I stayed in 2 of Arizona's top hotels, and they couldn't have been more different. Take a look.

Left: A resort with pools and palm trees in front of a mountain with blue skies in the background Right: A pool lit up with palm trees around it and an adobe hotel behind it. Mountains in the background at dusk — The Phoenician (L) and the Hermosa Inn (R) are two of Arizona's top hotels.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider, Hermosa Inn

Scottsdale, Arizona, has become a popular destination for luxury travelers.
The Phoenician and Hermosa Inn are among Arizona's top luxury hotel offerings.
I stayed in both and had two completely different experiences.

Arizona is a hot spot for luxury travelers.

The state is known for its award-winning travel offerings, from high-end resorts and spas to pristine golf courses and awe-inspiring desert landscapes.

This is especially true in Scottsdale.

In 2023, the city outside Phoenix hosted roughly 11.2 million tourists, from day-trippers to overnight visitors, who spent a total of $3.5 billion, according to a 2024 business report by the Government of Scottsdale.

I visited the Southwest desert town in April and stayed at two of Arizona's four-star hotels — The Phoenician in Scottsdale and the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, a nearby town known as "the Beverly Hills of Arizona."

The Phoenician was named "Arizona's Leading Resort" in the 2023 World Travel Awards. It also received the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award in 2024 for the 22nd time in a row, according to the hotel's website.

Meanwhile, the Hermosa Inn is a boutique establishment that Travel + Leisure named the best hotel in Arizona in 2023.

I had top-tier VIP experiences at both establishments, but the vibes at each couldn't have been more different. Ultimately, I think they were made for two different vacations.

I spent my first night at the Phoenician, a gigantic resort with 645 rooms.

A boxy hotel entrance with a large, circular fountains out front and blue skies in the background — The entrance to the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

From the moment my cab turned into its entrance, the Phoenician felt like a mega-resort. The 600-acre property was dotted with fountains, golfing greens, and several large buildings.

A winding road led to the main building, where the lobby and several accommodations, restaurants, shops, and event spaces were located.

After exploring the entire resort on foot the next day, I got lost on the way back. It took me about 30 minutes to find my room from the far end of the site.

Inside, the lobby had a warm color palette and modern decor.

A warm-toned sitting area in a modern hotel lobby — Inside the lobby at the Phoenician.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Open since 1988, the luxury Marriott Hotel has gone through several interior renovations. Most recently, the accommodations were redesigned in 2016, and public spaces were revamped in 2018.

The lobby was huge. The warm hues of beige and red paired with geometric patterned fabrics reminded me of the desert landscape and Southwestern style.

My room was 600 square feet, with a bed, a sectional couch, and a balcony.

Inside a modern hotel room with a king bed, a selection couch, a sitting area, and a TV and media center. There's a balcony at the back of the room — Inside a deluxe room at the Phoenician.
The Phoenician

The deluxe room I booked typically costs about $800 a night when booked a month in advance, according to a search on the company's website. Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.

I thought the furniture and decor were modern, like in the lobby, but there were more grays, making the beige elements feel like accents.

I had a comfy, king-sized bed across from a TV and storage cabinets holding a safe, a mini-fridge, and a Keurig coffee maker.

The bathroom was spacious, with a shower and a large tub.

Inside a gray, modern bathroom with a white tub on the right and two sinks and a vanity on the left — Inside the bathroom.
The Phoenician

The bathroom felt luxurious, with marble flooring and counters. There were two robes hanging inside, too.

From the balcony, I could see the building's unique architecture.

A geometric beige building in Scottsdale with mountains in the background — A view of the building from the balcony.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The geometric building paired boxy edges with a curvature. I thought it was a neat shape for a hotel.

But most of the fun took place in the communal resort areas such as the pool complex.

A resort with pools and palm trees in front of a mountain with blue skies in the background — The pool complex at the Phoenician.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The complex has five pools, including one water playground and one adult-only pool. The pools are surrounded by lounge chairs, cabanas, and palm trees for shade.

During my stay, there seemed to be enough space for each guest to have a secluded experience. I didn't see crowds in the afternoon.

The Phoenician has eight restaurants and bars on-site.

A dimly lit dining room with round wooden tables and gold accents — Inside one of the Phoennician's eight restaurants.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The resort houses the award-winning restaurants J&G Steakhouse and Mowry & Cotton, and the award-winning lobby bar, Thirsty Camel.

The resort is home to an award-winning five-star spa.

A gray spa treatment room with a bed o the right and a sink behind it to the left — Inside a spa treatment room.
The Phoenician

The Phoenician Spa, which won the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award in 2024 for the fifth consecutive year, has 24 treatment rooms, a rooftop pool, a fitness center, a sauna, and a room dedicated to peace and quiet. There's also a boutique, a dry bar, and a nail salon.

Near the spa, there's an athletic club.

A green and blue tennis court surrounded by palm trees with clear, blue skies in the background — A tennis court at the athletic club.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The athletic club has several tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts.

There's also an 18-hole golf course on-site with a driving range.

