Tucson Family Resort: Marriott Tucson Starr

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For Thanksgiving break, we decided to spend a few days in Tucson, Arizona. I was picturing some sunny days hanging out at the pool with a cold drink in my hand. So when I came across the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Resort & Spa, I thought it would be the perfect Tucson family resort to fit my vision. It’s one of the top-rated Arizona resorts with a lazy river.

We have been to Arizona lots of times on various Arizona family vacations, but never to Tucson. I was excited to explore while we were there. We also had a decent amount of downtime to relax at the property. Overall, I feel that this Tucson Starr resort has a lot to offer, but we left feeling a little bit disappointed in some of the amenities.

I used free night rewards from my Marriott Bonvoy credit card to stay 3 nights at this Tucson resort for free. I love my Marriott card for this very reason. Check it out to see if it’s a good fit for you, or take a look at my other favorite travel credit cards to see if there is a better one for you.

The Tucson Starr Resort Amenities

We chose the JW Marriott Tucson Starr after looking at several resorts in Arizona with the best pools. With a lazy river and a waterslide, we figured this resort pool would be a top contender, and we couldn’t wait to try it out. There were also a handful of other resort amenities that we were excited to check out, like the outdoor lawn games and the arcade.

Because Tucson gets so hot in the summer, it would definitely be a great family spring break destination.

I’ll go over all of the amenities in more detail below, but overall, we didn’t feel like this hotel was as kid friendly in real life as it appeared online, for a variety of reasons. It might have a completely different feel during peak seasons, but we left longing for a bit more.

The Rooms at the Tucson Starr Resort

The rooms at the Marriott Tucson Starr Resort range in size from studio rooms with 1 or 2 beds to luxury suites, with multiple bathrooms and separate living spaces. We just had a regular 2-queen room, and it felt plenty spacious for our family. The bathroom has a shower that is separate from the tub, and there was a large closet in the room.

Our room had a balcony with chairs on it and a mountain view. It was nice to step outside and enjoy the desert landscape.

The Pool, Waterslide and Lazy River

We chose the JW Marriott Tucson Starr resort solely for the pool and kid-friendly amenities. The kids and I absolutely love a lazy river, and the waterslide was an added bonus. The pool water was heated to 85 degrees, which felt great in late November. We were a bit disappointed, however, because the waterslide was very intermittent.

The waterslide hours this time of year were 11-5 daily. We checked in at 2pm, but the slide was never turned on that day.

The next day, the slide would be operating as long as there were kids in line. Because the resort seemed fairly empty, there weren’t a ton of kids constantly at the pool. But there were plenty who came and went throughout the day. My kids would go down the slide a couple of times, then go play ping pong or hop in the lazy river. The slide would close each time they left, and then they’d have to wait 15-20 minutes for someone to open it again.

On our last day at the Tucson Starr resort, the kids wanted to have more time going down the slide. We hurried back from Tombstone and were at the pool by 3:45. The slide never opened again, and the kids were tired of asking for the slide because no one ever seemed particularly thrilled to go turn it on.

I don’t foresee this being as issue during peak times at the resort. But it was definitely a bit of a bummer during our stay in the off season. If anything, they should have reduced hours, but at least keep their word for the hours posted.

On-site Dining at the JW Marriott Tucson Family Resort

There were a few different on-site restaurants at this Tucson Starr family resort. That was nice because there weren’t any other restaurants or fast food very close to the resort.

I visited the onsite Starbucks each morning I was there and was pleased to have that option. We ordered food and drinks at The Plunge the first two days we were there. The Plunge is the patio restaurant by the pool. The food was good, but the drinks definitely added up quickly in price. Cocktails cost between $14-$20 each.

Other restaurants include The Signature Grill, Passaggio and Salud Patio. All of these are listed as casual, but have pretty upscale menus. I loved that Salud had outdoor seating with firepits that overlooked the property, along with live music on Saturday night.

As part of the nightly resort fee at the Tucson Starr resort, you get a $10 credit, but it can only be used at Passaggio and The Signature Grill. I really wish it could have been used at Salud. Sitting outdoors with an appetizer and glass of wine would have been perfect each evening because all my kids wanted to do was play the lawn games or a game of football in the grassy open areas.

If you are one who really loves a fine dining selection, I don’t think you will be disappointed with the food options here. But as far as super kid-friendly options, The Plunge is your best bet. Just know that it’s only open for lunch each day.

The Tucson Family Resort Activities

There is ping pong and cornhole set up just outside of the pool area, and we spent a lot of time enjoying those lawn games. At night, however, it is completely dark, and even though these areas are open, the only lights are walkway lights, and they’re not bright enough to play the games.

Even the pool area is very dark, except for the pool lights. Even though there were jacuzzis and the pool area was open until 10, the darkness around the pool didn’t make it feel very inviting.

On our last night at the Tucson Starr resort, we headed to the arcade, which was very small and had as many broken games as it did working games. The kids had fun though, but we only spent about 20 minutes in there at most.

The Tucson Starr Resort Location

Right outside of the hotel, you will have access to miles and miles of hiking trails. We simply crossed the street and found an assortment of trails to explore.

The resort is set right on the golf course, so if golfing is your thing, you’ll definitely want to check that out. As part of the resort fee, you get driving range access for two guests.

Anytime we left to go to a grocery store or go out to eat outside of the property, we had to drive quite a ways, as the resort is set back away in a pretty remote location. There’s a ton to see and do in Tucson, though, and we wanted to explore a bit more than just the resort.

Things to Do in the Area

This Tucson family resort is located about 25 minutes outside of the Saguaro National Park, where you will find thousands of miles of hiking trails and lots of cool petroglyphs. You can drive through and enjoy the scenery, or get out and explore the hiking trails. We didn’t spend a ton of time here, but we did venture to the petroglyphs and enjoyed a beautiful desert sunset.

There was no way we were going to visit Tucson without making a trip over to visit Tombstone, AZ as well. It was about an hour and fifteen minutes from the resort to Tombstone.

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