Royal Palms Resort & Spa
Arcadia
COST: $$$$
From the moment you pull onto the circular stone drive and step through the big, rustic wooden door into the lobby with its fireplace, you’ll think you’ve entered a Mediterranean villa. The best-known creation of Fred and Jennifer Unger is a celebration in detail, from the carefully preserved tile frescoes to the furnishings from all over the world. Rooms fare just as well, with fresh white duvets and wrought-iron touches; many guest rooms also include their own fireplace and terrace. The hotel features the two-level open-air Alvadora Spa at Royal Palms, which offers an array of Mediterranean-inspired treatments throughout its 10 rooms. Be sure to check out the Watsu pool, set in a private garden terrace with an “8-foot grotto waterfall shower.”
Tip: The resort employs a “Director of Romance” to fulfill special requests, including chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne in your room, a multicourse dinner in award-winning restaurant T. Cook’s, and beyond.
Room to Book: Ask for a casita with a beehive fireplace; area designers individually decorated most of them.
As Featured In...
From Travel + Leisure, Jun 2006
“As the romance concierge at the Royal Palms in Scottsdale says (in what could easily be the credo for the entire profession), 'Sometimes I put the ring right on top of the crème brûlée.'...” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Apr 2003
“The Royal Palms is far more lush than the desert is supposed to be. These towering palms weren't trucked in yesterday, and you might walk through a fine old orange orchard on the way to your room....” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Feb 2003
“Love is big business at Phoenix's favorite Spanish colonial-style hotel—so big, in fact, that it requires a professional's help. Enter Paul Xanthopoulos, a self-proclaimed descendant of Eros and on-staff director of romance. His credits include more than 200 engagement proposals, 1,000 anniversary parties, and numerous acts of encouragement. Have him arrange a dinner table in a private garden, or a path of rose petals leading to a couples' treatment room in the new spa....” MORE>>
From the T+L 500
Contemporary Mediterranean-style 1929 estate between downtown Phoenix and Scottsdale.
- Stats:
- 119 rooms; 2 restaurants; 1 bar.
- Competitive Edge:
- With gardens and antiques galore, the area's most romantic hotel.
- Rooms to Book:
- 2nd-floor Montavista Terraces have balconies and views of Camelback.
- Don't Miss:
- The fabulous chocolate-hazelnut parfait at T. Cook's.
lastArticle = 6/2006 and lastAward = 01/2008
