I just left the Royal Palms in Phoenix and wanted to write the review right away. What a beautiful property!

Simply put, when I win the lottery so I can retire early, I plan on building a house on a Mexican beach that feels just like this place. With all it's courtyards, covered passageways, nooks and crannies, this place embodies exactly what I picture my dream house to be.

The food was great. The staff was uber-helpful and courteous. The location was great for views.

My room was HUGE. With a bed that had such a thick mattress that I had to hop up into it and I'm 6'1". Great giant shower. Nice touches here and there.

If you ever get the chance to visit this place, you won't be disappointed.

1) We were on a business trip, so our room was paid for by the company, thank goodness! Otherwise, I admit the room prices are a bit much.

2) Most comfortable bed we ever slept on. In fact, we pulled the bedding off so we could see which company made the mattress! Came back home and got one for our own bedroom. So comfy!

3) Scenery was amazing. I took so many photos of the hotel grounds themselves! The best surprise was all the citrus trees filled with fruit.

4) Amazing outdoor fireplaces to sit around, which was lovely in December. We also enjoyed our dinner at the restaurant outside. They put large heaters to keep us comfortable.

5) We stayed in a Valencia Suite, which was wonderful when my husband had to get up early for meetings. He could get ready and watch the news while I slept in our amazing bed.

6) Our living room opened to a lovely courtyard with sitting areas and outdoor fireplaces. Our bedroom opened to a patio where we had a room-service breakfast one morning. Both sides had a view of Camelback Mountain which was gorgeous.

7) I visited the spa, which was lovely. One of the nicest I've been to. Again, the company treated the spouses to 2 spa treatments each. (Yes, we were spoiled!)

8) Not much around the hotel, but I did take a walk in the neighborhood behind it and it was quite a hike up a HUGE hill. But honestly we were content to stay at the Royal Palms and enjoy the grounds. The pool was not at all crowded when we were there in December and the weather was lovely.

I don't even know where to begin! My mother, sister and I met for a "girl's weekend get-away" from 2/9-2/12 at the Royal Palms and we couldn't have picked a more perfect place. We were looking for a nice, relaxing place where we could spend time together (we live in 3 different states across the country from each other).

The resort is absolutely beautiful, the rooms are outstanding, and the spa was beyond words. We were told at check-in that the resort was fully committed, yet we felt almost as if we were the only ones there! Our casita consisted of a living room, bedroom and large bathroom - more than enough room for the 3 of us to comfortably relax. We also had a patio that overlooked a lovely courtyard area that had a fountain and several wood fireplace pits. They were lit on Friday night but not the others, which was a little disappointing. However, I'm sure that had we asked to have them lit, it would have been done right away!!

We ate dinner outside of the resort 2 evenings but did enjoy T. Cook's on Saturday night. Overall, it was lovely but the service could have been better. We did feel as if the waitress could have been friendlier and more involved in our dining experience (as opposed to just serving us food).

The fitness center and spa were excellent. I enjoyed two treatments at the spa and they were phenomenal - worth every penny.

I would like to comment on one event that happened during our stay that explains why the Royal Palms is "royal" in my book....during her massage, my mother and her massage therapist were talking about where we had eaten the night prior and my mom commented that we had eaten at T. Cook's. She asked my mom what she had for dinner and my mom told her the duck. She asked her if she enjoyed it and my mom said yes, but that it had been a little dry. They went on to discuss other things and my mom didn't think anything of the conversation. When we all got back to the room, we received a call from the front desk advising us that the duck was going to be removed from bill!! What a surprise, especially when it's not expected. It's things like this that make you feel like you are a guest that is truly cared about.

All in all, the Royal Palms is the nicest place I have ever stayed. It is not really for children and it's not for the die hard partier looking for night life entertainment. It's definitely better suited for the romantics or those looking to de-stress and be pampered. It's going to be hard staying anywhere else after my time at the Royal Palms!!

WOW! What a treat to stay at this hotel. From the moment you drive up the gorgeous driveway - you are in a special place. I was amazed at the level of staff consideration- and none of it seemed fake or "I'm doing this because they pay me". They offer activites for guests on the property and received excellent care and service on both of the ones we attended. And the spa! Best massage of my life (and I get them regularly) and I didn't want to leave the steam room. Just absolutely fantastic - my favorite weekend getaway location by far!