We live in the Phoenix area and took a "spring break" at this resort as an alternative to the Arizona Grand Hotel (formerly Pointe South Mountain), which also has a water park. This Pointe was a definite disappointment. The buildings look dated and shoddy, as it was constructed at a time when Phoenix construction standards were not very good. The HIlton chain has renovated the rooms (very nicely), given it a new coat of paint and there is a relatively new water park, but the rooms are still dark and the landscaping is not artistic enough to hide its age (as it is at the old Pointe South Mountain). The "Wild West" theme of the restaurants and other shops in the River Ranch water park area is also extremely dated, and I found it embarrassing (particularly as I live here).
The best thing about the stay was the value. With 1 bedroom suites running under $200 and no parking or activity fees, they are quite competitive with other local resorts (especially as it is still "high" season). In addition there are tons and tons of coupons and special rates for everything from resort credits, to free ice cream, to kids' activities programs, to spa services, allowing you to save even more.
We stayed in a standard double queen, 1 bedroom suite (with queen sofa bed). The room, aside from being dark, was a good size and well maintained. With three teenagers and a college student (all female) changing clothes several times a day, the housekeeping staff worked wonders at keeping the room tidy, clean and dry. The beds were comfortable, but a bit firm for my tastes. I liked that the bathroom/shower was separate from the sink area and that both were located between the two rooms. The rooms are attractive and comfortable (though not fancy) Unfortunately, however, the rooms are still dated in terms of available technology. You could rent an Internet connection for $11.95 a day, but wifi was only available in the common rooms (actually, the lobby). As the hotel is billing itself as business-friendly, and there are a lot of conferences booked in, they should conform to the industry standard and make free wifi available throughout the resort.
The service staff were almost uniformly friendly and helpful (except for a couple of front desk staff - go figure!). Each staff member from activities staff, to spa, to room service and restaurant staff, to groundskeepers, looked you in the eye and welcomed you or asked if you needed help.
The range of activities is good, but not outstanding. The water park is OK, but not exciting enough for our teens (the slide is long rather than steep). The spa services overall were good, the facials excellent, the mani-pedi not so much. There was a truly minimal fee to rent tennis rackets and balls, which was nice for the kids. There is also an "Executive" putting course, which we didn't use, and you could use the golf course at the Pointe's sister property (Pointe Hilton at Tapatio Cliffs). The gift shop was better than average, with an interesting range of items pertaining to the new and old West.
And now to the worst, the absolutely worst, of the experience.... the food. Not content to merely be overpriced (as most resorts are), it was also horrible. The quesadilla I ordered through room service was way overdone, and the chicken on it was dessicated. Of four in-room pizzas, only one was good, the others were underdone and floppy. The other food was merely average both in conception and quality, certainly not up to any other premier Arizona resort in which I have stayed. The Hole in the Wall Restaurant also suffered from poor quality preparation and worse, poor quality ingredients. On one sandwich I got the avocados were brown and crusty and the iceberg lettuce (and almost all the lettuce used was cheap iceberg) was wilted. All our kids ordered off the Kid's Menu as the quality was no worse and the prices better than the regular menu. The last night we ate the their upscale Lantana Restaurant. It is really clear the recession has hit them hard. Although this is the tourist season there was hardly anyone there, and it appeared that it wasn't always open during the week (except for the Lounge). There were no specials, they didn't have the full menu available and a couple of the dishes were already sold out at 7:30 pm (as they apparently anticipated very few orders). Here, at least, the food quality was good (the ribeye was excellent), but there was no one there to appreciate it.
Overall, the experience was a disappointing one for us since we have gone to much better (and not much more expensive) resorts in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. On the plus side, it is a great value considering it is a resort with a spa and water park, so if you are watching your money or just want to get away to the Valley of the Sun and don't have high expectations, you may enjoy it. Maybe try the two level casitas, which have double the space and include microwave, fridge and dining area. Hilton has an option where you can book a regular room and then request an upgrade on line. If an upgraded room is available on check-in, then you can get it for a substantial savings. However, I strongly suggest you contact the concierge for recommendations on local restaurants (we used his services twice and he was right on in terms of selecting the perfect restaurant for our cravings, budget, and family composition). Or stick to the steaks!
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