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The Valley of the Sun now offers locals and visitors some of the country's best choices when it comes to funky, high-fashion accommodations.
Developers and hoteliers have taken advantage of the Valley's wide-open spaces to introduce super-size, luxury resorts like the Westin Kierland and the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, offering everything from their own golf courses and water parks to four-star restaurants and shopping villages. Places like the retro-hip Hotel Valley Ho and the sleek, mountainside Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain have brought Arizona to the forefront of luxury-hotel style. Regal resorts like The Phoenician, the Four Seasons, the romantic Royal Palms Resort, and the Moroccan-inspired Omni Scottsdale keep lodging grounded in traditional, unsurpassed elegance, while plenty of boutique and business hotels keep it grounded in price.
Downtown Phoenix properties tend to be business hotels, close to the heart of the city and the convention centers—and often closer to the average vacationer's budget. Many properties here cater to corporate travelers during the week, but the lively weekend events downtown are more than enough to entice leisure travelers. With more than 60,000 hotel rooms in the metro area, you can take your pick of anything from a luxurious resort to a guest ranch to an extended-stay hotel. For a true Western experience, guest-ranch territory is 70 miles northwest in the town of Wickenburg.
Many people flee snow and ice to bask in the warmth of the Valley, so winter is high season, peaking from January through March. Summer season—mid-May through the end of September—is giveaway time, when a night at a resort often goes for half the winter price, but be forewarned: in the height of summer it can be too hot to do anything outside your air-conditioned room.
One of the country's top resorts hides amid hill-size, 12-million-year-old granite boulders and the picturesque Sonoran Desert. Casitas snuggled against the rocks have exposed log-beam ceilings and curved, pueblo-style half walls. Each has a patio with a view, a wood-burning fireplace, and a spacious bathroom with deep soaking tub. The two golf courses are destinations on their own, and the on-site spa is one of the finest in the state.
A true desert oasis an hour north of Phoenix, this historic 1,100-acre ranch set in the heart of the Sonoran Desert offers private cabins and exclusive access to mineral hot springs. The staff offers directions for accessing the property via helicopter, which, in an area that has no dearth of luxury resorts, sets a new standard. The nightly rate covers all meals, service fees, and some activities including guided tours, although alcohol and spa services are excluded. Of note: the final 7 miles to the property are unpaved, and the resort recommends driving high-clearance vehicles.
A resort in every sense of the word, Four Seasons Scottsdale is tucked in the shadows of Pinnacle Peak, near the popular hiking trail, and features large, casita-style rooms with separate sitting and sleeping areas as well as fireplaces and balconies or patios. Some suites come with telescopes and star charts. It's adjacent to two Troon North premier courses, where guests receive preferential tee times and free shuttle service. Talavera, the hotel's main restaurant, is elegant and accommodating.
The highlight of this family-oriented, all-suite hotel is the 9-acre River Ranch Water Park; it has swimming pools with waterfalls, a 130-foot waterslide, and a 1,000-foot "river" that winds past a miniature golf course, tennis courts, and artificial buttes. Accommodations in the stucco buildings vary from standard two-room suites to a grand three-bedroom house; all have balconies. It is also adjacent to the very busy AZ 51, though it manages to filter out most freeway noise. Kids can enjoy the "Coyote Camp" youth programs while adults take in area golf and the Tocasierra Spa.
While staying here, it's easy to imagine that you're relaxing at an oceanside resort instead of in the desert; shaded by towering palms and with manicured gardens and paths, the property has water everywhere—a large pool area has a beach, three-story waterslide, waterfalls, and a lagoon. The two-story lobby opens to outdoor conversation areas where fires burn in stone fireplaces on cool nights. Large rooms have balconies or patios. Three golf courses at nearby Gainey Ranch Golf Club will suit any duffer's fancy. Spa Avania soothes the soul, while kids get their kicks at Camp Hyatt.
In a town where luxurious, expensive resorts are the rule, the Phoenician still stands apart, primarily in the realm of service. Gone is the gold-leaf, crystal-bedazzled lobby that screamed opulence. In its place is a reimagined resort that sets as high a standard for comfort as it does luxury, and routinely surpasses expectations. The resort is remarkably comfortable and accommodating—especially for children. If the world-class spa, golf, or tennis aren't on the itinerary, there's always a pool a few steps away. Afterward, take in a sophisticated afternoon tea or dinner at J&G Steakhouse.
