The Best Airbnb for Your Desert Vacation: Joshua Tree House, Tucson Arizona
Have you ever experienced Airbnb love at first sight?
You know, that feeling where you’re scrolling through hundreds of listings on Airbnb and then all of a sudden.
BAM.
The perfect Airbnb is right before your eyes.
The aesthetic ✔️
The location ✔️
The intentionality ✔️
It’s time to fall in love.
Introducing:
The Joshua Tree House Tucson
In early May of 2020, we decided we felt comfortable taking a vacation. We knew a trip to Europe was off the table and quickly pivoted to exploring more of what the US had to offer. There were so many places we’d never explored and I was excited at the thought of checking a new state off my list.
With a few “safe-travel” regulations in place, I kicked off my assignment: finding a US destination where we could easily isolate, spend time in nature, visit no cities, cook for ourselves, and avoid any famous landmarks or tourist attractions.
And the great Airbnb search began.
Late one evening as I waist deep in open tabs, I fell head first into Airbnb love at first sight.
I knew by the photos, by the description, by every little detail that this was the place of my dreams. It was a quaint property in the desert outside of Tucson, made up of five rooms with views of an endless desert of Saguaro at our disposal. It featured shared spaces and rooftops and a canyon pool straight out of the movies.
How could I resist?
There was just one catch: the price.
Rarely do we ever splurge on travel and the prices of the rooms were a bit higher than something we would usually go for, meaning - I needed to get Ryan’s approval before locking in a room. I showed him the property the next morning and he spent the day doing some additional research which ultimately resulted in him landing at the same conclusion that I did.
The Joshua Tree House Tucson was the best desert Airbnb on the market.
Let’s look at why 👇
The Location
Don’t let the name confuse you, The Joshua Tree House Tucson is in fact not located in Joshua Tree, California.
So what’s the deal?
The Airbnb hosts, Sara + Rich Combs, opened the doors to their home and first Airbnb in Joshua Tree, California. When opening this new property, they wanted to keep the name consistent, hence: The Joshua Tree House Tucson.
The property itself is actually located in Arizona, sitting on the west side of Saguaro National Park, just outside of Tucson.
Never heard of Saguaro National Park?
Neither had we.
Saguaro National Park is located in Southern Arizona and is named for the native Saguaro cacti that scatter its landscape. The park is situated on both the west and east sides of Tucson and is much less known when compared to state siblings: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park.
Nonetheless, its beauty deserves your visit, especially when you can stay on 38 acres of the same desert landscape.
Yep, you heard that right, Joshua Tree House Tucson, also lovingly called The Posada, sits on 38 acres of desert surroundings almost identical to what you’ll find in the park.
That means you can catch all of the wildlife and nature a National Park has to offer without ever leaving your room.
Not to say you shouldn’t explore the park itself, whose entrance sits but a 3-minute drive from the Airbnb property. After you book your stay, Sara and Rich provide recommendations for all their favorite hikes in the park, meaning you don’t have to even worry about researching them yourself.
Talk about hostess with the mostest.
The History
Fun fact: my first major in college was architecture. I spent my first three semesters studying design, spaces, architecture history, and structures. Those three semesters nourished and cultivated my passion for good design, good design that:
is intentional and slow
compliments, cares for and benefits the environment where it exists
greets the human and says, “come into my spaces so we can exist and experience together.”
The moment you set foot on the grounds of the Joshua Tree House Tucson, you begin to feel all of the elements and principles of good design at work. Elements like form, color, texture and space, and principles like contrast, balance, harmony and rhythm, all working together to bring the space to life and welcome you into it.
A winding pathway, lined with desert plants, cacti, rocks and fountains guides you as you approach the main door of the property. Arriving at the door, you begin to notice all of the minute details, like the grains of the wood the texture of the walls, and the telephone-poles-turned-beams hanging overhead.
This type of intentional, moving design doesn’t happen as an accident.
No, this type of design is a result of all who have approached it with intentionality: the architect, the builder, the previous owner and whomever occupies it in present day.
So how did this particular desert Airbnb come to be?
The property was built in 1978 by Merv Larson, a former director of the Sonora Desert Museum (just a few minutes drive east in the heart of the Saguaro National Park). Merv began designing the property as a passion project and wanted to create a space where scientists could come and study the environment while sharing their finds in a collaborative setting.
After a few years in its original use, it was turned into individual apartments for rent and then shortly after was transformed into a bed and breakfast. Most recently, the property was abandoned for 10 years (can you imagine?) until Sara and Rich found it and began pouring life back into the space.
I think we can all agree that it is a special space and should continue to have open doors for all to experience.
That is good design after all.
The Rooms
If well designed rooms were a love language, then the rooms at the Joshua Tree House Tucson filled my love tank to overflowing.
