Disclaimer: We were guests of the El Conquistador Tuscon, A Hilton Resort for purposes for this review. All opinions are my own.
Relaxed Family Fun at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort
When my sister and 4-year-old nephew decided to visit me in Tucson this spring, I knew I wanted to make their visit extra special with a luxe stay at a local resort. Tucson is home to some of the best spas and resorts in the United States. So, deciding where to stay in Tucson isn’t the easiest thing to do! When El Conquistador Tucson invited us to stay with them, it was a no-brainer. We used this Hilton property as our home base for two nights. During which we explored the area seeking out family-friendly activities in Tucson for our family adventure.
Scenic Mountain Location:
The resort is nestled into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains on the north side of Tucson near Oro Valley. This prime location means you are just 25 minutes from downtown Tucson. Also only 5 minutes from the shopping and dining of Oro Valley. All while still feeling like you are out in the desert. My sister and her son fell in love with the dark night skies full of twinkling stars, along with the gorgeous sunrise and sunset views from our hotel room balcony.
Resort Activities for Families:
El Conquistador has five outdoor swimming pools, plus a 143-foot waterslide. The main pool is where all of the action is, including the Desert Springs Bar & Grill for poolside dining. We found the Shallow Springs splash pool to be the quietest spot (aside from the adults-only Acacia pool). We spent most of our pool time there. The resort also has an 18-horse stable on property. There are options for trail rides and lessons around the nearby desert. Kids must be at least five years old to ride horses, so hopefully we’ll get a chance to try this out next year! When you check in, be sure to grab an activities calendar to see what’s happening during your visit. Every day there are desert walks, bike rentals, fitness classes and poolside games. Don’t miss the Native Flute performance each evening before sunset, it’s such a magical sound!
Kids Club:
We were only staying for two nights and I wanted lots of quality time with my nephew, so we didn’t use the Kids Club, but it looked super fun! This would be a great option for parents who want to partake in other resort amenities like the golf course or spa! For kids from ages 4-12, you can choose from a half-day or full-day, with hourly rates and sibling discounts available.
Spacious rooms perfect for families:
We had a spacious Junior Suite at the El Conquistador, with two queen beds, a sitting area, desk, large bathroom and closet, plus an outside patio. Like many Hilton properties, this resort is also dog-friendly, so I brought my dog Bailey along for the fun, too! If you are traveling with a dog, you will be placed in a ground floor room ($75 pet fee applies) but otherwise, ask for a higher floor as you’ll have better views of the surrounding mountains. For larger families, there are one, two and three-bedroom Casita suites at the resort, which give you additional rooms to spread out.
Hotel Dining:
There are several options for dining at El Conquistador, from grab-and-go food at the coffee shop to upscale Southwest cuisine at Epazote Kitchen. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet in the Sundance Cafe, with lots of healthy options, plus an omelette bar and all the usual breakfast items like pancakes, bacon and eggs. On another visit, I had dinner in the Epazote kitchen and had a delicious wagyu steak dinner followed by chocolate and banana empanadas for dessert….so delish! I just might come back again to try more of the amazing menu at Epazote, especially that dessert menu!
Nearby Things to do for an amazing family adventure in Tucson:
There are enough activities and dining choices on-site that you really don’t need to leave the resort. I wanted to show my family around my new hometown, though, so we did get out a few times! For meals outside of the hotel, I highly recommend First Watch for breakfast (5 minute drive from resort) and El Charro Cafe for lunch or dinner (7 minute drive from resort) – my favorite Mexican food in Tucson! Catalina State Park is just 3 miles up the road, and has excellent hiking for all endurance levels, plus a fun calendar of special events like evening concerts. We chose to spend our day at Sabino Canyon, which has a fun hop-on-hop-off tram that takes you through the park to various hiking trails and swimming holes. The first place I send Tucson visitors is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which has some really fun kid activities that I hadn’t noticed on my previous trips!
I had so much fun exploring the kid-friendly side of Tucson with my sister and my nephew and I can’t wait for my niece’s turn to visit so we can find even more fun things to do in Tucson with kids!
Planning a trip to Tucson with little ones? Pin this hotel review of El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort for later:
Leigh Wilson is a travel blogger and freelance writer from Chicago, who is now based in Tucson, Arizona. She writes about outdoor adventure, urban exploration and dog-friendly destinations at CampfiresAndConcierges.com. In 2014, Leigh became an aunt and now has one niece and one nephew who she hopes to help groom into well-traveled kids.
