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Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
After spending a few nights at Miraval Arizona, we decided to spend a couple of nights at the 210-room Four Seasons Scottsdale prior to returning home.
Let me be perfectly honest — prior to this stay, the Scottsdale property was probably the Four Seasons in the United States that was least on my radar. As someone who never spent much time in the area, I kind of wondered why anyone would vacation at a luxury hotel in the Phoenix area, unless they’re big golfers.
Having now visited, though, I have a completely different take. For one, I love the setting of Scottsdale as such. I’m a huge fan of desert terrain and hiking, and you’re also in close proximity to so many cool destinations, like Sedona. Ford and I are both talking about how Arizona is now near the top of our list of places we may want to move one day (which I wouldn’t have thought prior to visiting).
Beyond that, the Four Seasons is a top notch hotel. Is it as iconic as the Four Seasons George V or Four Seasons Surf Club? No, of course not. But it’s an awesome hotel with an ideal setting, beautiful rooms, great dining, and friendly service. Best of all, getting here is easy, as Phoenix is accessible nonstop from so many places.
It’s also a great destination when other places don’t have great weather. For example, November can be a tricky month for finding a good vacation destination. Personally I loved how it was quite cold in the mornings, and then warm enough to sit by the pool during the day.
In this post:
For our dates in mid-November, the nightly rate for a base room at the Four Seasons Scottsdale was around $800. It goes without saying that the luxury hotel market has been hot since the start of the pandemic, and rates reflect that.
The best way to book any Four Seasons hotel is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. When booking through Preferred Partner, you pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, including advance purchase rates, free night offers, and more. Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Why?
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Ford is happy to help book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected]
In the interest of full disclosure, Ford books a lot of people at Four Seasons properties, and got a travel agent rate for our stay. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
The Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North has an idyllic setting, with amazing hiking and scenery all around the property.
The hotel is about a 30-minute drive from downtown Scottsdale, and roughly 40 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). If you ask me, the fact that this hotel is a nonstop flight from just about anywhere in the United States is a pretty awesome feature.
The Four Seasons Scottsdale has a great sense of place, with a contemporary southwestern design. The property’s rooms are spread out over 25 separate casita buildings, each with only two to three floors. The entire property is connected by beautiful paths. While the hotel first opened in 1999, it underwent a renovation just before the pandemic.
As we pulled up to the hotel we were immediately welcomed by one of the bellmen, and escorted to check-in. The hotel offers complimentary self parking, or alternatively valet parking is available for $35 per night.
There was a nice sitting area outside the lobby, plus fruit infused water and sunscreen.
Once inside the lobby, reception was to the left, while the concierge desk was to the right.
The lobby has a large sitting area with cozy couches and chairs, as well as a fireplace. I love the floor-to-ceiling windows, as there are some great views from here. The lobby also has plenty of outdoor seating, including fire pits.
The lawns outside the lobby are beautifully manicured, and there are lots of nice paths you can walk around.
Our check-in process was efficient, and within a few minutes we were driven to our room in a golf cart.
We were assigned room 1601, a Kiva Plunge Pool Suite. For the building we were staying in, this accommodation was located on the ground floor on the very left.
The suite we were assigned had 1,000 square feet of interior space. Inside the entrance was the bathroom to the right, and then the living room straight ahead.
The living room featured a huge couch (which can also turn into a bed), a chair with an ottoman, a wall-mounted TV, and a fireplace. I love rooms with fireplaces, so I’m instantly happy any time I see one of those.
There was a lovely welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of champagne and a cheese plate waiting on the living room table.
The minibar was back toward the entrance, and had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle, bottled water, and all kinds of food & drinks for purchase.
The second bathroom was back near the entrance, and was especially impressive — this was a full bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower. This is a great suite for families, since the living room could be a very comfortable place to sleep (and given the fireplace there, I was almost tempted to sleep in the living room!).
The bedroom was separated from the living room by a door. It had a signature Four Seasons king bed, which I consider to be the best hotel bed out there.
The bedroom also had a table with two chairs, as well as a TV.
The main bathroom was off the bedroom, and had double sinks, a toilet, a soaking tub, and both an indoor and outdoor shower.
Toiletries were in individual bottles, and were from L’Occitane.
