Hilton Sedona Cascades Pool

Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa is excited to announce the completion of its comprehensive $4.2 million renovation that included spa improvements, guest suite upgrades and enhanced meeting environments.

“During the past couple of years the resort has undergone extensive renovations that enhanced guest suites, meeting spaces and our world class spa,” said Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa General Manager, Edgar Lozoya.

Last fall Hilton Sedona Spa, a 25,000 square foot wellness center, completed interior and exterior upgrades, including new steam and sauna rooms, and modern pool area enhancements. The spa’s 25-meter outdoor lap pool was re-plastered and retiled, while its surrounding decking was resurfaced. The pool area was further updated with new umbrellas, lounge chairs and Sedona-inspired paint to both energize and relax guests.

Keeping luxury at the forefront of the renovation, each of the 219 guest suites received modern décor accents, large plasma flat screen televisions in both the sleeping room and living areas. Guest suite bathrooms were also improved with granite top vanities and curved shower rods.

And now, you can see the results of the renovation on the Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa’s newly renovated website, www.hiltonsedona.com. Featuring vibrant photos that capture the resort’s upscale amenities and Sedona’s majestic beauty, the new website will allure first-time guests and remind returning visitors of pleasant red-rock memories.

Lozoya added, “Often times our website serves as our guests’ first introduction to the resort, so it’s only fitting that the renovations be reflected in our Web presence.”

Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa is only 90 minutes north of Phoenix, at the gateway to world-famous red rock country along Arizona’s first designated All American Road, the Red Rock Scenic Byway. Guest accommodations feature two-room suites with separate living rooms and private patios or balconies, with breathtaking views of Sedona’s majestic red rocks or the Sedona Golf Resort.

Want to know where you can find a hotel offering this delightful warm weather activity? Here’s our comprehensive list of Phoenix area resorts showing dive-in movies this summer:

Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Area:

Arizona Biltmore Resort – click for details and hotel reservations
Open to Families. Floating tubes provided.
Saturday nights at 8 p.m. (weather permitting)

JW Marriott at Desert Ridge – click for details and hotel reservations
Complimentary for Resort Guests Only.
Saturday nights. Sunset (weather permitting)

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort – click for details and hotel reservations
The Hole-in-the-Wall River Ranch
Friday nights. Kids Pre-Show Activities at 7:45 p.m., Movie at 8 p.m. (weather permitting)

Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resortclick for details and hotel reservations
The Grotto Pool
Saturday nights. Kids Pre-Show Activities at 7:15 p.m., Movie at dusk. (weather permitting)

Arizona Grand Resort – click for details and hotel reservations
Oasis Water Park
Friday and Saturday nights. Resort Guests Only. Sunset. (weather permitting)

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort – click for details and hotel reservations
Sonoran Splash Pool
Friday and Saturday nights. Resort Guests Only. Sunset. (weather permitting)

Your summer vacation by the pool could go horribly, horribly wrong.

But it doesn’t have to.
Arizona Travel is your resort swimming pool guide. We’ve collected the best-of-the-best in Arizona hotel and resort swimming pools, and there’s something for everyone. From family-friendly resorts catering to moms and dads with little ones, to those with an adults-only, pool-party-after-dark kind of scene. We’ve included resorts where bigger (or more) is better, offering several “zones” to cater to all visitors, and a few where a smaller size translates to exclusivity and privacy.

Tip: Don’t automatically assume the “resort” distinction means big bucks for a room. Arizona resorts are well-known for dropping their summer rates from $300/night way down to $89 – $199. Locals are hip to the smokin’ hot rates… visitors should get in on the deals, too, and follow the links below to book a stay at an otherwise budget-busting accommodation!

Here’s our list of the 9 best resort hotel swimming pools in Arizona.

1) The Phoenician Resort – Scottsdale The Phoenician is home to the classic Arizona resort hotel swimming pool. The Phoenician Resort’s pool fulfills fantasies of festively striped cabanas and perfectly folded striped beach towels to match. Nestled in the shadows of Camelback Mountain, this exclusive resort’s pool is open to guests only and features nine sparkling pools located throughout the resort grounds. Aquatic highlights include their signature serenity mother-of-pearl tiled pool, cascading waterfalls, the secluded Desert Spa and a 165-foot twisting waterslide. Private cabanas may be reserved for the ultimate in poolside luxury.

