The Scottsdale resorts were out of our price range. I am also brand loyal to Hilton/Hyatt/Marriott ....so a combination of factors led us here.
The positives: suites with extra room for kids including a comfy pull out sofa, a safe, and a mini fridge. Very clean. The Ranch where the main pool and slide and lazy river are: excellent with kids if you can find chairs. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful all around. There is a small coffee and baked goods store inside the lobby which is handy (see below). Parking is free but can be hard to find a spot at night.
The negatives:
Its location is not ideal i.e. nothing around it.
The layout is sprawling with two larger buildings and a bunch of villas/townhouses. To get to the Ranch you have to trek across a parking. So depending on which building you are in, that could be an issue especially with small kids in tow.
The appearance of the buildings, from the old depressing yellow color to the exterior corridors: does not feel like a true resort. Maybe a personal preference, but it just did not look like what I would expect from a Hilton resort. The lobby was very plain vanilla and not very inviting. Overall, the place looked like a very upscale Holiday Inn but not a Hilton..
The first night, we asked for extra bath towels which after 90 minutes and three phone calls, we never got and gave up.
They charge for internet per device. Not an issue if you have a 3G type phone.. But charge for internet per device?? Really cheap...
Morning wake up was with unavoidable noise of other kids running around in the outside halls; gardeners' leaf blower machines; and large trucks (garbage? deliver?)
The main restaurant is in a detached building and about 100 yards from the main lobby, requiring walking thru a parking lot again. Not a big deal for us but would have been if the kids were smaller and it was hot or raining outside. Not a proper setup at all. As mentioned, there is nothing around the hotel so you have to either eat there or drive somewhere..
Overall, it was Ok for 2 nights especially with two kids and because of the water activities but really not on par with typical Marriott or HIlton or Hyatt resorts.. Does not deserve the AAA 4 diamond rating..
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