The room also had an awesome outdoor space. Off the living room was a couch with a TV (it’s not often you see that outdoors!), a fireplace, and a swinging chair.
Then off the bedroom was a plunge pool with two lounging chairs, plus a dining table with two chairs.
Wi-Fi in the room was fast and free, and housekeeping was provided twice daily.
The Four Seasons Scottsdale has an impressive pool setup — the pools are heated year-round, and are kept between 80 and 85 degrees. The hotel has a 6,000 square foot resort style pool, with a pretty unbeatable backdrop.
There’s also plenty of seating around the pool, so I can’t imagine it ever gets tough to find a lounge chair.
There’s then a second pool one level down, which is intended for adults. It’s a bit smaller, but still very nice.
There’s also a pool specifically for kids.
Lastly, there’s a huge hot tub.
As is standard at Four Seasons properties, there was complimentary sunscreen and other amenities at the pool.
There were also several cabanas that could be rented.
The Four Seasons Scottsdale gym is located one level below reception, and can be accessed 24/7. Four Seasons properties generally have exceptional gyms — I’d say this one was good, though it wasn’t quite as over-the-top as some of the other Four Seasons gyms I’ve seen, like at the Four Seasons Los Cabos Costa Palmas.
The Four Seasons also has two tennis courts, for those who play.
The Four Seasons Scottsdale’s spa is located next to the gym, and offers a wide variety of treatments. You can find the treatment menu here.
The spa has locker rooms, 14 treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms, a relaxation room, and even a beauty salon.
You can’t beat the nature surrounding the Four Seasons, and that there’s a hiking path directly from the hotel to Pinnacle Peak Park. Think of it like Scottsdale’s equivalent of Runyon Canyon. We enjoyed doing this hike three times during our stay.
Four Seasons Scottsdale has a few dining outlets, all of which we found to be excellent. Proof is the property’s all-day dining restaurant, serving American comfort classics. The restaurant is in its own building, and has a casual vibe, with both plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.
We had breakfast here both mornings, which is served from 7AM until 11AM. As a reminder, if you book through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, you can enjoy complimentary breakfast either in the restaurant or via in-room dining. You can find the breakfast menu here. Both the cappuccino and cold brew were excellent.
The first morning we had the avocado toast and the BYO omelet, and then we also shared the peach lavender parfait.
The other morning we had the chilaquiles and the egg white frittata.
We also had dinner here one evening, and you can find the dinner menu here. The cocktails were excellent, including the dirty martini and old fashioned.
To eat, we ordered the chopped salad with chicken, plus the burger without bacon. They gladly split both dishes into two, which was a nice touch.
Not only was the food very good, but the sunset views from here were spectacular.
Talavera is the Four Seasons Scottsdale’s signature restaurant. It’s open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays from 5PM until 9PM, and is described as a modern Spanish steakhouse. You can find the dinner menu here. It’s located just off the lobby, and has a charming indoor dining room, plus a terrace.
To start, we shared the cured tuna mojama, which was outstanding.
Then for our mains, I ordered the signature paella without pork, while Ford had the beef tenderloin. Then we shared a side of the carrots.
It was an all-around great meal, with delicious food and friendly service.
Onyx Bar & Lounge is the Four Seasons’ bar, located between the lobby and Talavera Restaurant. It’s open daily from 5PM until 10PM, and you can find the menu here. We didn’t have any cocktails here, but it seemed to be pretty lively.
The other great thing is that in the mornings there’s a complimentary coffee and tea setup here. As someone who loves coffee, I really appreciate how Four Seasons properties consistently offer this. This was one of the best selections I’ve seen as well, between the muffins, plus the variety of syrup options.
Saguaro Blossom is the Four Seasons’ outdoor, poolside restaurant, open daily from 11AM until 5PM. You can find the menu here. There’s plenty of seating at the restaurant as such, though you can also have food brought to your lounge chairs at the pool.
We hung out here one afternoon (I love the temperature variation in Scottsdale in November, as it’s crisp in the mornings, but quite warm during the day). We ordered the chips, salsa, and guacamole, as well as the tuna tacos.
Service at the Four Seasons Scottsdale was excellent across the board. As I often say, Four Seasons is by far the most consistent hotel group when it comes to service, and that was true here as well.
