After spending a few nights at Miraval Arizona, we decided to spend a couple of nights at the 210-room Four Seasons Scottsdale prior to returning home.
Let me be perfectly honest — prior to this stay, the Scottsdale property was probably the Four Seasons in the United States that was least on my radar. As someone who never spent much time in the area, I kind of wondered why anyone would vacation at a luxury hotel in the Phoenix area, unless they’re big golfers.
Having now visited, though, I have a completely different take. For one, I love the setting of Scottsdale as such. I’m a huge fan of desert terrain and hiking, and you’re also in close proximity to so many cool destinations, like Sedona. Ford and I are both talking about how Arizona is now near the top of our list of places we may want to move one day (which I wouldn’t have thought prior to visiting).
Beyond that, the Four Seasons is a top notch hotel. Is it as iconic as the Four Seasons George V or Four Seasons Surf Club? No, of course not. But it’s an awesome hotel with an ideal setting, beautiful rooms, great dining, and friendly service. Best of all, getting here is easy, as Phoenix is accessible nonstop from so many places.
It’s also a great destination when other places don’t have great weather. For example, November can be a tricky month for finding a good vacation destination. Personally I loved how it was quite cold in the mornings, and then warm enough to sit by the pool during the day.
Booking the Four Seasons Scottsdale
For our dates in mid-November, the nightly rate for a base room at the Four Seasons Scottsdale was around $800. It goes without saying that the luxury hotel market has been hot since the start of the pandemic, and rates reflect that.
The best way to book any Four Seasons hotel is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. When booking through Preferred Partner, you pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- A hotel credit to use during your stay
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, including advance purchase rates, free night offers, and more. Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Why?
- With Preferred Partner you have the option of room service breakfast in place of restaurant breakfast
- Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade can be significant)
- You can combine Preferred Partner perks with virtually any rate on Four Seasons’ website (other programs don’t allow you to stack promotions in the same way)
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Ford is happy to help book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected]
In the interest of full disclosure, Ford books a lot of people at Four Seasons properties, and got a travel agent rate for our stay. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Four Seasons Scottsdale location
The Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North has an idyllic setting, with amazing hiking and scenery all around the property.
The hotel is about a 30-minute drive from downtown Scottsdale, and roughly 40 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). If you ask me, the fact that this hotel is a nonstop flight from just about anywhere in the United States is a pretty awesome feature.
Four Seasons Scottsdale lobby & check-in
The Four Seasons Scottsdale has a great sense of place, with a contemporary southwestern design. The property’s rooms are spread out over 25 separate casita buildings, each with only two to three floors. The entire property is connected by beautiful paths. While the hotel first opened in 1999, it underwent a renovation just before the pandemic.
As we pulled up to the hotel we were immediately welcomed by one of the bellmen, and escorted to check-in. The hotel offers complimentary self parking, or alternatively valet parking is available for $35 per night.
There was a nice sitting area outside the lobby, plus fruit infused water and sunscreen.
Once inside the lobby, reception was to the left, while the concierge desk was to the right.
The lobby has a large sitting area with cozy couches and chairs, as well as a fireplace. I love the floor-to-ceiling windows, as there are some great views from here. The lobby also has plenty of outdoor seating, including fire pits.
The lawns outside the lobby are beautifully manicured, and there are lots of nice paths you can walk around.
Our check-in process was efficient, and within a few minutes we were driven to our room in a golf cart.
Four Seasons Scottsdale Kiva Plunge Pool Suite
We were assigned room 1601, a Kiva Plunge Pool Suite. For the building we were staying in, this accommodation was located on the ground floor on the very left.
The suite we were assigned had 1,000 square feet of interior space. Inside the entrance was the bathroom to the right, and then the living room straight ahead.
The living room featured a huge couch (which can also turn into a bed), a chair with an ottoman, a wall-mounted TV, and a fireplace. I love rooms with fireplaces, so I’m instantly happy any time I see one of those.
There was a lovely welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of champagne and a cheese plate waiting on the living room table.
The minibar was back toward the entrance, and had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle, bottled water, and all kinds of food & drinks for purchase.
The second bathroom was back near the entrance, and was especially impressive — this was a full bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower. This is a great suite for families, since the living room could be a very comfortable place to sleep (and given the fireplace there, I was almost tempted to sleep in the living room!).
The bedroom was separated from the living room by a door. It had a signature Four Seasons king bed, which I consider to be the best hotel bed out there.
The bedroom also had a table with two chairs, as well as a TV.
The main bathroom was off the bedroom, and had double sinks, a toilet, a soaking tub, and both an indoor and outdoor shower.
Toiletries were in individual bottles, and were from L’Occitane.
The room also had an awesome outdoor space. Off the living room was a couch with a TV (it’s not often you see that outdoors!), a fireplace, and a swinging chair.
Then off the bedroom was a plunge pool with two lounging chairs, plus a dining table with two chairs.
Wi-Fi in the room was fast and free, and housekeeping was provided twice daily.
