Sunburst vs Royal Palms
 

Is the Royal Palms Hotel & Casitas worth $100 more per night than the Sunburst Resort (standard room vs. standard room)? This is for a weekend away with my husband (no kids). We like peace and quiet, privacy, and a nice pool area. Thanks.

Yes,the Royal Palms is worth the extra $. It is a beautiful, upscale boutique hotel and one of the "gems" of the Scottsdale resort area. The restaurant,T. Cook's, is fabulous.The Sunburst is a very nice property,and you'd be happy there, but the Royal Palms is a specialexperience,
especially if you're after a romantic getaway.

The Sunburst reminds me of an old Hilton from the 30 years ago that was retooled and brought up to speed. It's fine, but is not special in any way.

The RP is a casually elegant resort and you need only walk around the entry and lobby areas and compare the two places to see the difference.
The rooms at the RP come in different categories. The ones built apartment style near the pool aren't too impressive IMO, at least not for the price they charge in high season. The suites are very nice though.

Thanks for your input. I'm looking at rates through Orbit, and it doesn't specify exactly which type of room (or location) I would be getting. Do you think it's worth it to take the chance -- I guess what I'm asking is will I be DISAPPOINTED with any of the rooms at the RP? I'm thinking perhaps Memorial Day weekend (which is when we'll be there) won't be terribly crowded (am I wrong?) in Phoenix, so perhaps there will be an opportunity to upgrade once we arrive. Also, is it possible to walk to restaurants/shops from RP?

If you book thru Orbitz I'd specifically ask at check in how much more you'd have to <pay> to upgrade. Because the hotel cuts its profit margin significantly when it books thru a room broker, and they know if you booked via a broker, of course, they're less likely to give you free upgrades on top of the cut rate. But they'll often be glad to upgrade for a very reasonable add-on if occupancy will allow. At RP I think it's worth trying to do so.
Belonging to a hotel's frequent guest program is often a plus when trying to upgrade, but RP is owned by a smaller outfit with a somewhat eclectic group of properties in its portfolio. I don't know that they have such a program.
Rack rates drop by more than 50% on May 31. Hotels selling rooms via Expedia and Orbitz are often discounting before June though.
Low season starts 1st 2 weeks of June at most of the resorts in PHX area.

There's really nothing within walking distance of the RP. The Biltmore shopping/restaurant area is about 2 miles west on Camelback Rd, the Fashion Square mall is about 2 miles east on Camelback. Most of the rest of the retail hot spots are in Scottsdale.
Even if you are an avid walker, there are no sidewalks along parts of Camelback Rd and traffic runs up to 65 mph on this 4 lane (same road RP is on).

Please read my posting of three weeks ago (Another Arizona itinerary report).
I stayed in both hotels and paying $100+ more for the Royal Palms is well worth it!!! I agree with all of the above statements...don't miss out!

Thanks so much for all of your advice --will definitely book the room at Royal Palms.