This was defnitely the worst hotel we had stayed at on our two-week vacation. The resort itself is full of nostalgia and history. The Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is amazing, and the lobby is beautiful. Many famous people have stayed at the resort in the past, but that must be its only selling point today.
The room we stayed in was dirty and shabby. The lampshade was frayed, and there was a hunk of wood missing from the closet door. The bathroom had penmarks on the wood around the counter, and there were two different kinds of mildew on the tub grout (the black kind and the slimy pink kind). Ick. On the second day, we actually caught a SCORPION scurrying across the bathroom floor! We put a glass over it and informed the front desk, and were merely told, "My apologies, I will have maintenance remove it." The rest of the stay was spent checking under our beds and in our sheets to make sure there weren't more hiding in our room.
There were several pools available, and we spent most of our time in the smaller pools that were away from the main hubbub. The smaller pools were surrounded by broken and faded lounge chairs and had no towels available. They could also use a good scrubbing.
The main pool could only be described as community pool meets spring break. There was lots of noise and commotion, small screaming children, and lots of younger couples and singles. It was definitely not an atmosphere conducive to rest and relaxation. Many of the frazzled lounge chairs that were scattered around the pool were reserved for those paying extra for the cabanas, though we only saw a few that were occupied. Towels were hard to find, and at least once we had to wait for them to be replenished.
The actual service was the worst part of our stay. It was as if the employees had been instructed NOT to smile at anyone. Upon arrival, we were given a map to our room and a key. No instruction as to the amenities available, location of the pools, spa services available, etc. The first night, we headed to the bar and had to wait forever to be served. The second day, we ended up walking out because no one ever came to serve us (although employees walked back and forth past us several times). They looked busy, but a simple, "I'll be right with you," would have been appreciated. We instead walked next door to the on-site cafe for 3 bottled sodas, 2 beers and a cookie for a total of $40.
The employees were odd, with simple requests (extra towels, an extra hotel magazine, etc.) being met with looks ranging from confusion to utter annoyance.
As for the area, it was difficult to get in and out of the resort to find restaurants or shopping, even with a GPS. We did find ourselves in a less than desirable part of town several times, and resorted to traveling back to the area in which we stayed at the beginning of our trip (Fairmont Scottsdale--Excellent Review!!).
In conclusion, if you are younger and are looking for a place to hang out, but don't have high expectations with regards to service or cleanliness, this place may be acceptable. If you are an adult looking for a clean and comfortable place to relax and get away from it all, stay far, far away from this resort.
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