Scottsdale Travel Guide

SCOTTSDALE TRAVEL GUIDE

WHY VISIT

Scottsdale is such a fun destination. Whether you’re going for a girl’s or guys weekend or as a couple’s trip, there is so much to do & see. The weather throughout the year is really nice & warm & lucky for us it was unseasonably cool during our stay, so it wasn’t too hot yet. If you’re a golfer there are a ton of great places to golf, but we wanted to visit for a weekend getaway to relax by the pool, & eat + drink.

Dress // Sandals // Scarf

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Andaz Resort & Bungalows & we were obsessed. As soon as we started planning our trip to Scottsdale I knew I wanted to stay here. We absolutely love hotels with amenities where you don’t actually have to leave if you don’t want to. This is 100% one of those properties. Although it’s actually pretty big, it has a boutique feel, which we love.

The rooms & bungalows at the Andaz all feel like you’re own private place. They are incredibly spacious and so nice. The shower alone in our room was bigger than our entire ensuite bathroom at home! One feature we loved about the rooms is that they have a ton of actually free snacks for you inside. From the bedside taffy (I could not stop eating this) to water & chips, they had a variety of things inside your room which is so conveinant. We ate on site each day & absolutely loved all of the food.

The best part of the property is probably the pool. It’s so fun with a DJ & staff waiting on you all day. The drinks from the Turquoise Pool Bar are so delicious! We loved the Diamond Back Fizz the most. At night outside the bar/pool they had live music including a folk/blues type duo that we loved listening to. They also had a blow up movie screen & played Top Gun with pop corn & snacks one night! That was SO much fun to do after an early dinner & now I am obsessed with the idea of getting an outdoor screen & projector to replicate this at home.

The entire staff at the Andaz paid such close attention to detail so you feel totally taken care of the entire time you are there. Anything we needed from transportation to towels was taken care of with a smile. We also loved the gym on site (we actually worked out one day on our trip.. so proud) & the spa. The spa is so gorgeous & is a must visit! It has it’s own pool that you can relax at with the most gorgeous mountain view.

If you are visiting this summer, you can get the Andaz Summer Package with code XTRA2 which I highly recommend. We did this during our stay & are so glad that we did. It includes breakfast for two each day either in your room or in the Weft & Warp Kitchen, four cocktails per day, and 25% off spa treatments at the Palo Verde Spa on site.

Dress (Maxi version) // Bag

Dress // Sandals // Hair Clip // Bag

WHERE TO EAT

Where we ate:

• Weft & Warp Kitchen: We ate here every day, because it was located in our hotel & it is delicious. I was obsessed with the avocado toast because it had lemon preserves on it. They also had so many good snacks throughout the day you could get, too.
• Elements @ Sanctuary:  The view here was absolutely gorgeous & the food was so good that we ate until it hurt… really! We loved the shrimp & lobster dumplings & the sticky rice. I really don’t think you could go wrong! It’s perfect for a nice, quiet dinner out.
• Olive & Ivy: This is a very popular restaurant for lunch or dinner. It’s Mediterranean style food & everything we tried was really good. We went for lunch & shared a few things to take a break from the pool. It seemed to be a great restaurant for groups, too.
• Citizen Public House: We went here for Charles’s birthday dinner & were obsessed. This was probably our favorite meal of the trip. We had the best salad ever (the Original Chopped Salad) that I will 100% be recreating at home. The mac & cheese + a peanut butter & chocolate cake we had for dessert were also to die for. SUCH an amazing meal.
• Ocean 44: This is a beautiful restaurant with delicious seafood that is flown in fresh daily. The service here is some of the best we’ve ever had. They even called the next day to ask about our experience! This is a great nice date night or special occasion spot for any seafood (or steak) lovers.
• The Montauk: A precious little brunch or casual dinner spot serving up typical Hampton’s style fare. I got a lobster roll with fries that was so delicious! The atmosphere is fun & lively, too.

On our list for next time:

• Breakfast Club: An always popular little breakfast or brunch spot located in Old Town.
• Butterfield’s Pancake House: A cute breakfast spot. The Mexicana Omelette is said to be delicious.
• Deseo: This restaurant is located in the Westin Hotel & is known for their high end Nuevo Latino style food.
• Franco’s: Down-to-earth authentic Italian food.
• Grassroots: An adorable American restaurant that focuses on natural, fresh, local ingredients.
• The Henry: We now have one in Dallas, but this is an always popular & delicious choice in Scottsdale that is great for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
• Jade Bar: Located at the Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain, this is a great more relaxed, but still nice alternative to Elements if you still want to go & check out the view + get some drinks & food.
• Prado: This raved about Spanish restaurant is located in the Omni & is known for their tapas.
• Roaring Fork: Bold American wood-fired cooking in a modern Western ambiance.
• Sumo Maya: A stylish, fun choice for seasonal Mexican-Asian fusion cuisine.
• Talavera: This steak restaurant at the Four Seasons serves up delicious food & great views.
• Virtu: Intimate eatery at the Bespoke Inn for Mediterranean-influenced seasonal fare plus craft cocktails.

WHAT TO DO

• Golf: Scottsdale is known for it’s golf courses, so if you’re a fan, this is a perfect place to show off your swing. From resorts to courses, there are tons of options!
• Pool: We spent most of our time poolside & absolutely loved the vibe at The Andaz. The W Hotel is also noted to have a fun pool scene if you wan’t more of a clubby party!
• Spa: Visiting Scottsdale is a perfect excuse to enjoy a spa day. There are a ton of great spa options. We utilized & loved the Palo Verde Spa on site at our hotel.
• Hiking: Hiking up Camelback is not only a great way to get in some physical activity, but it’s a great way to take in the view of Scottsdale.
• Old Town: You can’t go wrong with restaurant & bar hopping in Old Town, which is a fun & lively area of Scottsdale. Tons of the restaurants I recommended are located here.
• Shopping: Fashion Square has a ton of great options & there are a ton of fun boutiques all around town. One must visit is Amy, Inc. on the Waterfront.
• Casino: Because why not?! Hit up the casino & test your luck gambling. I did hear it’s smoke filled, so we opted out of going because your girl hates cigarettes.
• Taliesin West: Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter retreat & studio.

TRAVEL TIPS

• Per usual, make reservations if you can. Not everywhere accepted them, but most did & places fill up fast.
• Consider the time of year that you visit. It gets very, very hot in the summer out there so I’d recommend visiting in the winter or early spring.
• Old Town is easily walkable, but there are also street-legal golf carts with LED lights & sound systems that you can take around. The drivers usually work for tips!

I hope that my guide helps you when planning your next trip to Scottsdale! We had so much fun & absolutely loved our relaxing long weekend in the sun. We can’t wait to visit again one day, soon. Be sure to check out my Scottsdale Outfit Recap for inspo on what to wear in Scottsdale. It will be up later this week! 

If you’re planning other trips be sure to check out all of my travel guides for cities like NYC, Chicago, Santa Fe, & Miami. I also have several International guides including Paris, Positano, & more. I absolutely love sharing my travel recommendations with you all & love when you tag me in things you do from my recs during your trips!

Thank you to Andaz Scottsdale for hosting us during our stay. As always, all opinions are my own.