them for sunrise walks in the desert, and we'd bring binoculars and look for animals and tracks and identify cactus and watch the desert floor turn color with the sky. We loved heading off to hike, or visit Kitt Peak, or the rodeo by day and then always looked forward to coming back to the Hacienda at night to watch the sunset, pick fresh limes, and relax in the courtyard. I was worried they would be bored at the house without a yard full of grass to play ball in, but in truth they never ran out of things to explore and do, and we all would have been thrilled to stay much longer. Constance was a delight as well and joined us for dinner. She's a wealth of information, a kind and generous resource when we got prickers in our hands, or needed to print boarding passes off the computer, or anything else, and a joy to be around. All in all, I can't imagine a nicer place to stay--the Hacienda really was a highlight of our trip!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/06/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/10

We are thrilled once again with our month-long experience at Hacienda Tucson - our third year in a row. The fact that we return yearly, on its own, is surely a major endorsement of the Hacienda and the hospitality. The setting, in the midst of Nature, brings incredible beauty and much animal/bird activity to every window and porch - a joy for us. The location has also allowed us to return often to the Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park and other wonderful local sites - a delightful learning opportunity. The host is so friendly and responsive to our needs, making our stay like a family visit.

Owner response:Thank you! It is a thrill for me to share the Hacienda and desert with you both. --Constance

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Luxury place on the boundary of Saguaro NP

Guest: Jay and Annina (Zurich, Switzerland)
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/17/09

The approach to Hacienda Tucson from the airport takes 45 minutes. From Sandario Road you turn into West Fort Lowell Road, an primitive road which follows the boundary fence of the National Park. After 1.3 miles you are there, no problem for any car, but a 4 wheel drive is more stylish here. The nearest gas station with grocery store is 10 minutes away, and to the shops and malls it takes about 35 minutes. Coming home from Tucson via Picture Rocks Road, the Gates Pass or Kinney Road is spectacular, even more so at sunset. The house is a U-shaped abode bungalow with an inner courtyard and an ideal floor plan. Everything you see from the interior and exterior pictures in the website is here, very classy and well maintained and an evidence of Constance’s expensive artistic taste. The owner lives in the house when it is not rented. We have stayed here in the last three years, three to four weeks at a time, and we inted to continue the habit.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

An ideal place to experience the desert

Guest: Judy and John (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 12/28/08 Review Submitted: 01/31/09

We are back in the Hacienda for the third time, this time for all of January. We love the lifestyle this setting permits. Desert life surrounds the Hacienda, becoming an every day experience that brings us close to Nature. We watch hummingbirds feed, Gambel's quail scurry about, and cardinals, Gila woodpeckers and other birds vie for a place at the feeder. Coyotes trot by on the driveway most mornings and serenade us at sundown; a falcon rested on a tray on the porch one day; a stag with 8-point antlers walked by the side door as we had our morning tea; and late one afternoon a bobcat calmly walked the length of the porch while surveying the land nearby. To support these outside observations, the living inside is easy. The house is immaculate, easy to maintain, well decorated in a nurturing and eclectic way, and large enough to accommodate everyone's interests. Plus, the location is close to the fantastic Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, Old Tucson, and hiking attractions. Ideal, yes!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.