From the bellmen, to the front office staff, to housekeeping, to the pool attendants, to the restaurant staff, everyone was not only professional, but had quite a bit of personality as well. I find Four Seasons stays to consistently be so frictionless, which I can’t say for most other hotel groups…
I was very pleasantly surprised by the Four Seasons Scottsdale. The hotel is easy to get to, is on a gorgeous piece of land, has friendly service, and offers great dining and amenities. If you’re looking for an easy, domestic, family friendly getaway, and if you’re a Four Seasons fan, then the Scottsdale property won’t disappoint. I especially appreciate this as a destination that has a different season than so many other places.
If you’ve stayed at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, what was your experience like?
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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0,8% of US US households have an income of 500k or more. Before tax.
After tax this comes down to 250k. Thats 21k or so a month. With that you have to pay rent , mortgage, pension plan, living, kids.
5 days ate the resort with the parents in Luckys room and the kids in standard room would add up to 18:000 USD without any meal or extras for 5 nights. A family…
0,8% of US US households have an income of 500k or more. Before tax.
After tax this comes down to 250k. Thats 21k or so a month. With that you have to pay rent , mortgage, pension plan, living, kids.
5 days ate the resort with the parents in Luckys room and the kids in standard room would add up to 18:000 USD without any meal or extras for 5 nights. A family with an income of 0,5 million simply can not afford 5 days in that resort. Let alone the often featured four seasons in Mexico.
Something is really wrong in the US luxury hotel industry.
I live north of the Phoenix area at about 5500 feet. Between November 1 and April 1 it’s basically Antarctica at night and actually pretty pleasant in the day. The rest of the time it is heaven on a stick.
I have no idea how people live in the Valley from mid May to Oct. 1. It’s an inferno. When I accidentally find myself there in the summer I feel as if I’m fleeing something horrible as I drive home.
They should change their name into Five Seasons, since each property gets a 5* review!
Had a great stay here all around. Even in a pretty standard room (don’t recall the category, but was not a suite) with two kids, was spacious enough and loved the fireplace and patio. Scottsdale wasn’t on our radar as we had only been to Sedona a couple times, but now it is! We went in April, having switched our plans from NM as it was 35f in Santa Fe, and 90f (dry heat) in Scottsdale. Loved it.
I echo Greg’s astute comments. I have extended family from the Phoenix area and in past years attended many family reunions in the Scottsdale area, including a stay at the four seasons (which I agree with some other readers is a bit remote from downtown Scottsdale). Agreed summers in AZ are brutal. Also talking to good friends from the area there can be a surprising amount of anti gay sentiment which can be tough. One…
I echo Greg’s astute comments. I have extended family from the Phoenix area and in past years attended many family reunions in the Scottsdale area, including a stay at the four seasons (which I agree with some other readers is a bit remote from downtown Scottsdale). Agreed summers in AZ are brutal. Also talking to good friends from the area there can be a surprising amount of anti gay sentiment which can be tough. One of my friends who would otherwise meet the typical requirements of Arizona gentry finally moved with his son to New York because of what he found a shockng lack of acceptance of gay parenting/families in many of the better schools in the metropolitan region. Here is hoping things improve a lot in the future.
Great read! Following up on my criticism at the fish tank post: This here is real and unique travel content!!!
Great read! Following up on my criticism at the fish tank post: This here is real and unique travel content!
Ben. My wife and I in the Scottsdale area and we’ve done a couple of staycations at the FS. Love the property and the fact it’s off the beaten path.
I know you just reviewed the Miraval in Tucson but, if you haven’t already, check out the Ritz at Dove Mountain near Tucson. Off the beaten path like the FS with good hiking, nice gym, good food, and decent rooms. We found the pool…
Ben. My wife and I in the Scottsdale area and we’ve done a couple of staycations at the FS. Love the property and the fact it’s off the beaten path.
I know you just reviewed the Miraval in Tucson but, if you haven’t already, check out the Ritz at Dove Mountain near Tucson. Off the beaten path like the FS with good hiking, nice gym, good food, and decent rooms. We found the pool small but worth checking out. I do like the FS a little better though.
Keep up the hotel reviews!
My husband and I have stayed here twice. While they have nice grounds, both times we were put in a room on the Renata Pass side, which is pretty far from the main amenities of the resort. The distance is amplified if you’re staying in the summer, which can regularly hit 110F. Because there aren’t any amenities on that side, it feels like you’re staying at a motel instead of a resort.