This 20,000-acre property combines the guest-ranch experience with first-class amenities. Meals are served in the lodge's bright, festive dining room. Rooms are spacious and done in low-key Southwestern style. Some contain two queen-size beds and can be creatively configured through a system of adjoining doors to annex separate living rooms or sleeping quarters for children. Activities ranging from skeet shooting to archery to horseback riding are available.
Once the home of Cunard Steamship executive Delos T. Cooke, this Mediterranean-style resort has a stately row of the namesake palms at its entrance, courtyards with fountains, and individually designed rooms that feel more like casitas than basic hotel rooms. The lush landscaping makes the resort feel cozy, intimate, and private. Only the busy pool will persuade you otherwise. The restaurant, T. Cook's, is renowned, and the open-air Alvadora Spa packs a lot of pampering into a relatively small space.
Original artwork by Arizona artists is displayed throughout the public spaces of the Westin Kierland, and the spacious rooms have balconies or patios with views of the mountains or the resort's water park and tubing river. Kierland Commons, within walking distance, is a planned village of upscale specialty boutiques and restaurants. A leisure center specifically accommodates nonbusiness travelers. Kids can enjoy programs organized by age group.
This beautiful all-suites resort next to South Mountain Park is home to Oasis, one of the largest water parks in the country, and one of the Valley's more challenging golf courses. Modern but warm, it's a good match in a place called the Valley of the Sun. Ideal for families, this massive property feels like a true getaway, even though it sits just off I--10. Enjoy a four-story sports center, spa, multiple restaurants, tennis, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
Arizona's largest resort has an immense entryway with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow the sandstone lobby, the Sonoran Desert, and the resort's amazing water features to meld together perfectly. This sprawling and busy property includes 4 acres of water fun with water slides and a popular "lazy river," where you can float the day away on an inner tube. Young 'uns love the kids' program, while adults can rejuvenate at Revive Spa or tee off at the on-site golf courses. Each elegantly decorated room has a balcony or patio.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's colleague Albert Chase McArthur, the Biltmore has been Phoenix's premier resort since it opened in 1929. The lobby, with its stained-glass skylights, wrought-iron pilasters, and cozy sitting alcoves, fills with piano music each evening. Guest rooms are large, with chic urban furnishings that serve as a complement to the resort's distinctive architecture. The Biltmore sits on 39 impeccably manicured acres of cool fountains, open walkways, and colorful flowerbeds.
Home of the Tournament Players Club Stadium golf course and the Phoenix Open, this resort covers 450 breathtakingly landscaped acres of desert. Well & Being, one of the top spa spots in the country, has a dramatic rooftop pool, and kids love the fishing pond. Rooms are done in a chic blend of contemporary styles, as are the Fairmont Gold hotel-within-a-hotel boutique rooms. Service is what you'd expect at a resort of this caliber: excellent and unobtrusive. It is also home to the acclaimed Bourbon Steak restaurant.
Built on 125 acres in the mid-1930s and gorgeously renovated to keep its cowboy character, this hacienda-style resort remains top-notch and was the first JW Marriott ever established. Grounds are gloriously adorned with stunning cacti and desert flowers. Rooms are spacious and elegant with luxury amenities and private patios.
This luxury resort brings a touch of the Mediterranean to Paradise Valley with its exquisite dark furnishings and light stone work, impeccable Joya Spa, pool pavilion, and Spanish-inspired wedding chapel. Spacious rooms feature luxurious bathrooms with sunken tubs, large balconies, feather beds, and handmade Moroccan light fixtures. The hotel's restaurant, Prado, has a superb mix of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, while the Kasbah pool is another heavenly place to watch the Paradise Valley sunset.
The culture and heritage of the Pima and Maricopa tribes are reflected in every aspect of this tranquil property on the grounds of the Gila River Indian community, 11 miles south of Sky Harbor Airport. Guest rooms are detailed with Native American art and textiles, and Kai Restaurant, one of Arizona's best, combines Southwestern and Native American culinary traditions. Families enjoy the Koli Center for on-site equestrian activities and the kids-oriented activity pool. A 2½-mile replica of the Gila River meanders through the property; you can take a boat to the Whirlwind Golf Clubhouse or the nearby Wild Horse Pass Casino. Keep your eyes open for the wild horses for which the resort is named—or keep them comfortably closed at the Aji Spa.
Built in 1918 as a retreat for executives of the Goodyear Company, the grand Wigwam maintains its historical character while delivering a modern-day luxury experience. The expansive property can be traversed by chauffeured golf carts, and features great golf, tennis, and a fantastic spa.
