Hotel Congress Tucson
Hotel Congress Tucson
Standing prominently on the corner of Congress Street and Toole Avenue is the legendary Hotel Congress, a Tucson gem. Built in 1919, this historical landmark is home to a music venue, restaurant, and a few happy haunts. Last month, my sister and I were lucky enough to spend a couple nights in room 223 while experiencing all that the Hotel Congress and old Tucson had to offer.
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The Rooms
Not only is each room is outfitted in antique furniture, the washrooms have original fixtures. I could not get enough of the porcelain soaker tub or the basketweave patterned white tile floor. The verbena scented soap was a real treat too.
Lay Lady Lay
Each time we had a minute to relax, I immediately flopped on the super comfy bed (complete with antique iron bed frame). I couldn’t put down , Bruce Springsteen’s latest literary offering. It felt fitting considering how many bands have rolled through the Club Congress. Highly recommend this for a vacation read if you’re a fan of The Boss.
Penny Palace
Hotel Congress is home to many quirky details… the penny floor is a prime example. Comprised of 177,000 pennies, this distinct floor is in the Cup Cafe and is quite a sight to behold, not to mention an excellent place to take a shoe selfie. The hotel also has a pretty fascinating history that they cover in a succinct timeline. Hint John Dillinger may or may not be involved in their legendary existence.
The Snacks
If the rooms weren’t already amazing enough with their antique decor, vintage show posters, and ultra comfy beds…. their snack bar is thoughtfully curated as well. Katie and I immediately fell in love with the packaging of the . Can confirm that the packaging is just as magnificent as the actual jelly candy itself. So good that Katie couldn’t even wait 5 minutes to bite one before I took the shot.
Club Congress & Tiger Bar
Katie and I managed to swan around to Tiger’s bar, the back patio, and to Club Congress to see the locals and all the interesting characters in town for the Tucson Rock & Gem Show. Katie was wearing an eye patch all the while as she was having some complications with her eyeball. Our official story was that she got into a fight with a polar bear; we’re from Canada after all.
Happy Haunts
After a long day of rock shopping and an evening of the wildest karaoke I have ever experienced (and I’ve been to Japan!) it was nice to take a leisurely soak in the tub. No evening at the Congress would be complete without a little haunting though. As I drifted off to sleep listening to the club hits of the 90s playing in the distance in the bar, I felt someone sit on my feet at the foot of the bed. Katie was comatose in the bed beside me, so I knew it wasn’t her. Rather than take off my sleep mask and have a peek (I’m such a wuss) I slowly moved my legs over to the other side of the bed.
Brunch at The Cup
For breakfast we headed down to the Cup Cafe located off the lobby right in the hotel. Besides the awesome penny floor, the food and service were unbelievable. Their Eggs Benedict blew my mind and I’m sure the horchatta latte would have too but they were sadly out.
Talk of The Town & Live Music
The bar in Club Congress was originally from another bar in Tucson called Talk of The Town and it is definitely nice enough to write home about. It’s all about the details! The embossed booths, the cowboy patterned curtains, even the lighting! One evening we popped by the karaoke night and it was most excellent.
Hotel Congress Tucson
Our last experience at the hotel had to be in their photobooth complete with my one-eyed sister, Katie rocking her eye patch with all the flare. I can’t wait till I’m in Tucson next to stop by for a horchatta latte…. or maybe even another haunted sleep!
Gah! Love the look of this place. It reminds me of the Quilchena Hotel between Merritt and Kamloops in the BC Interior. A real wild west family-run hotel full of ghost stories, antiques and bullet holes. I worked there as a waitress in high school and as a front desk gal/bartender while in uni. 😉
anchorsandproteas.com
WHATTTTTTTT?!?!?! That sounds amazing! I will have to add this to my list.
This place/adventure looks amazing. Miranda, we obviously have to pursue our plan! Maybe we could entice Sandy Joe and Katie to be our tour guides!