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The top 10 resorts in Arizona.

Historic landmarks beneath Camelback Mountain, desert retreats among the boulders of north Scottsdale and two that are worth the drive - ten Arizona resorts, with the drive time from Phoenix for each.

Updated October 2026 · 5 min read

Arizona has been a resort state for well over a century. Castle Hot Springs opened in 1896, the Arizona Biltmore in 1929 and Camelback Inn in 1936, and the Valley of the Sun has been adding desert retreats ever since - from casitas at the foot of Camelback Mountain to villas tucked among granite boulders in the north.

Most of the resorts below are in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, within an hour of Sky Harbor. Two are farther out and worth the trip. Each has the drive time from central Phoenix and what sets it apart.

01 · Arizona resorts

Phoenix and Scottsdale

Arizona Biltmore resort exterior

Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts

Biltmore district, PhoenixAbout 15 min from Phoenix

Phoenix's grand old resort opened in 1929, designed by Albert Chase McArthur with Frank Lloyd Wright consulting, and its patterned "Biltmore Block" concrete gives it a look all its own. Gardens and pools fill the grounds, the Tierra Luna Spa is on site and two golf courses sit next door. Long a Waldorf Astoria, it joined Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts in 2024.

Local tip: Sky Harbor is about 20 minutes away, which makes the Biltmore an easy first or last night of a trip.

Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Camelback corridor, PhoenixAbout 20 min from Phoenix

Royal Palms began as a 1929 winter home built for New York financier Delos Cooke, opened as a hotel in 1948 and has grown into an intimate resort of casitas and villas in Spanish Colonial Revival style. Its gardens and courtyards sit at the base of Camelback Mountain, with the Alvadora Spa and T. Cook's restaurant on site. It is part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

Local tip: Old Town Scottsdale is a short drive east, close enough for dinner and back without a second thought about parking.

The Phoenician resort Scottsdale

The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort

Camelback Mountain, ScottsdaleAbout 20 min from Phoenix

Opened in 1988 at the base of Camelback Mountain, The Phoenician is a full-scale resort with tiered pools, including the Mother-of-Pearl Pool, The Phoenician Spa and an 18-hole golf course by Phil Smith. The Canyon Suites, a smaller hotel within the resort with its own lobby and pool, offers a quieter stay. The grounds also take in the adobe Jokake Inn, built in 1926.

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

North ScottsdaleAbout 35 min from Phoenix

Opened in 1987, the Princess spreads Mexican colonial-style buildings, fountained plazas and lagoons across 65 acres of north Scottsdale desert, with the Well & Being Spa on site. TPC Scottsdale, home of the WM Phoenix Open, is right next door. Each holiday season the resort hosts Christmas at the Princess, a long-running holiday festival.

Local tip: Traffic around the resort is heavy during WM Phoenix Open week in early February, so allow extra time for airport runs and dinners out.

02 · Arizona resorts

Paradise Valley and the north Valley

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain resort

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney's Resort & Spa

Paradise ValleyAbout 25 min from Phoenix

Casitas, suites and mountainside villas climb the north slope of Camelback Mountain here, looking out over Paradise Valley toward Mummy Mountain. The property began as a tennis club in the 1950s and later became John Gardiner's Tennis Ranch, and tennis and pickleball are still part of a stay. Today it adds an infinity pool, a full spa and valley views from Elements restaurant and jade bar.

Local tip: Old Town Scottsdale is about 15 minutes away, close enough for dinner and a night out without anyone having to drive back up the mountain.

JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn

JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa

Paradise ValleyAbout 25 min from Phoenix

Camelback Inn opened in 1936 and in 1967 became the first resort Marriott ever owned. It keeps the feel of an old desert inn, with pueblo-style casitas spread over 125 acres at the foot of Mummy Mountain, looking across to Camelback. The Spa at Camelback Inn reopened in 2026 after a major renovation, and the resort has 36 holes of golf.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

Pinnacle Peak, north ScottsdaleAbout 45 min from Phoenix

Set in the foothills of Pinnacle Peak, on land that was a family ranch in the 1930s, the Four Seasons is a low-rise resort of casita-style rooms and suites, many with patios and some with private plunge pools. The two courses of Troon North Golf Club are next door, and the trail at Pinnacle Peak Park is a short walk away.

