Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Explore the Sonoran desert landscape in the shadow of Mummy Mountain at Scottsdale Plaza. For nearly half a century, we’ve been a special slice of Scottsdale with over 40 acres of gardens winding through five pools, tennis courts, dining and day spa, all within moments of Old Town, mountain hikes and world-class golf courses. Stay in the center of it all from our hotel guest rooms, or take over a private casita. Our variety of accommodations are perfect for family vacations, conference retreats, desert weddings and last-minute getaways alike.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas garners mixed reviews, with guests commending its prime location and the cleanliness of its premises, highlighting well-kept rooms and grounds. The property's ambiance strikes a balance between comfort and vibrant energy, despite some dated aspects. While the resort's multiple pools and shuttle service are often praised, many travelers feel the overall value is diminished by unexpected fees and lackluster amenities.
The service receives accolades for staff friendliness, but some guests note inefficiencies. Rooms generally receive criticism for their dated condition and occasional cleanliness concerns.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Relaxing
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This is a fun resort that has different areas that make gathering with friends and family convenient. The pool was very crowded with kids, but we were able to find a small pool that was only adults. The service was good, even during COVID-19. We stayed in a suite, and we appreciated the extra space, comfortable bed, refrigerator and microwave. Some of the areas of the hotel look like they have been nicely renovated, but some areas could use a refresh. I also appreciated the small details like having filtered water available next to the ice machines. Although the hotel doesn't have the scenic views of some other resorts in Scottsdale, we liked how centrally located the hotel was, and the hotel shuttle to Old Town was a plus.
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Date of stay: June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Aug 7, 2020
We are pleased to hear you felt confident traveling with us, even during this uncertain time. We are glad you were able to find a pool to enjoy with plenty of space to spread out and relax. We are also happy to hear you took advantage of our filtered water stations and kept cool during your stay. We hope to see you again on your next visit to the area.
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An old friend, I had stayed at the Scottsdale Plaza some 25 years ago and the place was spacious comfortable and attractive then. The problem now its virtually the same resort I’d stayed at 25 years ago with very few changes. Still comfortable and spacious but in need of a bit of updating. You know that original kitchen in your house you’ve lived in for 30 years. You’ve kept it clean and fresh and all the components work like the should but its just not like that new house down the street, that’s the Scottsdale Plaza. Pictures from this stay would look identical to my previous stay, if I still had them.
The grounds crew deserves an award for the stunning beauty of the landscaping that keeps the occasionally tired looking adobe design of the resort fresher than it is. The pool areas at the resort that haven’t always been the highlight of the property have a fresh maybe not new but appealing appearance especially when its 110 degrees. The room exteriors and interior seemed clean and everything in good working order. The staff who seem to be struggling a bit as are most properties with the continued presence of covid, were friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. From the front desk to housekeeping all preformed their tasks admirably. JD’s Lounge the resorts bar/lounge/restaurant was well staffed and operating smoothly, the Garden Café, their full-time dining option not so much, in fact for many meals not at all. Having to take most of our meals off site wasn’t what I anticipated when I suggested The Plaza to my wife as a relaxing getaway and not becoming a property of this size. The golf cart mounted bell people still efficiently escort you to your room which in some cases seems a half mile away from the front desk of the massive one- and two-story resort. We could tell from the number of guests or the absence of their vehicles in the surrounding parking facilities that occupancy was much lower than I had experienced in the past, another pandemic side effect.
Many of the area’s hotels have been converted to office complexes leaving the Scottsdale Plaza as one of the least expensive options in the general area. Given the sprawling properties many amenities and open exterior room entrances it has more of a resort feel compared to a hotel. A real treat once they get the rest of the facilities up and operating as advertised.
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Date of stay: September 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Lunt, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Dec 6, 2021
Rick, thank you so much for taking the time to share so much of your stay with us. The Resort completed major renovations to all public spaces including the Lobby in 2017. Since then we have continued to update all our guest rooms through 2020. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your time at The Pools. In 2020 we completed a major renovation at our main pool! You'll have to visit us again in those hot summer months to experience the water chiller. While we are always working to improve our guest experience, we are working diligently to increase our teams at JD's and Garden Court. JD's is our restaurant and lounge open for lunch and dinner while we service breakfast at Garden Court. We are sorry to hear you weren't able to enjoy your meals on property. We will share with our team. We are glad you enjoyed your stay overall and hope you will give us another opportunity to exceed your expectations in the future.
