Desert Escapes: Where to Stay In Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson

Escape the winter with these exceptional Arizona resorts

Jon Rizzi

The following appears as part of our Fall Travel Guide.

TROPHY CASE: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has added yet another AAA Five Diamond Award to its praiseworthy résumé. That’s 24 consecutive years of displaying the prestigious accolade—regal mettle indeed, earned with peerless guest services and amenities that include 649 richly appointed and spacious guestrooms, premier dining, Well & Being Spa, expansive meeting facilities, five pools, kids programs and privileged tee-time access to the 36-hole TPC Scottsdale. 

GET STARTED: With its 10-year anniversary just a year away, We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center in Scottsdale is kick-starting the party with a resort wide rebranding that includes more luxury accommodations, bookings with Pink Jeep Tours for scrapbook-worthy excursions, and enhanced guest programs that range from casino gaming, to spa and fitness, to Segway desert touring, to 36 holes of premium golf courses crafted by Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw and Scott Miller. 

BIG STICK: Exceptional cuisine is just one of the premier hallmarks of Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, as demonstrated by its fifth consecutive Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Other head turners include beautifully appointed guest rooms, Vegas-style gaming and entertainment, cabana-equipped pools, signature spa, fitness center, shopping, a Major League Baseball spring training facility and a 36-hole golf facility crafted by Scott Miller and Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw. 

IT WOWS: Nestled at the base of Camelback Mountain, the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia is one of the West’s newer resort destinations—and one of it finest. The luxury property recently rebranded and returned to its Moroccan-inspired roots, further enhancing its deluxe guest rooms, Joya Spa, fitness center, swimming, delectable cuisine and a premier location that invites golfing, shopping, major indoor sports, outdoor recreation and eclectic nightlife. 

PEOPLE PLEASER: For your next Sonora Desert vacation, make your headquarters the J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Recognized among America’s finest resorts by AAA and Conde Nast Traveler, the sprawling property offers an invigorating abundance of guest services and amenities, including luxe-level accommodations, outstanding restaurants, Revive Spa, fitness center, water park and 36 holes of LPGA Tour-hosting golf designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo. 

Tucson

GET BACK: If it has been awhile, get back to The Lodge at Ventana Canyon in Tucson. Among the compelling reasons to return: a just-completed remodeling of its 50 luxury suites; new cocktail bar with dramatic desert views; new resort pool with a sandy beach; newly resurfaced 12-court tennis center; and new restaurant cuisine directed by Chef Joe Martin, formerly of Monterey Peninsula Golf Club. Plus, there are 36 holes of spectacular Tom Fazio-crafted golf. 

DESERT STARR: Hell hath no fury like risk-reward golf played from tight lies and desert-squeezed fairways like those at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass’ 27-hole golf complex designed by Arnold Palmer, Bob Cupp and Craig Stadler. The AAA Four Diamond resort is blissfully balanced with heavenly guest rooms and suites, a spirit-resurrecting spa and fitness center and soul-replenishing cuisine from James Beard Award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly. 

STREET CRED: By earning a second consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award since opening in 2012, there is no question Tucson’s towering Casino Del Sol Resort is among the finest destination properties in Arizona. Amenities include luxury accommodations, fine and casual dining, spa and fitness, gaming, expansive conference space and a terrific Notah Begay-designed golf course that now offers the game-juicing option of playing aboard a clubs-carrying GolfBoard. 

TRAVEL ALERT: Big news from Tubac Golf Resort & Spa: The historic hotel’s celebrated 19th hole-styled back patio has been entirely renovated and expanded; all 17 casitas have been gorgeously remodeled and now offer HD TV with satellite channel reception; the Red Lawrence-designed golf facility has completed a course-wide rebuild of its sand bunkers; and its exceedingly popular Tubac Golf School returns to offer full-swing and short game classes (Oct. 25-28; limited to 14 resort guests). 

TAKE ADVANTAGE: If it’s for romance, family, friends, business or to simply self indulge, booking a week or weekend at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson pays lifelong dividends. The award-winning property tempts guests with a resplendent Santa Catalina Mountains foothills location that’s further enhanced by an Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, Jack Nicklaus Signature golf, five-pool oasis, tennis, fitness club, fine and casual dining, and majestic guest accommodations. 

Local Knowledge: “One thing that often surprises Arizona visitors is the living desert and its vibrant, natural beauty,” said 34-year Tucson resident Aaron Aguilar. “The Sonora Desert is lush with towering saguaro cacti and greenery, and mountains rise so high they are often blanketed in snow. Plus, Arizona boasts the largest Ponderosa pine forest on the continent. It’s magical.”

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.