Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what really struck me about the Andaz Scottsdale when I first pulled up? It doesn’t try to be another cookie-cutter desert resort with fake adobe walls and touristy cacti everywhere. This place actually gets modern Scottsdale right – it’s sleek and sophisticated but still feels like it belongs in the Sonoran Desert, not like someone dropped a Miami hotel in the middle of Arizona.

The location on North Scottsdale Road is honestly perfect if you want to experience the real Scottsdale vibe. You’re close enough to Old Town’s nightlife (maybe a 10-minute ride) but far enough north that you’re not dealing with all the bachelor party chaos on weekend nights. I mean, you can still hear some distant music from the nearby restaurants on Thursday evenings, but it’s more ambient than annoying. The resort itself is designed around these individual bungalows – and I was skeptical at first because “bungalow” can mean anything from a fancy tent to a tiny cabin – but these are actually spacious, private spaces that feel more like staying in a friend’s really nice guest house than a hotel room. The spa is where this place really shines though. I’ve done the whole Scottsdale spa circuit (you kind of have to when you live here), and the treatments here use indigenous ingredients that actually make sense rather than just throwing “desert sage” into everything for the sake of it.

What I love most is how they handle the little details that matter when you’re actually staying somewhere for more than one night. The pool area never feels overcrowded because they’ve designed multiple spaces rather than cramming everyone around one giant pool. Parking is straightforward – none of that valet-only nonsense that some resorts pull. And honestly, the staff seems to actually know the area, which sounds basic but you’d be surprised how many places hire people who can’t tell you where to find decent Mexican food that isn’t in a resort. The on-site restaurants are solid, but if you want my advice, grab breakfast there then venture out for dinner – you’re perfectly positioned to hit some of Scottsdale’s best spots without fighting downtown traffic. The 8.9 rating makes sense to me because while everything here is genuinely high-quality, it’s not trying so hard to be luxurious that it becomes stuffy or pretentious. It’s just a really well-executed resort that happens to be in one of the best parts of Scottsdale.