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Royal Palms Resort and SpavsHotel San Carlos
Both hotels are rated highly by travel writers. On balance, Royal Palms Resort and Spa scores significantly higher than Hotel San Carlos. Royal Palms Resort and Spa comes in at 97 with praise from 13 publications including Afar Magazine, The Telegraph and Forbes Travel Guide.
Royal Palms Resort and Spa
Concierge
Insight Guides
Jetsetter
Fodor's
Lonely Planet
Star Service
Gayot
Zagat
Forbes Travel Guide
Condé Nast Traveler Show All Reviews
5200 East Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018
From $322/night
- Pet Friendly
- Bar/Lounge
- Hot Tub
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Laundry Service
Concierge "Drive up the cobblestone driveway to the hacienda-style buildings, and the feeling of seclusion makes it hard to believe that the center of Scottsdale is only minutes away."
Insight Guides "The Royal Palms is especially atmospheric, with towering palms, Spanish mission-style rooms, and an open-air spa."
Jetsetter "The Sonora Desert stretches out in every direction from the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, but the property itself bears a closer resemblance to a Mediterranean mirage."
i
If you’re looking to go above and beyond, the resort employs a Director of Romance who can produce flamenco guitarists or flocks of white doves upon request.
Fodor's "This Mediterranean-style resort has a stately row of the namesake palms at its entrance, courtyards with fountains, and individually designed rooms." Full review
Lonely Planet "It's a hushed and elegant place, dotted with Spanish Colonial villas, flower-lined walkways and palms imported from Egypt." Full review
Star Service "This second-tier temptation actually sits at the top of many visitors' Top 10 lists, its small room count, deferential service and deluxe desert mien a magnet for knowledgeable travelers." Full review
i
For travelers able to avoid the latter trio and stomach the annoying resort fee, this very well may be the answer to affordable bliss in this desert destination.
Gayot "This boutique resort is so luxurious and tastefully designed that it makes you feel as if you've been dropped into the middle of an Architectural Digest photo shoot."
Zagat4.5
"Midway between Old Town Scottsdale and Biltmore Fashion Park, this "elegant", "luxurious" Arcadia hideaway with "Mediterranean styling" is "perfect" for a "romantic getaway"."
Forbes Travel Guide Recommended
"Intimate and tranquil, the Royal Palms Resort and Spa is a boutique hideaway with quiet pathways." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler ""The epitome of romance," this cruise line executive’s former summer retreat, at the base of Camelback Mountain in an area once populated by citrus groves, centers on a 1929 Spanish Revival villa." Full review
Hotel San Carlos
Rough Guide
Michelin Guide Gayot
DK Eyewitness Lonely Planet
202 North Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
From $95/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
- Restaurant
Rough Guide "To appreciate this historic very central 1920s hotel, you have to be the kind of traveller who positively prefers an old fashioned, frazzled and often noisy downtown hotel."
Michelin Guide "A yellow-brick downtown classic since 1928, the San Carlos is an historic anomaly in a region of spa resorts and golf haciendas."
Gayot "Set in the Copper Square district of downtown Phoenix, this hotel is a reminder of a different era."
DK Eyewitness "This historic hotel is full of character and charm. Despite some small rooms, it's priced right and filled with nostalgia."
Lonely Planet "A historic property in the heart of downtown Phoenix, this 1928 gem sports smallish but clean rooms, friendly staff and lots of old-school charm." Full review
