SUMMERHAVEN, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Mt. Lemmon Lodge opened in Summerhaven last weekend and is already drawing day and overnight visitors.
Owner and architect Diana Osborne says it started as an idea three years ago during the COVID lockdowns, with construction beginning in early 2021.
The lodge is the first major lodge to open in Summerhaven since the Alpine Lodge burned in the 2003 Aspen Fire.
“It was time for us to have a Lodge again,” said Osborne, who has lived on the mountain for most of her life. “So I took it upon myself to do that. And I really feel like the lodge is a gift to our community of our locals, but as well as day visitors.”
Osborne says the previous lodges were a big part of her childhood, and that they felt “magical.” She hopes to recreate that feeling.
“If I can bring that feeling of joy and comfort… That’s my goal. And that’s what makes me happy.”
The lobby area is known as the ‘living room,’ with leather sofas, books, games, a piano and seven-foot fireplace.
“The idea is to have people feel like they’re coming home, to a place that’s been in their family for a long time,” said Osborne. “There’s been a lot of Swiss influence and German influence in the mountains. So I decided to honor that tradition by doing an alpine kind of chalet-style lodge. But I made it a little bit more modern.”
The lodge’s Tucson roots are on full display. The gift shop is filled mostly with the works of Tucson artists.
The Lodge cafe is local favorite ‘Beyond Bread.’
The outdoor patio features seating for guests, along with cornhole and a foosball table. Overhead heaters are in place to warm guests in the winter.
There are 16 rooms starting at $250 per night. Each room has an outdoor deck, while the larger suites have full kitchens.
Each room also has a name with local historical significance.
Outside, all guests have access to a Swedish Sauna and quiet gardens with fruit trees.
The Lodge offers parking for overnight guests, but the general public can only park on the street.
Osborne partnered with Canyon Community Bank in Tucson to finance the construction, saying she would prefer not to share the exact cost.
She says this is her first design for a hotel, restaurant or gift shop.
“I just love the challenge of something new and different, and all the research that goes into it, and then the creativity that comes out,” she said.
