A Little Slice of Paradise in Scottsdale, Arizona

We spent this past weekend over in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a short getaway and to visit the Doubletree Paradise Valley resort. This is the second trip on our summer travel schedule and our second opportunity to experience another resort property. Scottsdale is an upscale Arizona community adjacent to Phoenix and home to a sizable number of resorts.

The Public Spaces. The Doubletree offers rather spacious outdoor grounds that includes two pools, large grassy areas, plenty of tall palm trees, outdoor seating, and an overall very tranquil environment. Once you step inside the property, the noise of the outside world fades away, and you can hardly tell you’re in a city.

We walked through the entire property, but spent most of our time at the pool closest to the main building. There are two cabanas, plenty of resort chairs, a shallow tub/wading area, and a rather large pool. There is no deep end in the pool as the maximum depth is less than four feet, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone. For the swimmers out there, it’s still deep enough to do some laps. There is also an outdoor bar and restaurant where you can eat and keep that pool vibe going.

In the main building, the decor is stylish and pleasant, and tall columns with rocky accents highlight the rustic and southwestern style of the resort.

In addition, to the left of the reception area inside the entrance is a set of large meeting rooms that can be used for a variety of events. The Grand Ballroom is quite attractive and looks to be able to hold 200-300 people.

The Guest Room. We were reserved in a room with a king bed and balcony facing the courtyard. The room is large and spacious, the bed was comfortable, and the typical hotel amenities were available in the room (coffee maker, small refrigerator, sofa, TV, etc.). Everything was clean, tidy, and well-presented. The bathroom is a typical size, but the shower is rather large. The room has a generally rustic, southwest theme to it with wooden beams on the ceiling, too. During our stay, all of the appliances worked properly and easily.

The Dining. We sampled the dining at Asadero, the on-site restaurant, and came away quite satisfied and impressed. The restaurant is inside the main building, but you can also order food at the pool bar and have it brought to you. We enjoyed dishes that ranged from the garden salad with salmon and the shrimp vera cruz to the chorizo fundido and G.O.A.T. flatbread. Overall, the serving sizes were generous, the meals were tasty, and the dishes were presented in an attractive fashion. You won’t go hungry here, that’s for sure!

The Service. No issues here either, as all of the hotel staff with whom we spoke with were friendly and attentive. From housekeeping and the grab-n-go market store to the restaurant and pool staff, everyone did a great job. As with our last site visit, everyone at this Doubletree appear to enjoy their jobs and it shows.

Summary. We came away from our visit to the Doubletree refreshed and happy. Doubletree and their staff do a good job at this resort and we will certainly return. An even bigger incentive to return is that it seems the property will be undergoing a renovation in the next year or so. The overall “feel” of the resort is very 1980s, if you know what we mean, even if everything is in very good conditon. We’re excited to see what the renovations and refresh will bring to the main building, the rooms, and the interior spaces. Just keep up the great work, Doubletree!