Hii!! Today I wanted to break down our trip the other weekend to Scottsdale, Arizona. It was AMAZING! I seriously loved Scottsdale… it’s such a fun and vibrant place. It was perfect for an anniversary trip but I can also see how it’s a blast for girls trips, bachelorettes, etc. It was extremely nice to visit in December too… our days were in the 70’s and so lovely. Way different than last years anni trip!
Josh and I started taking a trip each anniversary because travel has always been so important to us. It’s worth every penny to disconnect, be together, and experience a new place. Last year we went to Park City, Utah (insanely beautiful) and this year we did Scottsdale. Can’t wait to see wait year 3 will be!
Stay: The Scott Resort & Spa
I REALLY wanted to stay here and experience this gorgeous place! I always see it on bachelorette trips and it looks amazing. It was pricier than we usually spend a night on a hotel but I figured it was worth it. It was absolutely gorgeous when you walk in, the entire property is so pretty and the pool is amazing.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I’d stay there again, especially for the price. There was no valet, no one to help with bags, they don’t clean the room everyday (every other day), and I didn’t find any of the front staff or bar staff to be very helpful or nice. I felt like every time I asked a question it was a hassle for anyone. The rooms were really cute but the style was very glorified motel to me. Again, I kinda knew the style but I guess I just expected more for the price and resort fees every night. Just my honest opinion!
Eat:
Okay we ate at some AMAZING spots. All of the food we had was soooo delicious I was over stuffed every night haha.
- The Mission – GET the churros. Some of the best I’ve ever had! Both of our meals and drinks were truly amazing. We went to the Old town location because that’s the original and apparently the best one!
- Francine– Went for brunch but heard dinner was also amazing! Such a cute and glam spot serving French food. The bloody mary I had was DELICIOUS.
- Toca Madera– I tried booking dinner here (number one rec) 2 weeks out but they were completely booked! A must next time I go. We did get to pop in twice on Sunday for drinks and I’m so happy we did. The Ghost Rider margarita was delicious and they light it on fire so it makes a fun experience. The energy and atmosphere here was probably one of the best!
- AZ/88– This place was SO fun and such a vibe. We went for pre-dinner drinks and apps. They don’t do reservations so be prepared to wait a bit. Perfect cocktail spot and they’re known for their martinis!
- Fat Ox– My friend Jess recommended almost all of these spots to me but we met up with her and her husband here and it was incredibly good. Wine was fantastic, their espresso martini’s looked delicious, and our food was SO good. Proportions were a little small FYI tho I needed two meals lol.
- Schmooze– Went for coffee/ breakfast here! Really interesting place…. outside is lovely and then inside gives club vibes to me haha. My Cappuccino and egg sandwich were super yummy and Josh LOVED the burrito he got.
- Diego Pops– Another spot I’ve seen on so many friends trips here. I really wished we had gone for drinks and pre dinner apps instead of just a late dinner. We were so tired from our hike but it was still good! Not my favorite but I really don’t think we ordered the right things nor were in the best moods.
- The Canal Club– We never went to their actual restaurant portion but the bar is such a vibe along with the pool area. They serve the same kinda food/drinks and it was great. We ordered the Spanish chorizo pizza AT LEAST 3 times over the weekend it was greasy and amazing.
I seriously recommend booking reservations (especially dinners) 3-4 weeks out. There were quite a few places at the top of my list I couldn’t get reservations for. A couple of our dinners were REALLY late too because that was all that was left 2 weeks out.
Do:
- Hike– We hiked Camelback Mountain and holy cow I was NOT prepared for it. It was more of a CLIMB than a hike haha. But it was absolutely incredible and I recommend it to anyone!
- Spa– The Scott has an adorably quaint spa called La Vidorra and it was an amazing experience. We did 50 min couples massages and it was pure bliss!
- Winter: Ice Skating– I wish we had time to go over here but I received a DM about ice skating at the Four Seasons Princess Hotel and I’m sad we didn’t make it over there. Looked amazing!
- Pool– I mean I feel like you can be at the pool year round in Scottsdale but it was a TREAT for us to be in the pool and lounge around it in December
Other:
More recs I received but didn’t have time for
- Brunch: Olive & Ivy
- Dinner: Maple & Ash
- Hike black diamond peak
- Brunch: Hash Kitchen
- Coffee: Four till Four
We will absolutely be back in the future! So many more restaurants and places to hit. Highly recommend!
I’m glad you guys had a great time here! You’ll definitely have to come back to go to Hash Kitchen and Olive & Ivy. My mom’s coming for Christmas, and I had to explain to her we need to book reservations out here far in advance, unlike where she lives, where they can pop in the day of, haha!
It was sooo much fun!! Those are going to be at the top of my list next time we visit to eat at! Hope y’all have an amazing Christmas together xoxo