What it is

A ginormous 65 acre resort with 750 eye-popping guest rooms, six pools and a beach, one of the best spas in the nation, four glam restaurants, and a bottomless activities list.

What it isn't

Playing poorly. Among the many amenities here are a golf concierge and golf shop, plus preferred course partnerships with four courses, including Grayhawk and TPC Scottsdale.

What we think

The jewel in the crown of Scottsdale is as dazzling as ever. Where else but here can you indulge in six cinematic pools, fish the lagoon, and treat yourself to a Sisley-Paris spa treatment—all before lunch? Each and every guest room option here (and there are many) is a calming respite, with roomy floor plans, walk in showers with Le Labo toiletries, outdoor patios and expansive glass sliding doors that let daylight flow. We find it’s worth booking a Fairmont Gold-level room for ultra-doting service, including gratis spa access, VIP check-in, comped breakfasts, appetizers and snacks in the lounge….the list goes on. Among the resort’s many amenities, did we mention the 9,000 square foot powdery sand beach? This is living.

You're here because

You’re bringing the fam, and kids are treated like very very VIPs. There’s a Kids Club with everything from s’mores to gold hunts, an arcade center, and tot-themed menus.

The Moment

The spa here is like nothing you’ve ever seen, tricked out with a eucalyptus aromatherapy room, Swiss shower, Swedish dry sauna, grotto waterfall pool, cold plunge pool, and so much more. But it’s the Sisley-Paris treatments you’ll be back for again and again—including gemstone massages and black rose facials. Bliss.

Restaurants & Bars

Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar - A blend of South America with Chinese-Peruvian influences in this restaurant by chef Richard Sandoval

La Hacienda - Offers traditional upscale Mexican fare infused with innovation

Ironwood American Kitchen - Casual, bistro-style restaurant focusing on the season's freshest flavors

Bourbon Steak - Contemporary American steakhouse

Location

North Scottsdale, a 15 minute drive from Taliesin West—a.k.a. Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1937 winter home, now open for tours—and 25 minute drive from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.