The 21 Best Luxury Hotels in Phoenix

In Phoenix the pool is part of the day the way a café is elsewhere: between the resorts lie water parks, sandy beaches and quiet pools with mountain views. If you book a 5-star hotel in Phoenix with children, look for slides and zero-entry areas; couples tend to look for adults-only retreats.JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort · Desert ViewFor families: At the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort, the AquaRidge water park has the Canyon Creek lazy river and three slides; at night a waterfall at the Wildfire pool glows in firelight. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has six heated pools, including Sunset Beach with sand from Florida and the Sonoran Splash with two 200-foot slides. At the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, ten pools, a sand beach and a three-story waterslide spread across a water playground of about 2.5 acres.

Calm with a view: The infinity pool at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort Scottsdale looks out over Paradise Valley; from Friday to Sunday it is reserved for guests 16 and over, while families use two other pools. At The Phoenician Scottsdale, the Mother-of-Pearl pool lies on the lower level of the pool complex, its floor laid with mother-of-pearl tiles from Italy; up top waits a 197-foot slide. Guests of The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician also have their own infinity pool, open around the clock.

History and scene: The Arizona Biltmore Phoenix has seven pools, heated in winter and cooled to 82–84 °F in summer; the historic Catalina Pool is said to have been Marilyn Monroe's favorite. At the OH Pool of the Hotel Valley Ho a DJ spins, while the OHasis Pool under the palms is quieter. The W Scottsdale keeps its 21+ WET Deck above the porte cochère, chilled in summer and with pool parties on weekends.

Above the rooftops: City hotels among the luxury hotels in Phoenix have pools too. Downtown, the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix has its pool on a third-floor roof terrace, with cabanas and the Eden Rooftop Bar. The Camby Phoenix has a rooftop pool with views of the mountains and the sunset, served Thursday through Sunday by the Wade Poolside Bar.

Big spas with rooftop pools: The Well & Being Spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is inspired by Havasupai in the Grand Canyon, with a waterfall grotto, a rooftop pool and a Sisley-Paris Spa; access from age 18. At The Phoenician Scottsdale, the spa spreads over three floors with 24 treatment rooms, a couples suite and a rooftop pool for spa guests only.Fairmont Scottsdale PrincessQuiet on the mountain: At the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort Scottsdale, the spa has twelve indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a Zen meditation garden and a reflection pond; the signature treatments are Asian-inspired. The Alvadora Spa at the Royal Palms Resort Phoenix works with Vichy showers and botanical ingredients, there are outdoor waterfall showers, and on weekends there is complimentary yoga in the Alegria Garden.

At no extra cost: you pay the same rate as booking direct with the hotel – the suitespot benefits come on top, free of charge.

Herbs and traditions of the desert: Several luxury hotels in Phoenix bring the desert into the spa. Aji Spa at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass bases its treatments on the healing traditions of the Pima and Maricopa. At the Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort you blend your own essential oil, then head to the eucalyptus steam room and the hydrotherapy pools. At the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, Spa Avania has 19 treatment rooms and a Himalayan salt room.

Prices start at 131 € at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix downtown and go up to 953 € at The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician. On Camelback Road, The Camby Phoenix starts at 156 € and the Royal Palms Resort Phoenix at 240 €. In Old Town Scottsdale the Hotel Valley Ho begins at 147 €, and the big resorts in the north range from 206 € at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort to 309 € at The Westin Kierland Resort Scottsdale. The table shows all 21 luxury hotels by location; you'll find live rates and availability in the hotel list below.

What's included: At 13 of the 21 hotels, daily breakfast for two is included, served as a buffet at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort. The other eight give a breakfast credit for up to two people, from 25 US dollars at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown to 80 US dollars at the W Scottsdale. An upgrade subject to availability comes on top at 20 hotels, at the Hotel Valley Ho even at the time of booking.

Hotel credit is added at 14 hotels, usually 100 US dollars; at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort Scottsdale it is 125, at the W Scottsdale 50 US dollars for food and drinks. At the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess the credit applies to dinner or the spa. At the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort the benefits apply from two nights, and at the Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale suite bookings of two nights or more get an extra benefit.Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix · DowntownPoints and status are earned with Marriott Bonvoy at eleven of the 21 luxury hotels in Phoenix, for example at The Phoenician Scottsdale, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. World of Hyatt applies at the Royal Palms Resort Phoenix, the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort and the Andaz Scottsdale Resort, I Prefer at The Global Ambassador Phoenix and the Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale. At the Arizona Biltmore Phoenix you earn double Hilton Honors points, plus ALL (Accor) at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and IHG One Rewards at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.

The best time to go: A 5-star hotel in Phoenix is worth it in every season. From winter to spring the days are mild, ideal for golf and hikes on Camelback Mountain; February brings the WM Phoenix Open, March baseball's Spring Training. Summer belongs to the pools and spas, early mornings to the trails, and at the W Scottsdale and the Arizona Biltmore Phoenix the pools are even cooled. In fall you sit outside again long into the evening.

How long to stay: If you are booking a 5-star hotel in Phoenix for the first time, plan four nights: two on Camelback Road or in Old Town Scottsdale for restaurants and galleries, two at a resort with pool, spa and golf. For a weekend, it is better to stay in one place.