Tanque Verde Ranch — Hotel in Tucson

My dad happened to get a room at the Tanque Verde Ranch via insurance, after we had a serious garage fire. I was genuinely optimistic about getting my dad checked in there, after the traumatic experience. I had heard generally good things about the location, and even had a friend who used to work there as a horse wrangler.

My dad stayed at, "Mi casa- su casa." There were supposed to be kitchen amenities as part of the room... all I can say is, at least there was a fridge. The room had no microwave, no toaster, knives that wouldn't cut butter, a very dinky coffee maker, and a stove top that looks like it was built in the 1970's. There is no TV. My dad went back to his house, and got a TV and a coffee maker. We told our insurance people the situation, and they convinced the front desk to send a microwave to the room. My dad said, "man, if I were paying full price for this place...I would feel pretty ripped off." At least, there is wi-fi, so that was good. The restaurant is way overpriced, too.

Bad experience with the horse riding, also:

I spent last summer in Ohio riding horses everyday for four months. I would describe my horse riding ability as an experienced beginner, to an intermediate level rider, after this four month intensive.

They have a free "lope check" here, to make you eligible to do some rides. So I thought, why not check it out?

It is off season here in Tucson, so maybe that is why this was such a negative experience. But it is surely poor business practice, even in off season, to treat a guest this way.

I arrived at 6:45 am (as recommended) to sign a "don't- sue-us" waiver. No problem there. The nice lady at the front gives me instructions on how to get over to the horse riding area. Here's where things got interesting.

I walk into the horseback riding area around 6:55am: nobody there. I walk through the back doors to the stable area...nobody there. I look around for a while, and I find a guy there working on a buckskin horse. Nice guy. He's just a contractor there he explains. We get to chatting a bit, and he explains he is from CA. After a while, I say, "listen, I'm here for a lope check...do you know who I might ask for help with that?" He goes, "oh!" and looks over at where people are supposed to be helping me already. "Yeah um, let me see where those girls are at. Proctastinating!" he says lightheartedly.

So the girls come around the corner. Immediately, I am instructed to get on a horse they have saddled. Nice to meet you too? I attempt to ask some questions about the horse, to help me feel a bit more comfortable (it's been about a year since I've ridden a horse). No time for that buddy! Next thing, I am being led over to a riding ring. Both girls are still having their conversation. Aren't I a guest at your ranch? Is this how guests doing a lope check are normally treated? Effectively given the cold shoulder?

The girl does one example of what I am supposed to do. Trot, then lope. Then she says, "ok, your turn." It feels like a job interview. I don't get a warm-up lap? Just show up at 7am, and lope this horse you've never met before? Perhaps if I were a professional rider, or rode horses everyday myself, I could. The girls look on condescendingly. I fail the lope test. We walk back up. I leave. I don't know their names, and they sure as hell don't know mine.

Poor experience here. Maybe if you are a loaded professional horse rider, they will give you the time of day. But not me!

Won't be recommending this place to anyone, for lodging, food, or...

We recently spent time at Tanque Verde Ranch, and it was the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation, and excellent hospitality. Our family made incredible memories here, and we’re already looking forward to going back.

Highlights of Our Stay:

Fantastic Horse Wranglers: The staff really stood out and made our visit special. A big thank you to Abigail, whose energy, kindness, and dedication set the tone for our entire experience. She was truly exceptional, and we appreciated her going above and beyond to make every moment memorable. Sage, Jerry, Joe, Lea, Walker, Curly, Ryan, and Dillinger also deserve recognition for their expertise and enthusiasm. From trail rides to team penning, they ensured every experience was fun, safe, and engaging. The wranglers’ genuine care for the horses and guests added an extra layer of trust and enjoyment.

Amazing Restaurant Team: The dining experience was another highlight, and we’d like to give a special shoutout to Deseree and Paco. Their friendly and attentive service made each meal even better. The food itself was consistently excellent, offering something for everyone.

