Where to Stay Five-Star When Visiting Arizona

One of the largest resorts in the state happens to boast a pro 18-hole golf course, five pools, four restaurants, ample parking and sits on 180 acres of private land at the base of the world famous Camelback Mountain.

If that was not enough, yes this resort is five stars and thrives on servicing their customers with the very best service you could ever want. When at the Phoenician make sure that you check out the main lobby, it is huge and also hosts its own small mall—where you can shop till you drop.

The rooms are very large and very nice and you have 200+ to choose from. However, be prepared to shell out some serious cash as even out of season these rooms never come cheap. Enjoy your stay by ordering pool side service at one of their many pools, which from the air above are shaped like the Phoenician bird.

Go hiking on Camelback Mountain or take a walk amongst their many ponds and nature gallery. If that is not enough, shoot some pool in the bar or head to the tennis courts, or try your hand at the putting green or the golf course itself. If you need to relax head to the spa for a massage or order one up to your room.

The one thing that you will notice about the Phoenician is that the service is bar-none. They strive to keep their customers happy and satisfied. 24-7 room service that serves gourmet food to your door at 4am is also a huge plus.

They are walking distance from Scottsdale Fashion Square which has 200+ stores, Old Town Scottsdale and of course, the newly built Scottsdale Waterfront Project. Prices on rooms are hefty. Expect to pay about $200-$2,500 depending on what type of room you want.

This smaller resort is a 150 room gem that is neatly tucked away into the very classy Arcadia district in Phoenix, Arizona. Royal Palms hosts a couple large pools, a few tennis courts and two amazing restaurants. But the main attraction is their five-star spa, where some of the most rich and famous people in the country come to get away from it all and to relax from their hectic everyday lives.

While they do not have a golf course and the resort is fairly tiny, guess who else stays here every time they are in town? The sitting US President, and yes, most other presidents prefer to stay here when in town. If you want to stay at the resort that regularly attracts royalty and presidents you will pay handsomely for it. To the tune of about $400-$25,000 per night, depending on what room that you book.

The Westin is a brand new 400+ room golf resort located in North Scottsdale that has much to offer patrons who have deep pockets. However, the resort is small has a few pools and an okay set of eateries. They are best known for their pro golf course which is dwarfed in comparison to the nearby PGA Princess Golf Course. Other than that this is a pretty nice place to stay. Expect to pay about $275-$10,000 depending on what room that you book.

The Fairmount is world famous to say the least. They only have eight resorts worldwide and thankfully they happen to have one in North Scottsdale. With over four hundreds rooms that are some of the nicest you will ever see. This place actually does reach capacity quite often during the season.

One of the reasons is that they host the PGA tour at their pro golf course. Another reason is that they host the Phoenix Open on their pro tennis courts. And finally, it is a destination resort that has ample parking, pools, lots of amenities and of course, the best damned service you will ever get. They also host a world class spa that has all the good treatments if you need to relax for a few hours and pamper yourself.

Head south from the Princess and you will be in the astute North Scottsdale district that has thousands of signature stores for you to shop in. The resort itself has four, five star restaurants and a few stores. But you can easily travel a few miles south and enjoy great shopping, eating and nightlife that is second-to-none. A resort this classy demands lots of money to stay at. Expect to pay $250-$10,000 per night, depending on what type of room that you book.

While this resort and hotel are nearly five-star it does not make my list of the top places to stay when in AZ. It is very nice, the service is great and they have a few classy restaurants and all the other amenities. But there is nothing that really stands out about the Hyatt that can really separate it from other great and signature resorts in the Valley. However if you want a great place to stay for an okay price and great service, this is the place that you will save some bucks on. Expect to pay about $200-$300 per night.

This is a four-star resort that offers decent rooms, an okay pool and cool fourth floor lounge. The reason to stay here is budget, nothing else. They have no golf course, a few shoddy tennis courts, but namely they are located just across the street from Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall—and walking distance from hundreds of other downtown Scottsdale attractions. Expect to pay about $150-$500 per night depending on what room you book.