A golf course lined with palm trees with mountains in the background, clear blue skies — A section of the golf course.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The course is surrounded by views of the Sonoran Desert.

The resort has a cactus garden, too.

A statue on top of flowers with a sign that says "Cactus Garden Entrance" beneath it — The entrance to the garden.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The garden is behind the main building on a secluded, shaded trail. The short walk is dotted with 250 different kinds of plants.

After my night at the massive Phoenician resort, I checked in at the Hermosa Inn for a different experience.

An adobe building with two benches out front and a cloudy sunset in the background — The Hermosa Inn's main building.
Hermosa Inn

A road in Paradise Valley lined with hilly fields and grand estates led to the Hermosa Inn. The hotel's entrance was a small, traditional adobe structure just a few yards from the main road.

The six-acre property has 43 casita accommodations in individual buildings of the same design style rooted in history.

In 1936, cowboy and artist Alonzo "Lon" Megargee built the now-hotel to serve as his home and studio until 1941, when it opened as the Hermosa Inn.

Inside and out, the decor maintains a traditional Southwestern style.

A western-style room with four brown, leather chairs around a coffee table with a chess board on top. Behind is a lit fire place on a white wall — Inside the lobby at the Hermosa Inn.
Hermosa Inn

Unlike the Phoenician, there's nothing modern about the Hermosa Inn's interior design.

Instead, it transports visitors to the early 20th-century West from the moment they check in, with adobe bricks, wooden beams, and high-quality rustic furniture. The lobby and rooms also showcase some of Megargee's artwork.

Winding garden paths lead to the casitas.

Two photos of a fountain in a garden in front of an adobe structure — Snapshots of the garden.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Instead of being in a secluded space like at the Phoenician, the gardens lined the pathways around the resort.

Guests can access bikes on the property, but I explored on foot.

It was a peaceful and quiet walk to my room. I passed through archways and spotted fountains and vibrant flower beds.

My room was a deluxe casita at the back of the property.

A tan adobe home with a blue door and blue window trimmings — The author's casita at the Hermosa Inn.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

At the end of the garden path, I had a secluded deluxe casita with a patio.

The room costs about $600 a night a month in advance, according to a search on the company's website. BI received a media rate for the one-night stay.

Inside, the 600-square-foot room had a seating area, a king-sized bed, a bathroom, and a fireplace.

Inside a western-style room with brown leather chairs, a king size bed, and a red rug — Inside the author's room.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The interior design was as Southwestern as the lobby, with wooden window shutters and a bed with wooden posts that made me feel like royalty.

Apart from the balcony, this room had all the same amenities as the Phoenician accommodation, from a safe to a mini-fridge.

The bathroom had a similar rustic flair.

A white bathroom with a tub on the left and a wooden vanity with a marble countertop and sink on the right — Inside the casita's bathroom.
The Hermosa Inn

Apart from the style, the bathroom at the Hermosa Inn was much like the Phoenician's. It was spacious, with a roomy shower and a soaking tub.

The pool area was much smaller at the Hermosa Inn.

A pool lit up with palm trees around it and an adobe hotel behind it. Mountains in the background at dusk — The pool at the Hermosa Inn.
Hermosa Inn

The Hermosa Inn has one pool and one whirlpool. During my stay, I saw only a couple of guests using them at a time. Like the Phoenician, the Hermosa Inn also has a spa.

There's one restaurant and bar at the Hermosa Inn.

outdoor dinning patio surrounded be green trees and pink flowers — The patio at LON's.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

LON's was named the most romantic restaurant in Arizona by Food & Wine Magazine in 2022. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and has a massive, garden-side outdoor patio as well as indoor seating. LON's Last Drop is the bar next to it, which has an outdoor adobe fireplace.

A wine cellar beneath the restaurant hosts guests with an exclusive tasting menu.

Inside a wine cellar with a square table seating 11 in the middle — Inside the wine cellar at LON's.
The Hermosa Inn

The underground room is always kept at 57 degrees.

There's also a library on-site with limited-edition art books and a fireplace.

Inside a library with a table seating 11 in the middle — Inside the library at the Hermosa Inn.
The Hermosa Inn

The library is often used for wedding receptions and hosts up to 32 guests.

The hotel has a small fitness center.

A tan adobe building with blue windowed doors — The fitness room building.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The fitness center at the Hermosa Inn is small, but this makes sense, considering there are so few guests at a time compared to the Phoenician.

The Phoenician seemed great for families, while the Hermosa Inn provided a more unique, secluded, and cultural experience.

Left: The author stands smiling in of a mountain background on a day with clear, blue skies. Right: The author in a cowboy hat and sunglasses stands smiling in front of cacti and an adobe building in Scottsdale — The author enjoys the Phoenician (L) and the Hermosa Inn (R).
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The Phoenician provided so many amenities, restaurants, and activities that guests could spend their entire vacation on the property. The resort is ideal for families and those looking to spend their days playing sports and chilling by the pool.

While much less extensive, the Hermosa Inn provides a unique experience for those looking to appreciate culture, peace, and quiet.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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I stayed in 2 of Arizona's top hotels, and they couldn't have been more different. Take a look.

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