See inside the Hermosa Inn, the top-rated hotel in the 'Beverly Hills of Arizona'

Lon Megargee was a cowboy, an artist, and an architect who built the Hermosa Inn for his home and studio, according to the company's website.

"I like to think of him as a renaissance man," Norton told BI.

According to a fact sheet provided by the hotel, Megargee drew inspiration from traditional Mexican and Spanish architecture. He used desert soil to make adobe slabs for the exterior and gathered other materials for the structure from an abandoned mine.

Megargee lived and hosted friends there until 1941, when it opened as the Hermosa Inn.

From the moment I checked into the Hermosa Inn, I felt like I was living in the early 20th-century West. The hotel's interiors are just as traditionally Southwestern as the adobe structures themselves.

In the lobby, I spotted wood beams on the ceilings, geometric-patterned rugs, rustic furniture topped with ranch hats, and original Megargee artworks framed on the walls.

Behind the lobby building are garden pathways lined with casitas, each built in the same Southwestern architectural style.

There are four tiers of rooms. All have a patio and a king-sized bed, and most also have a fireplace and a skylight.

During the peak season — February to April, when I visited — starting prices range from $600 to $800, depending on the tier, a representative of the Hermosa Inn told BI.

The Rancho Casita is the cheapest option. It's 350 square feet and includes a bedroom and bathroom. The next tier is a Garden Casita, which is 400 square feet and includes a sitting area. Deluxe Casitas are larger, at 600-700 square feet.

The most expensive accommodations are Grande Casitas, which are 750 square feet with a living room separate from the bedroom and a large patio.

While BI received a media rate for the one-night stay, the accommodation's starting rate during peak season is about $730, according to the representative.

I felt like a fancy cowgirl in my room. My king-sized bed was topped with Egyptian linens and had wooden posts. I sunk into the oversized leather chairs. I appreciated the amenities, including a walk-in closet, a mini fridge, a safe, and a Keurig coffee maker.

The bathroom felt large, with a jumbo-sized tub and a roomy shower with two shower heads. Two plush bathrobes were hanging on the door.

The fireplace sparked up with the touch of a button. It was so easy and relaxing.

Most of the grounds were packed with gardens. I spotted palm trees, cacti, succulents, vibrantly colored flowers, and fountains.

Bike use is complementary, and the hotel provides helmets, water bottles, and maps.

There's one pool with a whirlpool next to it in a fenced-in space lined with chairs and cabanas. During my stay, I never saw more than two guests using the pool area at a time.

The fitness room is a modest gym with exercise machines and free weights.

Called the most romantic restaurant in Arizona by Food & Wine Magazine in 2022, LON's serves all meals inside the building that served as Megargee's house almost a century ago. It also has a vast garden patio for outdoor dining. Next to it is a bar called LON's Last Drop.

For the past four years, LON's has made Open Table's list of the best brunch menus in the country.

The Hermosa Inn added an underground wine cellar to the building in 2003, along with a library and a boardroom, to amp up the hotel's luxury offerings.

The wine cellar and the library are used to host guests for exclusive tasting menus and private events.

Unlike most hotels, where anyone can book a spa treatment, the Blue Door Spa is only for guests, Norton said.

The Hermosa Inn is so unique that I wouldn't recommend it to every traveler. Those who want to experience a mega-resort's wide variety of activities — especially for kids — may have a better time elsewhere.

But I think the Hermosa Inn is ideal if you're anything like me — an adult searching for a secluded paradise packed with culture and history.