I think they will yours too.
Let’s take a look at the rooms available for you to book.
YUCCA ROOM AT JTH TUCSON
The Yucca room sits on the lower floor of the left side of the property, and was where we spent our first visit to the Airbnb.
Upon entering the open layout bedroom, you’ll be greeted by a mustard fireplace, king sized bed, and large window with a view of the desert landscape. Connected to the room is a private covered patio area furnished with both an outdoor dining table and lounge chairs.
The bed, featuring Tuft and Needle pillows, bedding and mattress earned a 10/10 rating for cleanliness and comfort (I’ve got that linen bed set on my wishlist now). The room as a whole also gets a 10/10 for being spacious and having A+ amenities: bathroom, dishes, candles, and room spray (this fragrance from P.F. Candle). The patio itself also receives a 10/10 rating due to its privacy and comfort during the hottest parts of the day, as well as being an ideal spot to watch for wildlife.
Sleeps: 2 Guests
Airbnb Rating: ⭐️ 4.92 ⭐️ (124 reviews)
Price: $212 USD / night
Who should book it: Couples looking for privacy without the higher cost, or desire a private patio space. (Not all of the rooms have one!)
AGAVE SUITE AT JTH TUCSON
Fun fact - you can book this entire Airbnb property out, which is exactly what we did after our first visit. We shared our experience and the property with our family and they ended up booking out the entire space for an upcoming milestone birthday!
Unfortunately, the family was unable to come for personal reasons, but since we were already so in love with the property, Ryan and I decided to go back on our own, this time, staying in The Agave Suite.
If you’re looking for a room that feels more like an apartment, yet only sleeps two, The Agave Suite is for you. The suite features 4 separate spaces: the bedroom, the living room/kitchen, the bathroom and the outdoor patio.
The main difference between The Yucca Room and The Agave Suite is the additional room. The Agave suite has an entirely separate living area, with fireplace of course, and a full-range kitchen. The kitchen is especially important if you are looking for more privacy and want to be able to cook in a more private area.
In The Agave Suite, you can cook, lounge, look at the stars, oh and a big call-out here: get the best views of the sunset that the property has to offer.
Sleeps: 2 Guests
Airbnb Rating: ⭐️ 4.93 ⭐️ (140 reviews)
Price: $249 USD / night
Who Should Book It: A couple planning on staying for an extending period of time, looking for more privacy, or anyone that is a sunset chaser.
THE CHOLLA ROOM AT JTH TUCSON
The Cholla Room sits detached from the other four rooms on the property and is connected via a hallway to the common space kitchen. The room offers a private balcony area, however, the bathroom is located in the common space and is also used by pool guests. This room is definitely more for the adventurous type that cares less about privacy.
Sleeps: 2 Guests
Airbnb Rating: ⭐️ 4.97 ⭐️ (105 reviews)
Price: $196 USD / night
Who Should Book It: A couple looking for the most affordable room on the property and is ok with using a shared bathroom space.
Pictured below: L - the private Cholla room entrance, R - the Cholla room patio with swing
THE OCOTILLO SUITE AT JTH TUCSON
The Ocotillo Suite is the largest room on the property when it comes to number of guests it sleeps and is considered the family room (i.e. the only room on the that does not require guests be 12+). The room is split level, with beds on both the lower and upper levels that share a bathroom between the two. The room does not have a private patio, however, one entrance leads directly onto the shared rooftop patio area. This room also does not include a full kitchen, meaning you will need to use the shared kitchen space (which is all part of the experience)!
Sleeps: 4 Guests
Airbnb Rating: ⭐️ 4.93 ⭐️ (115 reviews)
Price: $269 USD / night
Who Should Book It: A family looking to share the experience on the Posada together. This room would be especially great for couples willing to travel together in order to split the cost.
THE SAGUARO SUITE AT JTH TUCSON
Or as I like to call it: the honeymoon suite.
The Saguaro Suite is the largest room on the property, consisting of both an upper and lower level, with the lower level acting as a master suite, and the upper level as the living area. The room does not have a private patio area, instead it shares a patio space with The Agave Suite. One of the main features of the room is its split bathroom, featuring a “jungle-bath” on one side, and a standing shower on the other. The only thing missing from this room is the full kitchen set-up, but again, the kitchen in the shared space is available for all guest use.
Sleeps: 2 Guests
Airbnb Rating: ⭐️ 4.99 ⭐️ (101 reviews)
Price: $427 USD / night
Who Should Book It: Couples looking to #treatthemselves
The Shared Spaces
All of the suites listed above are clustered around the communal spaces that act as the heartbeat of the property. These spaces include: a living room, a kitchen and dining area, a canyon pool, a hot tub, a covered fire pit, a rooftop patio, a yoga room and an additional rooftop dining area.