2) The Hotel Valley Ho – Scottsdale The hotel is a classic in mid-century design and lighthearted ambiance. Originally a hideaway for Hollywood’s elite, this downtown Scottsdale urban resort once again features rooms with all-glass walls opening onto airy patios. The hotel’s pool features music and massage in private cabanas, and the poolside Oh Pool Bar + Cabanas. Perfect for those looking for a retro-throwback that caters to an adult crowd, the Hotel Valley Ho’s pool heats up when the sun goes down. The after-dark party scene is well-known throughout the Valley, so put on your bikini and high heels and get ready to party from day ’til nearly dawn.

3) Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain – Paradise Valley Guests enjoy Arizona’s largest infinity-edge swimming pool and a separate 25-yard outdoor lap pool in the shadows of Camelback Mountain. Chosen for this list for its unique design and unforgettable views, the resort pool at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain is romantic, intimate and a great location for celeb-spotting; Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn and Britney Spears have all stayed at this magnificent boutique hideaway. So don’t forget your big movie-star shades… someone just might mistake you for a famous sun-worshiper while you take in the Sonoran desert rays,

4) Arizona Grand Resort – Phoenix This luxury resort (locals may recognize it as the former Pointe South Mountain Resort) features Oasis Water Park, one of the largest water parks in the nation that was voted in the Top 10 by the Travel Channel. Perfect for families, it features an eight-story high tower with three thrilling water slides; a gigantic Wave Pool; relaxing river tubing; Wild Cat Springs for kids; and a 25-person hot tub. Oasis Water Park is for resort guests only, so it isn’t overrun by locals and other outside thrillseekers. The newly renovated, AAA Four-Diamond rated Arizona Grand Resort features over-sized, family-friendly suites, too – another good reason this resort is making waves.

5) Canyon Villa Bed & Breakfast Inn – Sedona Chosen for our list of favorites because of its million-dollar views, quiet, romantic and intimate location, and eco-friendly design, the pool at the Canyon Villa Bed & Breakfast Inn of Sedona wins three gold medals. Canyon Villa’s pool is a great place to relax and enjoy your stay…with the added plus of a red rock panorama of Courthouse Butte & Bell Rock. Located within the Inn’s compound, it’s maintained for the sole use of guests of Canyon Villa and not shared with any other lodging facility. Last, their swimming pool is seasonally heated with energy saving solar panels.

6) Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort – Tucson Desert Springs Oasis, the Tucson water park located at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort, is the ultimate in southern Arizona destination for your family vacation. Their brand -new 143-foot “Sliderock” waterslide is perfect for enjoying sunny Tucson weather and the fun continues with “dive-in movies,” live entertainment, games and a kid’s camp. If your family includes “guppies” who aren’t ready for the waterpark, they can splash and swim in their own custom area. Parents will love sitting poolside, sipping the resort’s signature prickly-pear margaritas and playing the renowned 45-holes over three golf courses and 31 tennis courts.

7) JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort – Phoenix The JW Marriott Desert Ridge fits the bill in the “something-for-everyone” category. It’s sheer size – 4 acres of shimmering waterways – and a plethora of activities, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa offers endless choices when you want to be cool. Glide through their crystal blue swimming pools, relax in whirlpools or float down the spectacular Lazy River. Arizona Travel recommends those looking for a quiet, adults only day book a spa treatment and spending the morning or afternoon next to the Revive Spa pool, complete with private cabanas that can be reserved, butler-passed icy-cold hand towels and full poolside food & beverage service.

8 ) Luna Vista Bed & Breakfast – Verde Valley You will delight in this rural luxury bed and breakfast country inn; it’s an oasis retreat on Beaver Creek between Camp Verde and Sedona, Arizona surrounded by breathtaking nature, wildlife, ancient ruins and captivating history. We at Arizona Travel love the pool at Luna Vista because it’s remote location and resort-size make it the ultimate in privacy and romance and has uninterrupted views of the rustic beauty of the Verde Valley.

9) Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort – Phoenix The last of our “waterpark” picks, the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort’s Hole-in-the-Wall River Ranch made our list because of its various kids’ activities and the resort’s unique offering of one and two-bedroom casitas that sleep up to six adults. The pools at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak make a splash with guests of all ages. Four acres of shimmering pools and cascading waterfalls are just the beginning of an unforgettable resort experience. Spend the day floating around the Lazy River or visit Kid’s Koncierge for the opportunity to learn about, and sign up for, all the wonderful kid-style amenities available at the resort. For a true Western experience, check out Tombstone, the resort’s Old West theme town. Book special summer rates online.

