Stay at one of the hottest Scottsdale resorts for families and have your hotel be part of the fun!
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!
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.
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North: The 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!
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch: The 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.
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!