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The Scottsdale Plaza Resort was a delightful location for our 4 night get-away from Seattle. There are plenty more expensive properties in the area. This property is well worth the price (which is way less than those others!) The food at the Garden Court was delicious! We had breakfast 2x and it was perfect both times. We had chips, salsa, guacamole and a salad delivered to the pool one afternoon and it was beyond tasty! One night we stayed in and ordered 2 pizzas. More than the 2 of us could eat and very good! Prepped in a wood oven, we ordered the pepperoni and the mushroom pizzas. Seriously! Yum! We especially enjoyed the walk out your patio door, directly into the pool area. We didn't have to pack up to go to the pool. Pool was perfect temp, hot-tub divine in the evening (stars galore) and we were VERY happy with our location. Courtyard Pool...not huge, but big enough. Even on Saturday when the population was at its highest, it didn't seem crowded. 5 pools, a variety of room styles and sizes make this a great place to stay; your needs and style of chilling will be met somewhere within this really great property.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded May 20, 2021
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your relaxing stay with us. We are so glad to hear how much you enjoyed your fresh wood fired pizzas as well as breakfast and dining on property. We will be sure to share your compliments with our chef. It was a pleasure having you as our guest and we hope to see you again on your next visit from Seattle!
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We traveled with three young children and stayed in a bilevel suite for 5 nights. The room was large and very clean, but could use some updating (outdated furniture, soft beds, carpet was dirty and threadbare in spots). The walls were thin and we could hear the people next door when talking at an average volume. A few notes for those traveling with young children: - The mini fridge does not have a freezer compartment, which we needed for an ice pack for breast milk. The front desk was able to store the ice pack in their freezer, but it was still an inconvenience to drop off and pick up each time it was needed. - The wet bar sink does not have hot water, so it doesn't work for washing dishes (bottles). - There is no door on the upstairs bathroom to separate the vanity area from the bedroom. If someone is asleep in one of the beds, the light will shine directly on them.
The greatest disappointment of our stay was the main pool closure. We booked several months in advance and at that time, construction was scheduled to be completed prior to our arrival. We never received an official notification that the closure would be extended into our stay. Yes, there are 3 other pools and 2 other hot tubs on the property, but they are small and the entire resort was using these other facilities. They were PACKED on the weekend. Disappointing in normal times and definitely not comfortable during COVID.
The grounds are beautiful and well maintained, most of the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the location was great.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Mar 8, 2021
Thank you for taking the time to share about your recent stay with your family. We are sincerely sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing stay at our resort. We will have a member of our team tend to the comments you made regarding your room's wet bar. We apologize again for the delay in opening our Main Pool, unfortunately due to weather and other factors the extension was out of our control. We truly apologize for the effect it had on your stay as we know it wasn't what you were anticipating. Our main pool has now reopened and allows for much more space to spread out.
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We had a great time! The property is very well kept and the room are clean. We booked directly through their web sire and felt it was an exceptional value for what was offered at this property. We had one minor issue with a food order but the whole meal want comp'd so we felt the solution was very acceptable. The also upgraded us to a better room because it was out Anniversary but I am sure that is something that only can be done during the off season.
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Date of stay: July 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Aug 7, 2020
Congratulations on your recent anniversary. We always love when locals join us for a staycation and are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We hope to see you again at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort.
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My first and probably only work trip this year. The staff had procedures and policies in place that made you feel they were on top of things, the hotel seemed very clean. My room was clean and it was so cute, kind of modern/rustic. They do a nice job of providing a nice sized shampoo/conditioner & lotion, disinfectant wipes for you to take and use, that was thoughtful. Bed and pillows were comfy, I really enjoyed my stay.
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Date of stay: October 2020
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Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Nov 13, 2020
It is great to hear you felt confident traveling with us during this uncertain time. We appreciate you taking the time to share your recent experience and hope to see you again at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort.
