Need advice, first time to Arizona
 

I'm planning a honeymoon trip to Arizona in late May (starting from Phoenix)need advice about:1) A nice itinerary for 7 days 2)Enchantment Resort at Sedona. worth the prize? I've been reading all the posting and I see that everyone agrees in one thing: Great location, but food, service and rooms are not outstanding (the cheapest room is $395 a day!). I'm and outdoor fan and hike every weekend but for $395 a day I'll expect more than just the location and the wiews. I travel a lot and my girlfriend and future wife is an AYS Manager at JW Marriott and for that prize we can tell you that you can get great outstanding rooms, food and service in some of the best hotels in the world. I would really appreciate yours opinion. Thanks.

Hi there-We stayed at Enchantment last Spring and we too were a bit disappointed with the rooms considering the cost; they are nice and quite large but not luxurious. (by the way, you can get 10% off with AAA card) Sedona is really magical though, and the Enchantment Spa is beautiful and serene(no kids) though it is also an extra cost unless you complain at the front desk! Service at the resort is not that great either, and it seemed more family-oriented than couple-oriented. We were pretty happy with all our meals, however.

Personally, if this is your honeymoon, unless you're really into nature and hiking, etc, I'd go with one of those fabulous JW Marriotts at a discount-maybe in Scottsdale/Phoenix where you could still hike and bike, etc.

Does this help??

P.S. I understand that Arizona could be pretty hot by late May.

If you're picky about hotel room quality and price (getting what you pay for, whatever the price) the standard rooms at Enchantment will likely disappoint you.
The newer casita suites are very nice, but they cost a lot more, too.
Enchantment trades on its outstanding location to fill rooms.
If you choose not to stay there, you can still visit (there's a privacy gate and guard on the entry road) by having lunch there in the dining room or on their patio. Then you can tour the place on your own and even do some hiking. Maybe return for a stay if you like what you find. Maybe decide it was worth a look but not your style.

in terms of a 7 day intinerary--you seem interested in spending a few days in Sedona--of course, it depends what you like--but I would get out of Phoenix quickly --the scenery in Arizona and southern utah is so spectacular--the grand canyon is about a 3 hour drive from phoenix, as i recall--shorter from Sedona. how long you spend there depends in part on whether you want to hike into the canyon--if you don't, i would think that one night would be enough there. So, you coud go from phoenix to GC to SEdona or from phoenix to sedona to the GC--i woud be sure to get to northeastern arizona to see canyon de chaille and monument valley--worth a day each.

My only advice about Arizona is don't go to Yuma (I don't know why you would). It is a close call which is the worst city in America - Utica, NY or Yuma, AZ (except hotel rooms are incredibly cheap in Yuma and not in Utica)

I'll agree it is not a honeymoon destination, but there's no need to take a cheap shot at Yuma - it is not even close to the worst city in America. As for why anyone would want to visit, maybe you could ask the tens of thousands of Midwesterners who descend on it every winter what they see in it. It's not the prettiest locale, but the weather is perfect for 5 straight months and with the Colo River and sand dunes nearby there are many outdoor activities to pursue. BTW, if you eat a salad at any time during the winter months, thank Yuma - It more likely than not came from there.

Haaving a sister who has lived the past 20 years in Yuma, I can tell you that Yuma is no anywhere close to being the worst city in the country.

However, it has limited tourist attraction jother than golf, fishing, and great weather.

The end of May can be very hot in Phoenix, altho the air is still dry and cools off quickly as soon as the sun goes down. It's 10-15 degrees coller in Sedona than Phoenix, and another 10-15 cooler in Flagstaff.

I would spend the luxury part of the Honeymoon in the Phoenix area where
you can get some good bargains that time of year (We spent the first two nights of our honeymoon - in August many years ago - at one of the fancy resorts for a very inexpensive price)

I would love to ask the midwesterners and others who fill Yuma - probably in the many huge RV lots "Campgrounds" we saw. Husband and I spent a fair amount of time wondering what they did in Yuma other than escape the cold.

As far as veggies - I have noticed that on produce wrappers since we have been to Yuma. But that does not make it a good vacation destination.

There's a brand new Hyatt (timeshare)resort in Sedona. They're advertising introductory specials right now (I guess it's a hotel too). It wasn't open the last time I was in Sedona (November), but it looked great from the street and it's in a convenient location.