Activities for Everyone: The wide variety of activities kept us on our toes throughout our stay. We didn’t get to do everything (we will next time!), but it’s hard to get bored there. As far as riding goes, team penning was an absolute favorite—exciting, challenging, and unlike anything we’ve done before. The trail rides were another standout, taking us through the ranch’s stunning and varied landscapes. Each ride felt unique, with incredible views and well-planned routes.

Healthy and Happy Horses: The ranch’s 175 horses are clearly well cared for. The staff does an excellent job matching riders with horses that suit their experience and comfort levels. This attention to detail made the riding activities smooth and enjoyable.

Well-Organized and Safe: The ranch’s focus on safety gave us complete peace of mind. From the thorough redundant safety checks to the strict lope check requirements, everything was handled with care. It was clear they take their responsibility seriously, which made it easy for us to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Outstanding Event Coordination: Dakota was fantastic at helping us organize and reserve activities. Her professionalism and friendliness made the process seamless and enjoyable.

A Few Suggestions for Improvement:

Beds and Pillows: While the rooms had a cozy, rustic charm, the beds and pillows could use a refresh. After active days, a more comfortable sleeping setup would make a huge difference.

Modernizing the Reservation System: The software used for booking events could use an update. A more streamlined and user-friendly system would help guests plan their schedules more efficiently.

Communication: There were a few times that we were unsure where to go and when. But the staff were always readily available and everyone knew what was going on.

Despite these minor areas for improvement, we had a phenomenal time at Tanque Verde Ranch. The stunning scenery, incredible staff, and wide range of activities made it a trip to remember. With just a few small updates, it would be hard to find a better experience anywhere.

Thank you to everyone at the ranch for making our stay so enjoyable. We’re counting down the days until we can...

The worst experience and service ever! My sister was married at the Tanque Verde guest ranch on 2.20.20. It was a lovely wedding and event staff was fabulous! After the wedding, my wife and I went back to our casita to have a nice fire and enjoy the rest of the evening. We had a fire going and shortly thereafter noticed the room was filled up with smoke. So I thought no big deal I’ll just open some windows and air the room out. But to my demise ALL of the windows did not open and some were painted shut. So I then thought ok let’s use the a/c fan setting to evacuate the smoke from the room. The A/C was inoperable and wouldn’t even show signs of life. We only had the front door to help remove the smoke. By then, all of our luggage, clothes and other personal items wreaked of smoke. Even had to throw out our toothbrushes among other items. So I called the emergency number to get someone to evaluate our problem and hopefully move us to another room. So a member (Dan) of the evening staff arrived and came to hopefully rectify our problem. After doing the same thing I had initially done, he tried to see if another room available. Cool. He then came back and said there were no more rooms available for the night. His only suggestion was to scoop out the remaining smoldering firewood and get a fan to blow the smoke out of the room. I then told him the room smelled like smoke, all of our belongings wreaked of smoke and asked him if he would personally spend the night in a smelly smoke room and he said no but there is nothing else he could do. Since we had been drinking at the wedding I wasn’t going to drive to a nearby hotel. He then said he could help us with our baggage and the rest wasn’t his problem as he did all he could do and really didn’t seem to care. So now me and my wife are standing in the parking lot with no where to stay except in our cold in the vehicle until morning. I couldn’t believe it! I was even more horrified as my wife had to use the surrounding desert area as a bathroom in the middle of the night with no lights. There was no outside the box thinking. Maybe comp us a room nearby so we can have breakfast with the wedding party as we had out of town guests, but none of that was a possible alternative. What if this happened to international visitors that had no car to sleep in or even worst if it happened to the newlyweds. I called the manager the next day and all she could say was that it had been forwarded to the event staff for review and that she was sorry. No mention of how we were or maybe comping us a room sometime in the future for our horrible experience. Nothing.....I never leave reviews for anything, just don’t have the time. But this was warranted. I would have been ok, but having my wife restlessly sleep in a cold vehicle and use the desert as a restroom was too much. The place is lovely though, just hope nothing like this happens to anyone else in...