The 10 Best Hotels in Phoenix and Scottsdale
There’s a reason (many, actually) that Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. It boasts amazing weather most of the year, is surrounded by natural beauty—thanks to multiple mountain ranges and the Saguaro-dotted desert—comes packed with outdoor activity options, and has an increasingly impressive culinary and cultural scene. While Phoenix and nearby Scottsdale have always been heavy on hotels and resorts to cater to its 40 million annual visitors, several shiny new properties have come online over the last few years while many of the area’s most fabled resorts have unveiled major renovations. Here are the best hotels in Phoenix and Scottsdale to consider for your next Arizona getaway.
Read our full Phoenix travel guide here.
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Courtesy Michael Baxter/Arizona BiltmorehotelArizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort — Phoenix
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Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022The nearly century-old grandaddy of Phoenix resorts, a Waldorf Astoria property, has a lot of lavish factors going for it: its location in an upscale residential area at the base of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve , a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architectural style complete with decadent décor like gold leaf ceilings, signature “Biltmore block” columns, and original stone sculptures dotting the property, an expansive cocktail and dining program, and so many activities its dubbed itself “an adult’s playground.” Think two golf courses, a croquet lawn, pickle ball and tennis courts, a roster of fitness classes, wellness retreats, an adults-only 24-hour pool with glass-enclosed cabanas, and evening live music. The resort unveiled a $150 million renovation in 2022 and guests can choose from rooms, suites, cottages, and entire villas with full kitchens, living areas, and grand fireplaces; this property is a classic that shines on our Gold List year after year.
Courtesy Rise Uptown HotelhotelRise Uptown Hotel — Phoenix
$With its midcentury design, groovy rooftop cocktail lounge, and cute perks (popsicles upon check-in, record players in every room, and weekend DJs at the pool), the Rise Uptown is a nice—and affordable—option for those who want to stay near the heart Phoenix but skip the corporate chain high rises. It’s clearly a location for cool kids, within walking distance of quirky retailers including vinyl stores, antique shops independent bookstores, and handmade home décor boutiques plus the heavy mix of restaurants, bars, breweries, and live music venues of Uptown Phoenix and 7th Avenue’s Melrose District.
Courtesy Adero ScottsdalehotelAdero Scottsdale
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Hot List 2021With easy access to 55,000 acres of hiking and biking trails that criss-cross the saguaro-studded Sonoran landscape, days at the new Adero Scottsdale are made for outdoor adventures. But it’s after the seemingly alway-shining Arizona sun finally sets that things really get exciting. The hotel is the rare property to open within a Dark Sky community (of which Arizona only has a handful); this means, in layperson terms, that you’ll have access to some killer stargazing. The hotel’s on-site Dark Sky experts (fondly referred to as “Star Dudes”) lead stargazing sessions. For self-guided tours of the galaxy, telescopes along with daily night sky charts can be delivered to guest rooms; 177 of them, kitted out in desert hues with a midcentury vibe (Frank Lloyd Wright’s home Taliesin West is just a few miles away). If sipping while looking skyward is preferable, the outdoor lawn and patio at the hotel’s bar-restaurant Cielo, is a solid place to watch the surrounding McDowell Mountains turn a sherbety shade as the stars take the stage for the late show.
Courtesy Senna HousehotelSenna House Scottsdale, Curio Collection by Hilton
$While Scottsdale is best known for its sprawling resorts, Senna House is doing its own thing as a compact urban hotel. During the day you’ll find locals and business travelers taking meetings in the lobby, airline crews jumping into shuttles, and vacationers catching some sun and a swim on the second-floor rooftop pool, Sonora Swim Club, overlooking town and Camelback Mountain. Glam ground-floor restaurant Cala has been a hotspot since it opened in early 2022, so expect a steady stream of locals both day and night, and big crowds on weekends. The property is about as centrally located as it gets, in the heart of Scottsdale's Entertainment District. From here, you're walkable to dozens more bars and restaurants.