The rooms have been redesigned to rival any upscale resort with appointments like natural stone floors, granite countertops, solid wood contemporary furnishings, and comfortable leather chairs. The 600 thread-count Egyptian cotton linens will offer you a wonderful night’s sleep. If your travels take you to Northern Arizona or the Grand Canyon, check out the new Rodeway Inn & Suites/Downtowner on Route 66 in Williams, Arizona.

Anyway, while the idea of a “resort lifestyle community” isn’t new to me since I write about that on a regular basis on our travel sites, Sedona.net, Prescott.com, Flagstaff.com and ScottsdalePhoenix.net, it did make me remember an interesting article I read recently. If my parents, who are still quite active in their newly entered 60s, were to move to a retirement lifestyle community, resort amenities would certainly be on their list of wants/needs.

Read the article:

FindArticles – Resort lifestyle becoming key ingredient in baby boomer communities
Source: Public Record, The, May 22, 2007

Elements Spa at Amara, ,a 4,000-square-foot facility under construction at Sedona’s boutique Amara Creekside Resort, aims to try.

When completed in November, the $2 million project will become one of only five in the U.S. to offer treatments and products from Elemis, a London-based company known for upscale aromatherapy products and holistic spa therapies.

More than a purveyor of potions, Elemis offers a treatment program chosen by more than 400 spas in the United Kingdom and the largest cruise lines.

Elemis professionals will train the staff in an intensive program that includes classes, homework and a pass-fail grade. About 20 resort employees are enrolled, including aestheticians, massage therapists and front desk and concierge staff.

“We’re really excited; it’s going to be a great thing for Arizona and Sedona,” said Amara’s spa director, Melissa Siet, a former spa owner with more than 20 years of experience as an aesthetician and makeup artist “The whole Elemis philosophy makes it different.”

With spas in Miami, Las Vegas and Uncasville, Conn., Elemis can distinguish the resort by offering guests in-demand, hard-to-get products, she said.

“When you come out of a (typical) facial, you might buy some product but you can go home and find the same thing around the corner,” she said. “When you leave here, you really can’t find the Elemis.”
Consistency also distinguishes the program, Siet said. Treatments are ritualistic, so different people coming in for the same one, such as the Moorish Ceremony of Dreams or the Time for Two couples treatment, will get equal pampering.

The facility, which will be open to the public as well as guests, will include six treatment rooms, manicure and pedicure areas, weight-training facilities and a pre- and post-therapy lounge.

Both spa and resort were designed by New York architect Michael Leclere, who developed the resort with Scottsdale attorney Al Spector, a developer of the Scottsdale Princess Resort, and Canadian investor Jack Gechman.

The spa construction is a final step in completion of the 100-room property, which has been open since August 2003.

Information from Arizona Republic, September 26, 2006

Fleeing to Sedona for some heat and art

Following weeks of spring rain in California, we decided to go to Sedona, Ariz., to warm up at the Casa Sedona Bed and Breakfast Inn. The lovely 16-room inn was designed by a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright.

We stayed in the Trickster’s Den, a whimsical, art-filled room created by Robert Shields, the former San Francisco mime. It featured a fireplace, a whirlpool tub for two and a private patio overlooking lush gardens and an outdoor hot tub. We also had a view of the monumental red-rock formations that surround Sedona and glow in amazing colors at sunset.

Breakfasts served in the garden were delicious (quiche verde, poached pears, banana pecan French toast), and hors d’oeuvres were available every afternoon. The inn charges $180 to $295 per night.

Contact: Casa Sedona Bed & Breakfast Inn, 55 Hozoni Drive, Sedona AZ 86336. (800) 525-3756, www.casasedona.com.

We bought $20 day passes for the nearby Sedona Spa at Los Abrigados Resort, where we swam in the large pool where you float effortlessly in its saltwater (no chlorine). The Spa also offers a full gym and a wide range of treatments.

Contact: Sedona Spa, 160 Portal Lane, Sedona, AZ 86336. (928) 282-1777.

We also made a day trip west to the ghost town-turned-art colony of Jerome (founded 1876). We felt as if we were back in the 19th century as we rode into the hills in a horse-drawn carriage and learned about local history from our amusing driver, cowboy poet Wyoming Bob.

The Sedona area also features jeep tours, nearby Native American ruins, art galleries and plenty of opportunities for mountain biking and hiking.

Deborah Dallinger -Lafayette, CA

Check out sedona.net for information on where to stay and what to do in Sedona, Arizona.