Four Seasons Scottsdale pools
The Four Seasons Scottsdale has an impressive pool setup — the pools are heated year-round, and are kept between 80 and 85 degrees. The hotel has a 6,000 square foot resort style pool, with a pretty unbeatable backdrop.
There’s also plenty of seating around the pool, so I can’t imagine it ever gets tough to find a lounge chair.
There’s then a second pool one level down, which is intended for adults. It’s a bit smaller, but still very nice.
There’s also a pool specifically for kids.
Lastly, there’s a huge hot tub.
As is standard at Four Seasons properties, there was complimentary sunscreen and other amenities at the pool.
There were also several cabanas that could be rented.
Four Seasons Scottsdale gym & tennis courts
The Four Seasons Scottsdale gym is located one level below reception, and can be accessed 24/7. Four Seasons properties generally have exceptional gyms — I’d say this one was good, though it wasn’t quite as over-the-top as some of the other Four Seasons gyms I’ve seen, like at the Four Seasons Los Cabos Costa Palmas.
The Four Seasons also has two tennis courts, for those who play.
Four Seasons Scottsdale spa & salon
The Four Seasons Scottsdale’s spa is located next to the gym, and offers a wide variety of treatments. You can find the treatment menu here.
The spa has locker rooms, 14 treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms, a relaxation room, and even a beauty salon.
Hiking from the Four Seasons Scottsdale
You can’t beat the nature surrounding the Four Seasons, and that there’s a hiking path directly from the hotel to Pinnacle Peak Park. Think of it like Scottsdale’s equivalent of Runyon Canyon. We enjoyed doing this hike three times during our stay.
Four Seasons Scottsdale Proof Restaurant
Four Seasons Scottsdale has a few dining outlets, all of which we found to be excellent. Proof is the property’s all-day dining restaurant, serving American comfort classics. The restaurant is in its own building, and has a casual vibe, with both plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.
We had breakfast here both mornings, which is served from 7AM until 11AM. As a reminder, if you book through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, you can enjoy complimentary breakfast either in the restaurant or via in-room dining. You can find the breakfast menu here. Both the cappuccino and cold brew were excellent.
The first morning we had the avocado toast and the BYO omelet, and then we also shared the peach lavender parfait.
The other morning we had the chilaquiles and the egg white frittata.
We also had dinner here one evening, and you can find the dinner menu here. The cocktails were excellent, including the dirty martini and old fashioned.
To eat, we ordered the chopped salad with chicken, plus the burger without bacon. They gladly split both dishes into two, which was a nice touch.
Not only was the food very good, but the sunset views from here were spectacular.
Four Seasons Scottsdale Talavera Restaurant
Talavera is the Four Seasons Scottsdale’s signature restaurant. It’s open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays from 5PM until 9PM, and is described as a modern Spanish steakhouse. You can find the dinner menu here. It’s located just off the lobby, and has a charming indoor dining room, plus a terrace.
To start, we shared the cured tuna mojama, which was outstanding.
Then for our mains, I ordered the signature paella without pork, while Ford had the beef tenderloin. Then we shared a side of the carrots.
It was an all-around great meal, with delicious food and friendly service.
Four Seasons Scottsdale Onyx Bar & Lounge
Onyx Bar & Lounge is the Four Seasons’ bar, located between the lobby and Talavera Restaurant. It’s open daily from 5PM until 10PM, and you can find the menu here. We didn’t have any cocktails here, but it seemed to be pretty lively.
The other great thing is that in the mornings there’s a complimentary coffee and tea setup here. As someone who loves coffee, I really appreciate how Four Seasons properties consistently offer this. This was one of the best selections I’ve seen as well, between the muffins, plus the variety of syrup options.
Four Seasons Scottsdale Saguaro Blossom Restaurant
Saguaro Blossom is the Four Seasons’ outdoor, poolside restaurant, open daily from 11AM until 5PM. You can find the menu here. There’s plenty of seating at the restaurant as such, though you can also have food brought to your lounge chairs at the pool.
We hung out here one afternoon (I love the temperature variation in Scottsdale in November, as it’s crisp in the mornings, but quite warm during the day). We ordered the chips, salsa, and guacamole, as well as the tuna tacos.
Four Seasons Scottsdale service
Service at the Four Seasons Scottsdale was excellent across the board. As I often say, Four Seasons is by far the most consistent hotel group when it comes to service, and that was true here as well.
From the bellmen, to the front office staff, to housekeeping, to the pool attendants, to the restaurant staff, everyone was not only professional, but had quite a bit of personality as well. I find Four Seasons stays to consistently be so frictionless, which I can’t say for most other hotel groups…
Bottom line
I was very pleasantly surprised by the Four Seasons Scottsdale. The hotel is easy to get to, is on a gorgeous piece of land, has friendly service, and offers great dining and amenities. If you’re looking for an easy, domestic, family friendly getaway, and if you’re a Four Seasons fan, then the Scottsdale property won’t disappoint. I especially appreciate this as a destination that has a different season than so many other places.
If you’ve stayed at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, what was your experience like?
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