Stay at one of the hottest Scottsdale resorts for families and have your hotel be part of the fun!

Five First Class Scottsdale Resorts for Families

Don’t let a horror story happen to you!

The mattress on the living room floor was the first clue our vacation rental was not as it appeared on line.

“Oh” I said, in a polite-Canadian-about-to-lose-it voice. “I thought this was a two bedroom rental?”

“Yeah…” our spacey hostess drawled the word into multiple syllables. “There’s two bedrooms, but only one has a bed in it? The other one has a bunch of stuff in it, but there’s a bed out here….”

“If both rooms don’t have a bed, it isn’t really two bedrooms.” I pointed out.

“Yeah…” she nonchalantly agreed, her heavily lidded eyes threatened to close completely. I felt very certain that was all the concern we would be able to raise from her, and decided we would make the most of it rather than try to secure a new rental at this late hour. I have had great experiences with vacation rentals, but this was not one of those.

Your accommodations are a major part of a vacation, and have the ability to make or break it. Luckily, if your family is traveling to Scottsdale, Arizona you have a choice of hotels who are making it their priority to ensure you and your kids have a vacation to remember, in a good way. Here are our top five Scottsdale Resorts for Families; our picks for hotels that offer something special for families!

The Oasis Waterpark at The Arizona Grand Resort and Spa (courtesy Arizona Grand Resort and Spa)

Arizona Grande Resort and Spa: The Grande is Arizona’s only AAA Four Diamond all-suite resort, so if you are looking for a lot of room to go with your luxury, this is a great place to do it. Families can stay in a two or three bedroom suite, or splash out in one of the villas. There are your choice of six restaurants on the property, so even picky eaters will be able to find something to match their tastes. The resort is currently offering a LEGOLAND® Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium package that includes two tickets to either near by attraction. The big draw at the Grande for families with kids though, is the massive Oasis Waterpark. It was voted by the Travel Channel as one of America’s Top 10 Water Parks. The 7 acre waterpark features the Slide Canyon Tower, a zero entry wave pool, spray deck, hot tub, an “active river” for tubing and an option for resort guests to reserve a private cabana.

The water slide tower at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess courtesy Experience Scottsdale

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess: You might think that you won’t get a beach vacation in the Arizona desert. And mostly, I’d say you are right, except if you are going to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. They don’t just have a pool…they have Sunset Beach, a 9, 000 sq. ft. white sand beach to go with the water park! There are also 2 waterslides, a splash pad, and the family friendly Sonoran Landing. For out of the pool fun, you’ll want to check out the Trailblazer Family Adventure Center. It’s a camp for kids aged 5-12 with daily themed adventures, like exploring the resort property and its wildlife, or making s’mores in a solar powered oven. Currently the price is $35 for a half day, $60 for the full day, and $12 for lunch. There is also a shop, animal discovery area, fishing equipment rentals and hoops to get some b-ball time in.

Barbara Kraft / Four Seasons

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon NorthThe Four Seasons has so much going on for families! It starts with the Kids for All Seasons camp, a complimentary program for resort guests. Kids can stop by for an hour or the whole day. Programming includes things like games, a behind-the-scenes tour, scavenger hunt, desert discovery, carnival, movie nights and water games. (Note: Kids for All Seasons staff are not lifeguards and kids have to be proficient swimmers to participate in the water activities.)  The Four Seasons also offers astronomer guided star gazing, “dive-in” movies during the summer and holidays, special discounts for young golfers, daily guided hikes in Pinnacle Peak Park, and retro soda fountain treats at Proof, an American Canteen, one of the restaurants on site. If you are thinking of visiting the desert in the summer, the Four Seasons has some Summer Fun promotions you won’t want to miss!

courtesy of Hyatt, credit: Mike Baxter

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey RanchThe Sonoran Desert plays a big role at the Hyatt Regency! Have a cultural experience when you spend some time in the Native American Learning Centre, or watch a cultural performance of Native American dancing. There are also special learning experiences offered several times throughout the year to enrich your time in Arizona. Kids can join in the fun at Camp Hyatt and at the Lost Dutchmen playground. And families won’t want to miss the watery good times in the pool area, take a ride through the desert canals on a gonola, and challenge themselves at the rock climbing wall.

The luxurious grounds at thee Westin Kierland Resort and Spa. courtesy Experience Scottsdale

Westin Kierland Resort and Spa: The Director of Fun at the Westin Kierland makes it their business to make sure families are enjoying their time at the resort. You won’t want to miss the games in the OK Corral or the Arizona S’mores and Kierland campfires. Seasonally, kids can take part in the Digital Kids Club or the animal visitors program, a partnership with the Phoenix Zoo that brings animals right to you at the hotel! And I haven’t even started to tell you about trying out your surf legs on the FlowRider, getting your thrill on at the waterpark, or the amazing theme camps at the Kierland! There are some great promotions running for families right now too that you will want to check out!

For more information on what’s great for families in the Scottsdale area, visit the Experience Scottsdale and Visit Phoenix websites, plus don’t miss our review of the beautiful Phoenician, another great family friendly hotel in Scottsdale.