Enjoying Phoenix, Arizona

One of our travel agents recently returned from her first trip to Arizona and Scottsdale, and had this to share:

I stayed at both The Hilton Tapatio and The Phoenician. All in all these were both great hotels, but very different. The Hilton, located in Glendale, just north of Phoenix was very quiet for this time of year. Other than a marketing conference there wasn't too much going on. The buildings had a scattering of small pools and the large pool in "The Falls" was very nice. The service was very good all around and it was just a nice quiet atmosphere. The views of the mountains were awesome and I recommend taking a hike on the 37 or 100 trails right behind the resort. Definitely worth the additional views of Glendale.

The Phoenician was a great AAA Diamond resort. A little fancy for me, but I like to be able to get my own ice from the machines and I'm pretty independent. For those looking to get pampered, this is a great option. Service was phenomenal. We never had an empty pitcher of water next to us as we laid by the pools and food was very good. Both food and drinks are a little pricier, but that's too be expected with this type of resort.

My favorite part of the trip was getting up early in the morning and walking to and then climbing up Camelback Mountain. Camelback Mountain is right behind the Phoenician and you'll get great birds eye views of the hotel. It was a revitalizing experience.

I recommend both resorts for your next trip to Phoenix or Scottsdale. I also recommend the Salt River Tubing for $15 a person in Mesa. You can tube down the river for anywhere from 2-4 hours.