
A Fascinating Inn with a Past
When cowboy artist Alonzo “Lon” Megargee set his eyes on a plot of land in present Paradise Valley, far beyond Phoenix’s city limits in the 1930s, it spoke to him. He built a one-room studio in the middle of it and called it home.
A native of Philadelphia, the artist had ventured West at the turn of the 20th century, chasing an idealized notion of the American Dream of rancher, Indians, and settlers that was fading fast even during his time. Along the way, his raw-boned charm snared several wives and earned him a well-deserved reputation as a ladies’ man. But it was his adobe studio, set amid the creosote, that perhaps was the closest to his heart.
Influenced by Spanish and Mexican architecture, Megargee created a uniquely Southwestern home he dubbed "Casa Hermosa," which means Beautiful House. To supplement his art income, he began running Casa Hermosa as a guest ranch. But by 1941, in the midst of a divorce, he was obliged to sell Casa Hermosa, complete with his art and furnishings. Over the years, the inn evolved with different owners who added a pool, and the Casitas and Villas. Today, the Hermosa Inn’s seclusion and privacy attract guests seeking high-level corporate retreats, as well as those looking for an intimate desert hideaway. One that retains Megargee’s original charm, down to his beautiful cowboy paintings hanging on the walls.