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Each of the 11 individually decorated rooms is named after a desert plant – five have fireplaces and 10 have red rock views. Each room has a jetted bathtub and patio or balcony. The inn backs up against the National Forest with walking paths right outside the front door. The swimming pool, rose garden and outdoor fireplace have some of the best views in Sedona: Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte loom so close you feel like you could stretch out and lay your hands against the warm red rock.
An estimated 18,000 guests have stayed at the B&B over the last 17 years, including the lead singer of hard rock band Anthrax and actor Matthew McConaughey, who spent three nights at the inn, even though most of the other guests were oblivious to his celebrity status. “He just looked like a kid wearing a baseball cap,” says Les.
Canyon Villa Inn of Sedona
1-800-453-1166
www.canyonvilla.com
Rates: $239-$349 per night
TripAdvisor Members Say…
“As good as it gets.”
Boots & Saddles Bed & Breakfast
When Irith Raz says she loves a challenge, there’s a twinkle in her eye that reveals a lot about the husband and wife team responsible for TripAdvisor’s second and fifth favorite Sedona bed and breakfasts: Boots & Saddles and Sedona Views. Irith and Sam have a storied past quite different from their present. They met in their homeland of Israel when they were kids and recently celebrated their 39th anniversary. Sam earned his Ph.D. in textile technology while Irith was an architectural draftswoman and, later, an interior designer. They landed in the United States in 1992, first in Pennsylvania, then in Virginia and later California. When the textile mills started moving business offshore, the Razes decided it was time for a change. They began looking for a bed and breakfast to purchase and landed on Boots & Saddles. They moved to Sedona in 2003.
“We’d never been to Sedona,” recalls Irith. “At first, I was disappointed! We arrived at a very rare time when the clouds were very low and you couldn’t see the red rocks. I didn’t even know they were here – we were so focused on finding the right business that we were just looking at numbers.”
Irith and Sam had decided to purchase a B&B for two reasons: They enjoyed staying at bed and breakfasts when they traveled, and they were used to having a steady stream of houseguests. “It felt like I already ran a B&B,” jokes Irith. Boots & Saddles was a three-room Swiss chalet when the couple purchased it. Irith put her architectural and interior design background to work, completely remodeling the West Sedona property and adding three rooms. The rooms all have a cowboy theme. Irith and Sam also redesigned the front of the property to fit more with the natural environment. It’s now the color of the red rocks with a waterfall in the backyard and a pod of chile peppers hanging by the front door.
The remodel was complete in 2007 and, one year later, Irith and Sam decided one B&B just wasn’t enough. When the Wishing Well Bed & Breakfast was put on the real estate market, Irith jumped at the chance to own the property she’d always loved, located at the top of a narrow road at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. The couple bought the B&B in August 2008, spent five weeks remodeling all five rooms and reopened at the end of summer. Each room is a fusion of Old World and southwestern décor. Hardwood floors, fireplaces, and private decks with hot tubs and sweeping views of the red rocks and Oak Creek Canyon draw repeat guests. The public decks are outfitted with furniture, bird feeders, a telescope and a waterfall that attracts wildlife.
