READERS' PICK: Located at the base of the Catalina Mountains on Tucson's northeast side, Ventana Canyon is a world-class resort with a small-town feel. Your ticket to paradise starts with a 450-sqaure-foot room with a view, amply furnished with choice of patio or balcony. A marble bathroom complete with plush robes, TV and an enormous garden tub offers a vacation unto itself for privacy-starved parents. (In-room day spa services are also available.) Premium rooms ($345) feature city or mountain views, while deluxe rooms look out onto natural desert or the resort's manicured grounds. Rooms without views start at $205. Ventana's rustic stone empire includes four restaurants (with fine dining in the award-winning Ventana Room); two golf courses designed by Tom Fazio (mountain or canyon); two swimming pools; a tennis center; hiking and biking trails; an 80-foot natural waterfall; day spa and beauty parlor; shopping; and off-premises horseback riding. This is definitely how the other half lives (or at least the upper 10 percent). Good news for locals is that from May through Labor Day, Ventana lowers its rates to give pennywise plebs a chance to curl up in the lap of luxury during the summer heat.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Westin La Paloma, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive. A straight drive north from midtown, La Paloma has one of the prettiest sunset and twilight views of the city you'll find in any direction. Also nestled in the Santa Catalina foothills, this country club resort features a full range of fitness options with an emphasis on golfing and tennis. A garden bistro and two adjacent restaurants by renowned chef Janos Wilder make La Paloma a favorite retreat for locals and out-of-towners alike.