And to…
My husband and I have stayed here twice. While they have nice grounds, both times we were put in a room on the Renata Pass side, which is pretty far from the main amenities of the resort. The distance is amplified if you’re staying in the summer, which can regularly hit 110F. Because there aren’t any amenities on that side, it feels like you’re staying at a motel instead of a resort.
And to Ben’s comment that he can’t imagine all those lounge chairs getting full… they indeed get really full. Service is good but when the resort is full of people it doesn’t feel as attentive as other FS properties. We probably won’t return.
If you need more space at this property, you can rent a week from a timeshare owner for a lot less that the hotel rates. I own a two bedroom residence high season week there.
“Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade can be significant)”
When you initially started writing about booking an agent, you said upgrades may be prioritized, now you write that they are. Did you get confirmation on this?
Everything about this post makes the Andaz seem nicer.
The FS Scottsdale is a nice place, but it’s not $800/night nice. Not to mention, the room you stayed in is 3-4x that nightly – even in June, its $2300/night. Beyond the price, I’d suggest that if you’re staying here, do it because you mostly want to be at the resort. It’s a little out there. Good thing is, the whole Phoenix/Scottsdale area is very car-friendly, but the FS is about 30 minutes from the…
The FS Scottsdale is a nice place, but it’s not $800/night nice. Not to mention, the room you stayed in is 3-4x that nightly – even in June, its $2300/night. Beyond the price, I’d suggest that if you’re staying here, do it because you mostly want to be at the resort. It’s a little out there. Good thing is, the whole Phoenix/Scottsdale area is very car-friendly, but the FS is about 30 minutes from the heart of downtown Scottsdale. If you want a similar golf course in a mountain setting resort, the Phoenician has a better location, and is comparable especially if you’re looking at the Canyon Suites side.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the area, and if you don’t care too much about hotel services, Scottsdale is an area where you can get a pretty spectacular Airbnb on a similar budget. That’s what we’ve been doing lately.
As a native Arizonan, do not, DO NOT move to Arizona without spending a few weeks in Phoenix during the summer. The heat is punishing, isolating, and you basically have to own a pool and pay massive electricity bills to make it bearable. The experience of a luxury hotel in AZ is very different from living there. That isn’t even getting into the politics of it. Even though they have had some blue wins lately,…
As a native Arizonan, do not, DO NOT move to Arizona without spending a few weeks in Phoenix during the summer. The heat is punishing, isolating, and you basically have to own a pool and pay massive electricity bills to make it bearable. The experience of a luxury hotel in AZ is very different from living there. That isn’t even getting into the politics of it. Even though they have had some blue wins lately, the state legislature is still very red and making terrible state laws. Living in AZ as a queer person wasn’t a walk in the park, for sure.
Star ratings compression in action.
This place, which you effectively universally praised, earns 5 stars.
The Miraval, which you had plenty of negatives for (mostly the room) still got 4.5 stars!
My partner and I, his brother and sister-in-law stayed at this Four Season’s property in November 2020; we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Everything about this property, the staff, rooms, restaurants and location was worth every dime. The hiking (Tom’s Thumb, Pinncale Peak) was awesome, we also found time to use the tennis courts.
Did you also pay 800 USD ++per night?
Scottsdale, and Arizona in general, has long been one of the top US destinations for luxury hotels / resorts. I never got it either, but having spent some time in the area you get the appeal. In general I think the US’ Southwest and Mountain West destinations (even including stuff like Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Utah, etc) is very underrated in terms of terrain, weather, etc – perhaps because travelers don’t see it as exotic or interesting enough.
Not sure I agree with you in terms of those locations being “underrated”. I guess they are in that people probably don’t think of them first for a trip, but good luck getting a luxury hotel or villa booking (at a reasonable rate) – especially Palm Springs. Overall, I think they aren’t the first thought because there isn’t a whole lot there in terms of infrastructure, especially on the luxury side. Especially Utah, I can…
Not sure I agree with you in terms of those locations being “underrated”. I guess they are in that people probably don’t think of them first for a trip, but good luck getting a luxury hotel or villa booking (at a reasonable rate) – especially Palm Springs. Overall, I think they aren’t the first thought because there isn’t a whole lot there in terms of infrastructure, especially on the luxury side. Especially Utah, I can only think of a few and even they stretch the term luxury, such as Sorrel River, Cougar Ridge, etc.
