scottsdale accommodation april mom and 13 yr old daughter
 

any suggestions for where to stay for a 4 day mom and teenage daughter getaway in the scottsdale area in april?
we will spend in the $400 range per night, and like to be active, not into shopping, but want some nice outdoor activities

Take a look at the Phoenician.

the phoenician is $725/night then! way over my budget

I liked staying at the Caleo near Old Town Scottsdale before I bought a place in the area. It is a cute little motel that has been turned into a "resort" with a lovely pool area, decent restaurant, and good workout room. Much less expensive than the larger resorts. You can just about walk to Camelback Mtn to hike it (adventurous fun) from the resort if you are fairly fit. It is also walking distance to Scottsdale Fashion Mall although you aren't really interested in that.

If you are looking for outdoor activities you might want to go to North Scottdale to The Boulders. It can be expensive but worth a try. Not far from Pinnacle Peak, another of my favorite hikes, Greasewood Flat for cheeseburgers under the stars, and Cave Creek for a little cowboy style shopping and eating.

I stayed at the Wyndham in Old Town. Got a great price (I'm super budget traveller) and it was a nice place.

Holiday Inn Express has very nice suites with seperate sitting and bedroom. Situated close to Old Town.

Check out American Airlines vacations (www.aavacations.com). They offer a range of higher-end Scottsdale hotels for well below the rack rate. My sisters and I stayed at the Camelback Inn (a JW Marriott) for about $275/night in October, when the going rate was significantly more. Incidentally, we LOVED the resort -- which even has its own short hiking trails around Mummy Mountain, beautiful common areas, great pools, and a spa.

You don't have to book airfare through AA to take advantage of their vacation packages.

How about the Camelback Inn?

Hyatt Gainey Ranch is probably my favoite in your price range. It has a great pool. Scottsdale Plaza Resort is a less expensive option. They have recently renovated, and the location is right on SDB.

Westin Kirland is a great property, but I'm not sure about the pricing during April.

Have fun. There is some great hiking around there!