Workshop Location

Accommodations / Hotel Information
Dining
Reservations
History of Tucson, Arizona

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Workshop Location
Social Program and Optional Activities
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Travel

ACCOMMODATION/HOTEL INFORMATION
JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona

Cradled in the Tucson Mountains lies a setting that ignites the imagination and luxurious accommodations that rejuvenate the soul.  The new JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa (Starr Pass) is situated just west of the area archeologists refer to as the birthplace of Tucson.  From its mountainside perch high above Tucson and the breathtaking Sonoran Desert, Starr Pass weaves understated luxury into the rich tapestry of southern Arizona.  A brilliant blend of authentic southwest tradition and 21st Century comforts, Starr Pass exists in perfect harmony with its colorful desert environment as though it had been here for eons.  This is Tucson’s premier convention destination.  And, for the leisure guest, Tucson’s newest and most intriguing resort experience.

DINING
At Starr Pass, dining options range from wonderfully simple to simply wonderful.  Consider the possibilities.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner, inside or on the patio at the superb Signature Grill.  A light lunch poolside at Plunge.  A robust dinner at Catalina Steakhouse.  Appetizers and libations at the cool and comfortable Salud lobby bar where hand-crafted margaritas are fashioned from one of almost 100 brands of tequila always in stock.  Also on property is Starbucks for fresh-brewed gourmet and specialty coffees and coffee drinks as well as a freshly baked, gourmet pastry shop.

The Starr Pass “don’t-miss” dining experience belongs to the James Beard Award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly and the inspired cuisine served every evening at Primo Restaurant.  Named for Chef Kelly’s Italian grandfather, Primo offers imaginative dishes that emphasize the freshest ingredients.  The menu changes daily and promises a remarkable fusion of style and culinary innovation.

SPA
For centuries, the people who have called the Tucson Mountains home have found healing in the sight, sounds and scents of the lush Sonoran Desert.  Inspired by these healing properties and named for the revered Saguaro cactus, called hashani by the indigenous people of the region, Hashani Spa offers treatments that combine the latest beauty and health technology with ancient healing techniques and traditions in a luxurious pampering environment.

GOLF
The on-premise 27-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course wraps its true desert-mountain attributes around much of the Resort.  Dramatic Saguaro shadows creep across impossibly green, manicured fairways.  Lurking bunkers and undulating greens are constant reminders that the bogeyman is alive and well at Starr Pass.  An outstanding pro shop with logoed and designer merchandise completes Starr Pass, one of Arizona’s most sought-after golf destinations.

RESERVATIONS

A special conference rate of $199 (US $) single/double occupancy for a Run of House Guest Room is available to all AMBA Workshop attendees and companions.  The room rates are exclusive of applicable state and local taxes (currently 12.05% plus $1.00 per room, per night).  The hotel cannot guarantee bed-type or sleeping room location but will certainly do their best to accommodate all requests.

For government travelers, there are a limited number of discounted rate rooms reserved for participants traveling on the Federal Government Per Diem.  The rate is $128 per night plus the applicable state and local taxes and reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please make your hotel reservation at the conference rate of $199/night and then contact Centennial Conferences via email (amba@centennialconferences.com) to request the discounted rate.  If a hotel room is available at the discounted rate, you will be notified and the rate of $199 will be changed to $128.  If a hotel room is not available, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified if a room at the discounted rate becomes available.  As always, your U.S. government ID must be presented upon check-in in order to receive this rate. 

For reservations, call 1-888-527-8989 and identify yourself as a participant of the Association of Military Banks of America Fall Workshop.  Alternatively, you may make your reservation on line at        https://marriott.com/reservation/availability.mi?propertyCode=TUSSP&gc=ambamba (note that the AMBA Group Code has been entered on your behalf.)  Should the on line option not accept your dates (as is often the case when making a reservation for dates outside the official dates of the workshop), please contact the hotel at 1-888-527-8989 for assistance. 

The JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa is a very popular destination so it is important that you make your reservation on or before Monday, August 4, 2008.  The group rate of $199.00 will be honored three days pre/post the official dates of the workshop based on availability. Click here for reservations.

A deposit equal to one night’s sleeping room rate by a major credit card (Visa/MasterCard/Discover/Amex) or a check is required to confirm your reservation.  You should receive a written or email confirmation within two weeks.  If you do not receive confirmation, please call 1-888-527-8989.  Reservations cancelled less than seven days prior to arrival date will be charged a fee equal to the first night’s room rate.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa
3800 West Starr Pass Boulevard
Tucson, AZ  85745  USA
Phone: (520) 792-3500
Reservations: 1-888-527-8989
Fax: (520) 792-3351
www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com

TUCSON HISTORY

Tucson, Arizona, is one of the longest continuously inhabited areas in the Northern Hemisphere.  People have lived here for thousands of years, although the city officially was founded in 1775.  Since its early days as a dusty frontier town, Tucson has grown into a metropolis of more than 900,000.  Many of these residents first came here as visitors and fell in love with the climate, the landscape, the attractions and the restaurants and stayed. 

Present-day Tucson was founded August 20, 1775, by Irishman Hugh O’Connor, who served in the Spanish army.  He established the legendary walled Presidio San Agustin del Tucson.  Although the structure no longer stands, it is commemorated in the historic downtown El Presidio neighborhood.

Spain’s claim to Tucson ended when Mexico gained independence in 1821.  Tucson became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase in 1853 and remained so except for a brief period when Confederate soldiers seized the city during the Civil War.

Tucson once was known as a rowdy frontier town, tempered by social refinements brought by train-traveling city settlers.  In 1867, when Tucson was named capital of the Arizona Territory, the townspeople invested in what they hoped would be a stable community.  In 1885, Tucson established the University of Arizona.  The capital was moved north to Phoenix before Arizona became a state.

Heritage and Culture

Welcome to Arizona's Second Largest City!
Tucson, too SAHN or TOO sahn, is one of the oldest towns in the United States.  Tucson was originally an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning water at the foot of black mountain.

Tucson lies in the borderland, a region that blends the cultures of the United States and Mexico, has a long history of settlement by ancient Native Americans, Spanish explorers and Anglo frontiersmen.

Tucson celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and people.  Yet, it is one of the "Mega-Trend" cities of the 21st Century: the Optics Valley, premier health services center for the Southwest, the astronomy center of the world, home of a premier research institution - University of Arizona, and a tourism destination.  Enjoy a fascinating journey through Southern Arizona's diverse historyplore ancient Native American archaeological sites from Murray Springs and Signal Hill to Dankworth Village.

Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community and the friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town.  Tucson's rich cultural heritage centers around a unique blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American influences.  Blessed with the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert and an unsurpassed climate of 360 sunny days a year, Tucsonans embrace a rare lifestyle and are committed to preserving that quality of life.

TUCSON POINTS OF INTEREST
Points of interest include: the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, ASARCO, Mineral Discovery Center, Bisbee, Arizona, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, International Wildlife Museum, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Old Tucson Studios, Pima Air and Space Museum, Titan Missile Museum and Tombstone, Arizona.
For more information visit Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (Link to www.visitTucson.org).