Midtown vacation rental offers unique Tucson experience

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Airbnb and vacation rentals gain popularity nationwide, one property in Midtown Tucson stands out by offering a warm, community-focused experience. The Sonoran Hacienda, owned by Tucson native Harrison Magun, aims to make visitors feel at home while visiting.

Magun, who renovated the home over the course of eight months, took a unique approach by sourcing all the furniture from local platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and thrift stores. He also enlisted the help of local residents for the renovations.

"We employed local craftsmen," Magun said. "Someone built the wall, someone laid the tile, someone installed the granite countertops and everything you see here in the kitchen. We really wanted to make it our own, and I don't think you can get that if you hire a big company to do it for you."

The Sonoran Hacienda features unique local touches. A retired craftsman created the kitchen countertop from hand-cut mesquite wood. A 75-year-old gentleman, who was having a garage sale, donated hand-carved wood pictures made by his father in the 1940s. A local woman who refurbishes furniture and donates the proceeds to a horse shelter, made the table in the kids room; while another local woman's father made the mesquite benches in the living room before he passed away. The back door is a 150-year-old mahogany piece from a hacienda in Mexico.

"When you enter a place and everything looks like it’s gray and brown from IKEA or Wayfair, or someone ordered it out of a box on Amazon, it’s functional but you don’t feel like you’re getting any sort of special experience," Magun said. "I wanted to have some sense of Tucson, of the Sonoran Desert."