Local tip: North Scottsdale is spread out. Booking a driver by the hour makes an evening in Old Town, about 35 minutes south, an easy plan.

Boulders Resort Carefree Arizona

Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale, Curio Collection by Hilton

CarefreeAbout 45 min from Phoenix

Guest rooms and private villas sit among granite boulder formations some 12 million years old, on 1,300 acres of desert foothills in Carefree. The resort has two Jay Morrish-designed golf courses at the Boulders Club and a 33,000-square-foot spa, and rock climbing is among the activities on site.

03 · Arizona resorts

Worth the drive

Castle Hot Springs resort Arizona

Castle Hot Springs

Bradshaw Mountains, near MorristownAbout 1.25 hours from Phoenix

Arizona's first wellness resort opened in 1896 around natural hot springs in the desert northwest of Phoenix, hosted the Rockefellers and a young John F. Kennedy, and reopened in 2019 after decades closed. Guests stay in bungalows and cabins, soak in the spring-fed pools, eat from the resort's own farm and can climb its via ferrata course. It is for adults only, and only overnight guests are admitted.

Local tip: The last seven miles of Castle Hot Springs Road are unpaved. An Escalade or Yukon XL takes the dirt in comfort, and there are no day visits, so plan it as a transfer rather than a day trip.

Enchantment Resort Sedona pool

Enchantment Resort

Boynton Canyon, SedonaAbout 2 hours from Phoenix

Enchantment sits deep in Boynton Canyon, with casitas and suites set against the red rock walls and hiking straight out from the resort. Mii amo, its destination spa, opened next door in 2001, and Enchantment guests can book its treatments and dine there. It suits a Sedona stay built around hiking and the spa.

Local tip: The drive up can be part of the trip. Our Sedona day trip guide has the route and the stops worth making on the way.

Good to know

When to go

Resort season in the Valley runs from about October to April, when days are warm and dry and the pools and patios are at their best. January to April is the busiest stretch, with spring training, the WM Phoenix Open and the big events of the Scottsdale calendar, so book early. Summer brings heat well over 100 degrees and quieter resorts - plan outdoor time for early morning, and expect monsoon storms from July to September. Sedona, at around 4,500 feet, is cooler than Phoenix all year.

Good to know

Choosing an area

  • Camelback Mountain and Paradise Valley. The Biltmore, Royal Palms, The Phoenician, Sanctuary and Camelback Inn are about 15 to 25 minutes from Sky Harbor and close to the restaurants of Old Town Scottsdale.
  • North Scottsdale and Carefree. The Princess, the Four Seasons and the Boulders trade quick city access for open desert, golf and hiking, about 35 to 50 minutes from the airport.
  • Beyond the Valley. Castle Hot Springs and Enchantment are destinations in themselves. Plan to arrive, stay put and let the place do its work.

Getting there

Resort stays, chauffeured.

We meet guests at Sky Harbor for the transfer to any resort on this list, and can be booked by the hour once you are there - dinner in Old Town, a spa day across town, a round of golf or a day trip to Sedona. Escalades and Yukon XLs suit couples and families, a Sprinter seats up to 14, and the stretch limousine and party bus are there for celebrations.

Good to know

Questions visitors ask

What is the oldest resort in Arizona?

Castle Hot Springs, northwest of Phoenix, opened in 1896 and bills itself as Arizona's first wellness resort. It closed after a fire in 1976 and reopened in 2019. In the Valley, the Arizona Biltmore dates from 1929 and Camelback Inn from 1936.

Is it better to stay in Phoenix or Scottsdale?

Most of the best-known resorts are in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and the Camelback corridor of Phoenix, which sit side by side. Stay near Camelback Mountain for quick access to the airport and Old Town Scottsdale, or in north Scottsdale for desert scenery and golf.

How far are Scottsdale resorts from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport?

Resorts around Camelback Mountain and in Paradise Valley are about 15 to 25 minutes from Sky Harbor. Resorts in north Scottsdale and Carefree are about 35 to 50 minutes away, depending on traffic.

When is the best time to stay at an Arizona resort?

October to April has the best weather in Phoenix and Scottsdale, with January to April the busiest stretch. Summer is very hot but quieter, and Sedona is cooler than the Valley all year.

Can you visit Castle Hot Springs for the day?

No. Castle Hot Springs is open to registered overnight guests only, and it is an adults-only resort.

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