‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, Arizona

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is from Scottsdale, Arizona, at The Canyon Suites part of The Phoenician resort.

If you are into golfing, love hiking and prefer a year-round average temperature of 21°C, The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician should be put on your list.

We are currently running this reader-written feature to provide some positivity and inspiration to Head for Points.  We hope to run one review per day for the next few weeks.  There will be a deliberate mix of European and worldwide properties, super luxury and mid market, branded and independent. You can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews so far by clicking here.

Today we are going somewhere where few readers will have been.  The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician in Arizona (part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection) is reader Michael’s favourite hotel and here is his review’

Where is The Phoenician hotel?

“But it’s a dry heat”, proclaim the t-shirts in Scottsdale’s souvenir shops, as if to reassure those who question why anyone would choose this desert city in Arizona for their holiday.

And yet a year-round average temperature of 70°F (21°C), combined with very low humidity, was one of the main reasons that my wife and I first chose Scottsdale as a holiday destination more than 25 years ago and why we have returned on a regular basis ever since.

Known for its spa resorts and golf courses, Scottsdale is effectively a suburb of the state capital Phoenix. The city has an abundance of five-star hotels, with a huge choice of fine dining restaurants, a vibrant night life scene, enough shops to satisfy the most avid retail therapist and an equally wide selection of cultural attractions. What’s not to like, as they say?

Our early stays in Scottsdale were at the Phoenician, the grand dame of local hotels, popular with business travellers, conference delegates and holiday-makers alike.

The Phoenician

Nestled at the foot of Camelback Mountain, so called after its distinctive shape, the Phoenician sits among 250 acres, just 20 minutes from Phoenix and an even shorter journey from the very quaint Old Town Scottsdale.

Set on six floors, it has 557 rooms, 28 suites and 40 meeting rooms, Facilities include a stunning pool complex, a recently refurbished spa and athletic club and an 18-hole golf course whose lush greens and fairways belie its Sonoran Desert surroundings.

The Canyon Suites

Tucked away on the edge of the property is the much smaller jewel in the resort’s crown, the Canyon Suites.  This is a 60-room boutique hotel which has access to all of the Phoenician’s facilities, but which provides a secluded oasis, away from all the hustle and bustle of its larger parent.

Since discovering this gem some years ago we have enjoyed many memorable stays there, making it our favourite resort in that part of the world.

The Canyon Suites is completely self-contained, with its own reception and underground parking.  It also has its own infinity pool, surrounded on one side by private cabanas, each with shower, W.C., sitting area, lounge chairs, Wi-Fi, and other amenities.  Poolside lunch and beverage service is provided by the nearby Canyon Grill.

While Canyon Suites guests are free to use the main hotel’s extensive dining facilities – some of which are among the best Scottsdale has to offer – the Canyon Lounge provides indoor and outdoor seating for a complimentary ‘artisan’ breakfast, served buffet style. Later each day the Canyon Suites lobby lays on a regionally-themed wine happy hour hosted by a sommelier.

Service

So far so luxury boutique hotel. What makes the Canyon Suites at The Phoenician so special, though, is the minute attention to detail and the emphasis on service, service, service.

In part this is undoubtedly down to the hotel’s apparently low employee turnover. Year after year we have been welcomed back by the same courtesy car driver, always on standby to take you to the nearby Fashion Square shopping mall, and by the charming Ben, the pool attendant, who never fails to ask about the family while making sure that the jug of iced water by your side is regularly replenished so that you remain hydrated in the desert climate.  Small details but they all add up.

The hotel offers what it calls Ambassador services.  For example when you make your reservation you will be contacted by an ambassador to confirm (or help plan) your arrangements for spa, golf, cabana rental and other recreational activities.

This personalized attention to all of your travel needs, including airport transfers, restaurant reservations, printing of boarding passes and so on all make for a completely stress-free experience.

This emphasis on a stress-free stay even extends to when you’re asleep. As part of what the Canyon Suites calls its signature activities, and in addition to the now fairly commonplace pillow menu, the hotel offers a ‘sweet night serenity bar’, a selection of uniquely scented bath salts and soaks, said to promote a better night’s sleep and relieve muscle pain. The magic salts are available each evening in the hotel lobby.

Rooms at The Canyon Suites

Canyon Suites rooms are extremely spacious and very luxurious without being remotely ‘flashy’. The décor makes full use of muted colours to blend in with the local desert surroundings. Beds are beyond comfortable and if my wife has enough closet space, you just know that there’s been no skimping in that area either.

The views are to die for, whether your room looks out on the pool and Camelback Mountain or the golf course, where wild rabbits seem to do what rabbits do, multiplying in number exponentially each time we return.

For the more adventurous and energetic there are guided Camelback Mountain hikes and complimentary bike rentals.  Golf cart tours of the property are available for those like me whose hiking days are long past and who prefer a more sedate form of transportation.

Another attraction, which never fails to enthral, no matter how many times I’ve experienced it, is the hotel’s two-acre cactus garden.  This features 250 varieties of cacti, all in beautiful condition. A fitting attraction in this southwestern region of the USA.

Even as I write this review I can’t wait for our next visit. The Canyon Suites only drawback? Leaving.

Booking

The website of the Canyon Suites is here if you want to find out more.

If you book via Bon Vivant, the Head for Points luxury hotel booking partner, you will receive special extra benefits as they are a Marriott ‘preferred partner’.  The benefits are:

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (December 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Huge 80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)