Arizona is hardly a diverse state. As a nonwhite person I’d not feel comfortable there. F*** white supremacists.
Yes the white supremacists voted in two Democrat Senators and a Democrat Governor. Also there definitely isn’t a huge Hispanic population. You’re nuts.
We’ve come to a point where I’m not even sure anymore if this is a real or parody post
I am a black native Californian, from Oakland. Married to a Hispanic native San Franciscan. We moved to the predominately red leaning, mostly white Maricopa County east valley. I have never felt safer and more welcome in my entire life. I lived in California for 33 years before moving and I have never had neighbors wave to me until I moved to Arizona (and now Texas). These white people here are a lot nicer, a…
I am a black native Californian, from Oakland. Married to a Hispanic native San Franciscan. We moved to the predominately red leaning, mostly white Maricopa County east valley. I have never felt safer and more welcome in my entire life. I lived in California for 33 years before moving and I have never had neighbors wave to me until I moved to Arizona (and now Texas). These white people here are a lot nicer, a lot more welcoming, and a lot more understanding than ANY people I dealt with before leaving California. I thought it would be different when I came to a predominately red city in North Texas and again, I couldn’t have been further from wrong.
Currently at the WAP – Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, drinking coffee and listening to the waves crash, and even I’m a bit jealous about your stay! I’ll be back in AZ tonight though and hitting the trails – you should try trail running.
Your comment about Four Seasons generally having exceptional gyms made me think: I’d love to see a list of the top hotel gyms from you. Park Hyatt Tokyo & Seoul spring to mind, with their skyscraper topping views.
Also, quick note: it’s Saguaro, but you wrote Saguro 🙂
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has a gym on the 30th floor thats good and the FS Kyoto has a great gym and a really cool indoor pool.
Took the family there last November for a Grand Canyon getaway and some sun. Found the Four Seasons to be the least impressive of the three places we stayed in Scottsdale (Andaz and Canyon Suites at the Phoenician) with really outdated rooms and an isolated location. In my humble opinion, there is no comparison between the Canyon Suites and the Four Seasons. In Scottsdale, it’s a Four Seasons in name only, although the staff is friendly.
Agreed. I moved to Phoenix in 2019 and my family joined me soon after the pandemic locked everything down. Due to an inability to travel much, we did A LOT of staycations around the area and stayed at just about every resort property in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Its disrespectful to mention the Four Seasons in the same breath as the Canyon Suites. We relocated to Texas summer of 2021, and when I offer my kids…
Agreed. I moved to Phoenix in 2019 and my family joined me soon after the pandemic locked everything down. Due to an inability to travel much, we did A LOT of staycations around the area and stayed at just about every resort property in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Its disrespectful to mention the Four Seasons in the same breath as the Canyon Suites. We relocated to Texas summer of 2021, and when I offer my kids a vacation to anywhere in the world I find myself talking them out of the Phoenician (they are 8 and 6 so they think the Phoenician is the greatest hotel in the world). Andaz was pretty great also.
Stayed here in 2021. As you mentioned, was never on the radar but international restrictions led us here. Perhaps the most comfortable pool chairs I’ve ever used in my life
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Star ratings compression in action. This place, which you effectively universally praised, earns 5 stars. The Miraval, which you had plenty of negatives for (mostly the room) still got 4.5 stars!
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has a gym on the 30th floor thats good and the FS Kyoto has a great gym and a really cool indoor pool.
The FS Scottsdale is a nice place, but it's not $800/night nice. Not to mention, the room you stayed in is 3-4x that nightly – even in June, its $2300/night. Beyond the price, I'd suggest that if you're staying here, do it because you mostly want to be at the resort. It's a little out there. Good thing is, the whole Phoenix/Scottsdale area is very car-friendly, but the FS is about 30 minutes from the heart of downtown Scottsdale. If you want a similar golf course in a mountain setting resort, the Phoenician has a better location, and is comparable especially if you're looking at the Canyon Suites side. I've spent a lot of time in the area, and if you don't care too much about hotel services, Scottsdale is an area where you can get a pretty spectacular Airbnb on a similar budget. That's what we've been doing lately.
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