With a max booking of 12 people, even the communal spaces never feel crowded. During our stay, we usually ran into one or two other couples in one of the spaces, which was a nice way to interact with the other guests.
Our favorite shared spaces to spend time in were the rooftop patio, canyon pool and hot tub, which is hidden at the front of the property.
Rooftop Patio
There’s nothing more moving than watching the earth awaken from a desert sunrise, and the patio at the Joshua Treehouse Tucson is the perfect spot to experience this glorious wonder.
In summer, the sun rose around 5:40 AM, so we woke early each day, made a cup of pour over coffee with the in-room Chemex and headed up the steps to the patio. None of the rooms have a direct view of the sunrise, meaning the rooftop patio is really the only place to take in the view.
The rooftop faces East, looking directly upon mountains within Saguaro National Park. The path of the sunrise is directly over these mountains, resulting in quite the dramatic reveal as it makes its way over the top. With the rise being so early, we were the only people on the roof each time, and got to watch the world transform from muted and quiet to vibrant and filled with life.
The space also includes a variety of lounge areas that can be utilized throughout the day whether for sunbathing, for reading, or for reflecting.
Canyon Pool + Hot Tub
By far, the most unique feature of the property is the canyon pool: a swimming hole designed to look as if you are swimming in the rocks of a canyon.
Other than being the coolest pool I’ve ever swam in, the pool is pretty essential when the desert heat rises by mid-day. You are in the desert after all, and as those temps start rising above 100, your body starts guiding you towards the pool just like an animal to a watering hole.
The pool itself is not large when placed on the traditional American swimming pool scale. Even so, it can accommodate a handful of guests without feeling crowded. If, however, during your stay the pool feels too congested, you can always take a dip in the slightly hidden hot tub.
The hot tub sits in the front corner of the property, removed from the main structure of buildings as well as the pool. During our stay, we would retreat to it whenever the pool area felt crowded or we just wanted some privacy in general.
And if you’re thinking “hot tub in the desert - no thanks.” Think again. The desert is so dry that regardless of temperature, your body is cooled down just from the presence of moisture. It was also the perfect level of warm, unlike most hot tubs, and we enjoyed it while relaxing with a book.
Living, Kitchen and Dining
Some of the other common areas on the property include the shared living, kitchen and dining rooms.
All three rooms will continue to surprise you with their welcoming, well-design warmth and are the ideal spaces to encounter and make friends with some of the other guests on the property during your stay.
Yoga Room
Above the downstairs kitchen and dining room, you will find the open yoga room.
You can book a private yoga instructor during your stay, or simply do a practice on your own in the room.
This is also a great spot for catching the sunrise.
Covered Patio & Fire Pit
Off the edge of the canyon pool sits this common area, outfitted with a plethora of seating and this beautiful firepit.
We weren’t brave enough to have a fire during our stay, but if you visit in a cooler season, I’m sure a warm glow coming from this pit would be quite the cozy way to end your day in the desert.
Best Time to Book
Simple - whenever there are available dates!
Seriously. This place books out WAY in advance, so if you see dates available, book it before they’re gone!
In terms of best seasons to visit, take a look at the five desert seasons below to see which might suit your fancy most.
The Sonoran Desert has five seasons:
spring
dry summer
monsoon summer
fall
winter
Each season is going to give you a different experience at the property, and the below can help give you a start on which one might be best suited for you.
Why to visit in the spring (April - May): to experience desert bloom season.
Why to visit in dry summer: to experience true desert heat and get the most use out of the canyon pool.
Why to visit in monsoon summer: to experience rain in the desert (quite the event to behold).
Why to visit in fall: to experience the best weather for hiking
Why to visit in the winter: to experience a less extreme desert environment and enjoy the hot tub.
We visited in both the dry summer and monsoon summer, and I can say that the seasons were drastically different from one another. In dry summer, we still had the chance to experience some of the late blooms and spent most of our time in the pool. Additionally, we saw an abundance of wildlife including lizards, rabbits, owls, iguanas, butterflies, hummingbirds, hawks, cicadas, deer and quail. However, when we went back during monsoon summer, we skipped the pool entirely and enjoyed afternoon desert storms from our patio each day. We also saw very little wildlife during this season, but we did see a couple of tortoise!
Pictured below: L - a lingering cactus bloom in yellow | R - a monarch butterfly seen from the patio of The Yucca Room
The Best Desert hotel on the Market
In the end, it doesn’t matter what room you pick, what your favorite part of the property ends up being, or what time of year you decide to go. Because regardless of those details, you will be moved deeply and richly by booking a stay at The Joshua Tree House Tucson.
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