I booked this resort through a timeshare exchange and didn't have high expectations, (I hate to be disappointed)! I have to say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. It is an older resort and from the exterior doesn't look like much. However, it has been very well maintained and has all the ammenities of the bigger/newer resorts.
My husband, two girls (5 and 2) and nanny stayed in the Madeira, a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo. It was one of the biggest condos I have stayed in and I would say with confidence that 5 or 6 adults could easily stay there without discomfort. Our room had a king size bed, which to us is a necessity not a luxury. The second bedroom had 2 twin beds that worked well for us...could be a problem with couples! We also had the luxury of not having anyone occupy the condo above ours, so there was absolutely no noise from adjacent condos.
Our condo had very nice furniture, newer carpet, down comforter on our bed, all the appliances a kitchen needs, a nice CD player in the living room that we used the whole time, T.V.'s in living room, and both bedrooms. The only upgrade I felt was missing and would add that extra touch is granite countertops in kitchen and bathrooms. Not a necessity, but if that's all I complain about that's pretty good.
We obviously went during the slow time because the weather was anywhere from 106-115 degrees everyday with no clouds and rarely a breeze. We were thankful the pool area was well situated and VERY kid friendly. The kiddie pool has a shade cover over it with a tiny waterfall coming out of the ceiling in the middle (nice for noise control and cooling off). We pretty much lived at the pool and with the bar and restaurant right there we never went thirsty or hungry! They have ice water sitting out at all times and you can order any kind of drink that suits you, our kids lived on snow cones!
It was WAY TOO HOT to play tennis but the courts are huge! The playground was nice but also got very hot, same with the sand volleyball court. We didn't use the spa but after spending $180 a person for a massage at the Sanctuary I wish we would have!
FYI- Our favorite places in the area:
Fashion Square mall 2 blocks away, Olive and Ivy restaurant, Roka Akor (Japanese Fusion), The Yard House (sample hundreds of beers), and The Tempe Improv (about a $17 cab ride not far from the resort). We didn't do much but had a wonderful time in Scottsdale at this resort and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a quiet and relaxing vacation, also to families with small children!
