Armory Park Inn has a lot of potential, but unfortunately our experience left something to be…read moredesired, and I would not choose to stay here again. I really wanted to like this place.
The inn itself is a charming historic home in downtown Tucson. The neighborhood felt quiet, and was a convenient location for exploring the area. We stayed in the Pennington Room, which was comfortable overall, and there were several aspects of the property we genuinely enjoyed.
Unfortunately, our check-in experience overshadowed the rest of our stay. We booked and prepaid our reservation through Priceline, which is a common booking method for travelers. Before our trip (July 1-5), I called the inn on June 20 to confirm our reservation, let them know we would be arriving late, and request a breakfast basket for the following morning since we planned to sleep in. They confirmed everything, including our reservation, breakfast request, and even provided our door codes.
When we arrived that evening, we were locked out. I called the owner, who answered, but told me Priceline had canceled our reservation. The next 45 minutes to an hour consisted of multiple phone calls, requests for my payment information, and confusion over whether we even had a room. Eventually, after speaking with the manager, they acknowledged the issue was on their end and let us into our room.
After traveling all day in the Arizona summer heat, it was frustrating to arrive at a room that had not been prepared for our arrival. The air conditioning had not been turned on, the room was extremely warm, and the sheets had black streaks on them that looked like ink marks. The breakfast basket we had requested in advance was also missing.
The following morning, I contacted Priceline directly. They confirmed my reservation had never been canceled and that everything was correct on their end. Later, the explanation from the inn changed from "Priceline canceled your reservation" to "Priceline provided us with an invalid virtual payment card." Regardless of where the payment issue originated, it was concerning that we were repeatedly asked about payment after already prepaying, and I wanted written confirmation that we would not be charged a second time at checkout. Thankfully, the inn did provide that reassurance, and we did not experience any additional billing issues.
My impression is that the property struggles with third-party bookings. If you plan to stay here, I would recommend booking directly through the inn rather than through a travel site to hopefully avoid a similar experience.
Once the check-in issues were resolved, our stay was generally peaceful. However, the staff continued bringing up the reservation problem during breakfast each morning and repeatedly told us they wanted to treat us like "normal guests," which unintentionally kept reminding us of the difficult start to our stay.
Breakfast ended up being one of the highlights of our visit. We were told the first morning's breakfast was not up to their usual standard because they had not been expecting us due to the reservation confusion. Even so, it was delicious. Each morning included fresh pastries and a yogurt parfait topped with fresh fruit and honey. While the parfait remained consistent each day, the hot breakfast changed and gave us the opportunity to try different dishes. One morning featured chile eggs that were especially delicious. Every breakfast also included a simple arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette, which was a nice, fresh addition. Throughout the day, guests also had access to complimentary refreshments, including Nespresso coffee, spring water, and Pepperidge Farm cookies available 24 hours a day. The breakfasts and hospitality in this regard were definitely a standout part of the experience.
The property itself has its strengths. The bathrooms are nicely updated, the room was refreshed daily, the water pressure was good, and housekeeping kept everything smelling clean. Just note that the standard refresh service does not include changing the sheets each day. Because it is a historic home, the room stayed fairly warm, and while the shower had good water pressure, the temperature never became especially hot or cold. The television also only offered DirecTV, so if you're accustomed to streaming services or a smart TV, that's something to be aware of.
Overall, the inn is charming, the breakfasts were excellent, and it's located in a great neighborhood. However, the disorganized check-in process and inconsistent communication made what should have been a relaxing vacation start on a stressful note.