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We loved our time at this resort! The pools/hot tubs are 24 hours, there’s fire pits and lounge areas everywhere and the grounds are beautiful. We visited every pool and enjoyed them all. The loungers do fill up early but the waitresses did a great job of removing towels that have been sitting with no person on site. Definitely visit the spa. The massages were a highlight of our trip. The food was awesome especially the pizza. The drinks too. The only thing we didn’t love was the breakfast food but that was minor. This was our second stay and we would definitely stay again.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded May 10, 2021
Its great to hear you had such an amazing time at The Resort and in Scottsdale. We are glad you took advantage of all 5 of our pools and spent time relaxing. We apologize for the challenge you had with finding loungers, we are happy our team was able to take care of that for you while you were here. We will be sure to pass your compliments on to our great team at The Salon & Day Spa. We look forward to your next visit.
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The resort was perfect for our family of 4 (2 young adult children). The pool was perfect and service was great. The servers are constantly working hard to make sure everyone has what they need and cleaning up the area when it's not busy. We never had any issue finding a chair at the pool. The Cactus Colada was the perfect pool drink! The weather was super hot, but there was plenty of shade and misters to help cool off. We loved the happy hour each night at JD's. Great margaritas. The front desk staff were very helpful and the entire resort was beautiful. Can't wait to return!!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Sep 23, 2020
Thank you for taking the time to share about your recent vacation. We are glad you were able to relax and recharge at the pool with your family while staying cool and enjoying the drinks! We appreciate your compliments to our staff and will be sure to pass them along. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
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We stayed at the Scottsdale Plaze Resort two different weekends in July. They are running an amazing summer special that gave us a 100.00 room credit each night towards food, drinks and spa treatments. This was a fantastic place to go during Covid to avoid crowds and socially distance from other people while being on vacation. They have amazing pools and is a great resort to walk around if you want some exercise. We ate at the restaurant on site the two nights we stayed the first weekend and the three nights we stayed there the following weekend. The food and drinks were delicious. Spacious rooms with great showers and great air conditioning. Very close to Camelback Mountain.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2020
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Jul 24, 2020
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort. It has been a pleasure having you with us this summer. We are glad to hear you have been able to take advantage of our summer escapes package and stay with us, even during this uncertain time. We are glad you were able to find plenty of space to spread out and relax. We hope to see you again soon.
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We stayed 5 nights at the Scottsdale Plaza resort. This resort is large and well priced compared to some other similar resorts in the area. It has a few restaurants and bars, lots of activities on offer, and 5 pools. Staying over the Easter weekend meant pools were crowded, but once many guests returned for their workweeks, we had no issues finding a place to lay out and relax. Just be cautious, some guests have no issue claiming your spots as their own if you leave your things unattended for even just a little bit. After a long winter (and enduring a recent record-breaking snow storm back home, accompanied by the pandemic, we really wanted a room with some nice outdoor space. We paid extra to upgrade to a king suite which included a patio space on the floorplan. When we arrived at our room, the patio space was simply two chairs and a table placed outside the front entry to our room (where we had a view of parking spaces and a garbage can). If I had known that was going to be our patio experience, I would not have paid extra for this upgrade. Plus, the property is large and has plenty of outdoor seating areas. While maybe not as fancy as some of Scottsdale's luxury resorts, this place is nice and we would recommend. We really enjoyed the shuttle service and used it daily!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2021
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sean Sachs, General Manager at Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Responded Apr 8, 2021
Thank you for sharing your Easter stay with us. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your time relaxing by the pools and enjoying the Scottsdale sunshine. We are sorry to hear you did not enjoy your King Suite, in the future we suggest maybe trying one of our other suite layouts that include patios in the back of the suite as well as balconies. We hope to see you again on your next visit to Scottsdale.
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At approximately 2,000 square feet the McDowell Casita is; two story; two bedrooms; two and a half baths; living room with fireplace; formal dining room; refrigerator; wet bar; whirlpool bath; two flat screen TVs; private patio.
There is no dishwasher but there is a sink and we are happy to help provide tableware.
There are more places to choose from in the Scottsdale area.
PRICE RANGE
$165 - $388 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
scottsdale plaza hotel paradise valley, scottsdale plaza resort
LOCATION
United StatesArizonaCentral ArizonaScottsdale
NUMBER OF ROOMS
404
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
Which popular attractions are close to Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas?
Nearby attractions include McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park (0.4 miles), JD's Lounge at The Scottsdale Plaza (0.1 miles), and Scottsdale Model Railroad Historical Society (0.4 miles).