Courtesy Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse PasshotelSheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass — Phoenix
$Just far enough into the Arizona desert to make it feel like you're on an adventure, you'll be especially smitten with the 10 murals in the main lobby, which encompass local Native American tribes' (Pima and Maricopa) styles of art. The lobby also showcases a panoramic view of the Sierra Estrella mountain range, which is truly beautiful. There's something so refreshing knowing that there's a cultural director on staff. This individual is from the Pima Tribe and her position to ensure that all design and actives surrounding Native American culture is both authentic and respectful. The tipping point, though, is the on-site restaurant and crown jewel, Kai. Chef Drew Anderson provides what is possibly the best fine dining in all of Arizona. The menu is seasonal, but Swansons’ take on pozole and his cocoa- and mesquite-cured duck breast are not to be missed. If weather permits, opt for an outside patio table during sunset to really top the experience. A great desert getaway when you need it.
Don Riddle/HyatthotelAndaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows
$ | Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022If you weren’t looking for it, you’d likely never know that tucked behind a large shopping center and some residential buildings lies this gem of a resort. The Andaz—a sprawling, low-profile resort mainly made up of individual bungalow-style rooms—sets itself apart from other resorts in the area in part with its heavy focus on art of all kinds. Local craftspeople created much of what you see on the property and the resort offers guests both art classes as well as tours of a nearby artists’ compound that it has a close partnership with. Plus, there’s a weekly schedule of other types of activities and wellness classes—from pasta-making to sound healing to a peek at the property’s own beehive—along with performances by local musicians several days a week, and an excellent restaurant and cocktail program.
Mark Boisclair/Courtesy Mountain ShadowshotelMountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2022Mountain Shadows wears multiple hats beyond being a resort, since it’s home to a well-known, par-three golf course that’s open to the public, and the Citizens Club, a private club that offers residents and members access to the resort’s facilities. Throw in the fact it’s a popular venue for wedding and corporate events, and you’ll find a true mix of guests any given day. You might see couples and young families around the resort’s two connected pools, a bachelorette group toasting in one of the cabanas, and locals coming through to play a round or for lunch on the poolside patio of main restaurant Hearth ’51.
hotelJW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2019The JW Desert Ridge—one of the largest resorts in the area—feels almost like a small city packed with everything and anything you can imagine including multiple pools, two 18-hole golf courses, a driving range, an array of restaurants (including the new, not-to-be-missed Tia Carmen) plenty of pickle ball and tennis courts, a spa and fitness center, lawns and lounge areas throughout, and lots of experiences geared for children, from a large kids’ club with a long list of daily activities to a lazy river to an arcade. Not surprisingly, families make up a big portion of the guest population and the pool areas are more energetic than serene. The resort first opened two decades ago and, in 2022, completed the first phase of an $80 million renovation—updating rooms, the lobby, and common areas, plus unveiling its new signature restaurant. Both a waterpark and an adults-only pool area are slated to come online later this year. The resort completed the first phase of an $80 million renovation in 2022—updating rooms, the lobby, and common areas, plus unveiling its new signature restaurant. Both a waterpark and an adults-only pool area are slated to come online later this year.
Read McKendreehotelSanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa — Paradise Valley
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021There’s a lot to love about this resort: the variety of design-centric accommodations, perfectly manicured grounds, standout restaurant, and robust health and wellness program, for starters. But the unparalleled views of both the valley below and neighboring mountain ranges, courtesy of Sanctuary’s coveted location on the side of Camelback Mountain, is high on the list. Most of its casitas, suites, and villas tiered on the 53-acre property having their own private entrances, so a stay here can feel like a semi-private respite. The infinity-edge pool area is still lively (though tame compared to many other pool scenes), with vacationing couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s sipping day drinks or small groups of friends here for a chill getaway. You’ll often catch lanyard-wearing business travelers whizzing by during the week as the resort frequently plays hosts to meetings and corporate events.
hotelThe Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2021One of Scottsdale’s most iconic resorts, the Phoenician’s unbeatable location on 250 acres at the base of Camelback Mountain, as well as its magical spa, multiple pools, several dining options, and wide array of onsite outdoor activities make the property an excellent option for just about any type of traveler looking to stay at a luxury property. The crowd varies depending on where you are within the resort. Over at the three tiers of pools during a late spring weekend visit, couples in stylish swimsuits lounged around the adult’s only pool, groups of friends sipped margs while wading in the main Mother-of-Pearl pool, and kids frolicked in the separate splash pad area. Conference-goers are often ducking in and out of the big ballrooms day and night and the lobby is nearly always abuzz with travelers coming and going
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