7 Best Hotels in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe

A resort in every sense of the word, Four Seasons Scottsdale is tucked in the shadows of Pinnacle Peak, near the popular hiking trail, and features large, casita-style rooms with separate sitting and sleeping areas as well as fireplaces and balconies or patios. Some suites come with telescopes and star charts. It's adjacent to two Troon North premier courses, where guests receive preferential tee times and free shuttle service. Talavera, the hotel's main restaurant, is elegant and accommodating.

While staying here, it's easy to imagine that you're relaxing at an oceanside resort instead of in the desert; shaded by towering palms and with manicured gardens and paths, the property has water everywhere—a large pool area has a beach, three-story waterslide, waterfalls, and a lagoon. The two-story lobby opens to outdoor conversation areas where fires burn in stone fireplaces on cool nights. Large rooms have balconies or patios. Three golf courses at nearby Gainey Ranch Golf Club will suit any duffer's fancy. Spa Avania soothes the soul, while kids get their kicks at Camp Hyatt.

Original artwork by Arizona artists is displayed throughout the public spaces of the Westin Kierland, and the spacious rooms have balconies or patios with views of the mountains or the resort's water park and tubing river. Kierland Commons, within walking distance, is a planned village of upscale specialty boutiques and restaurants. A leisure center specifically accommodates nonbusiness travelers. Kids can enjoy programs organized by age group.

Home of the Tournament Players Club Stadium golf course and the Phoenix Open, this resort covers 450 breathtakingly landscaped acres of desert. Well & Being, one of the top spa spots in the country, has a dramatic rooftop pool, and kids love the fishing pond. Rooms are done in a chic blend of contemporary styles, as are the Fairmont Gold hotel-within-a-hotel boutique rooms. Service is what you'd expect at a resort of this caliber: excellent and unobtrusive. It is also home to the acclaimed Bourbon Steak restaurant.

When it originally opened in 1956, this hotel was a hangout for celebrities, including Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, and Tony Curtis, but it remains a hot spot today, especially the main pool. The hotel has been restored to its former '50s fabulousness, and the rooms don't disappoint with retro furnishings and styling.

Popular with the Spring Training and bachelor/bachelorette party crowd, the Scott---both trendy and eco-friendly---is a place built for fun. Dip your toes in the sand-bottom pool, toss back a drink or two, and relax. Rooms are done in pleasing contemporary-beach decor and have crisp linens, cozy bathrobes, and brand-name bath amenities.

A taste of youthful but sophisticated elegance, this hot-spot hotel in the heart of Scottsdale's shopping and social scene caters to the wants and needs of the fashionable but fickle traveler with "Whatever/Whenever" service that provides guests with anything they want ("as long as it's legal!"). Live like a celebrity in the top-notch bars and lounges, or lie low at the posh pool or Away Spa—all things that make this a metropolitan desert oasis. If you're looking to hang your hat somewhere modern, hip, and downright fabulous, look no further.