Ultra-Private B&Bs
The Sleepy Dog Guest House
212-A Opera Drive, Bisbee
520-432-3057, sleepydogguesthouse.com

In a town that hosts the Mini Museum of the Bizarre and sells Africanized bee honey, The Sleepy Dog still stands out as quirky. Western watercolorist and dog lover Tad Cheyenne Miller has transformed this former miner’s cabin perched high above Old Bisbee with vintage advertising signs, Western kitsch, original watercolor portraits, papier-mâché sculptures and acrylics.

Best of all, this cozy retreat nestled on a private acre is reserved for just one couple at a time, so you have the run of the place. Cook a romantic dinner in the kitchen, grill a burger on the outdoor barbecue, laze in a rocking chair on the porch, bask in the clawfoot bathtub, cuddle up with a movie or canoodle in the king-size feather bed.

You can even share the love with Fido: The pet-friendly property features an enclosed yard with private mini houses and is ringed by miles of off-leash trails. Miller can paint a portrait of your pup, and if you’re petless, she’ll lend you her “loaner mutt,” Noodle the Frisbee Wonder, who’ll show you the ropes at the inn’s Frisbee lot.

Rates: Year-round rates are a bargain at $115 per night; weekends require a two-night minimum stay. The self-catering kitchen is stocked with simple makings for breakfast.

Photo by Brian Goddard Pattie Bell, the amiable innkeeper at El Rancho Merlita B&B, can arrange a nearby hike or an excursion to southern Arizona’s wine country.

El Rancho Merlita
1924 N. Corte El Rancho Merlita, Tucson
888-218-8418, bedbreakfasttucsonaz.com

Buffered by sparse desert landscaping and trickling water fountains, this quaint B&B is immune to the din of the nearby city, making it perfect for a romantic getaway or some quality alone time, and history buffs will get a kick out of the B&B’s back story: In the ’50s and ’60s, the ranch was the summer home of cosmetic queen Merle Norman, whose mark remains on the inn today. Photos of her heyday grace the inn’s main Ranch House, and vintage design touches, such as flagstone floors, pine ceiling beams and pastel-tile bathrooms, remind guests of a bygone era.

This is no frump of a property, however. Current owner Diana Kuhel Osborne purchased the B&B in 2004 and went to work updating four rooms in the Ranch House, which opened in March 2010, and four in the adjacent Arroyo House, which opened in February 2011. Each petite but plush room now boasts luxury linens, king-size beds, updated showers, in-room refrigerators, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, and Wi-Fi.

It’s tempting to lose yourself in the comfort of the rooms, but breakfast will draw you out. Served in the cozy, cabin-like Ranch House, it might include frittata filled with roasted chiles and herbs from the inn’s garden, blue-corn blueberry pancakes drizzled with mesquite syrup, plus fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade granola.

After filling up, take a dip in the sparkling blue pool, which offers views of the stoic Catalina Mountains in the distance, clear your head in the meditation garden, schedule a yoga session or an invigorating massage with an onsite yogi/massage therapist, or simply hunker down in the Ranch House, where a variety of books, magazines and games offer days’ worth of distractions.

Rates: $89 per night May 30-September 1. Mention PHOENIX magazine and receive a 90-minute massage for the price of 1 hour.


Lazy Dog Ranch
3123 N. Thistle Road, Sierra Vista
520-458-5583, lazydogranch.net

There’s no law stating that pet-friendly, private inns must be named after couch-potato canines, but the trend is clearly sweeping the state.

As the only B&B within the 56,000-acre San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area, Lazy Dog Ranch is a secluded oasis. But owners Michael and Catherine McCormack increase the intimacy by hosting just two private-entrance guest suites: the 600-square-foot Casa, with its fountain courtyard, two bedrooms, dining nook and kitchenette; and the Casita, a free-standing 500-square-foot cottage ensconced in an enclosed courtyard anchored by a swimming pool and fire pit.

At just two years old, this riverfront jewel offers modern comfort, with Southwestern-chic décor, Wi-Fi (no TV or phones, though), and a deluxe continental breakfast served whenever you like. Your dog can run free on two-and-a-half fenced acres (plus enjoy riverside frolicking with the ranch’s resident dogs), and you can even trailer in your horse.

Daytime diversions include world-class birding (more than 350 species live or vacation here) and hikes to ancient petroglyphs. Nights get cozy with fireside S’mores and Irish coffees under the stars.

Rates: Both suites are $125 per night year-round. There is a $10 per-pet, per-night fee, but mention PHOENIX magazine June through August and your pet can stay free.


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