Last year, if you had told us that our new favorite weekend getaway location would be in the middle of the desert, we would have probably laughed out loud. Arizona has never really been on the top of our travel list and yet, when we found ourselves in desperate need to get away and just relax, Scottsdale kept popping up in our search results. On a whim, we decided to test it out and boy, are we happy we did! We were so pleasantly surprised at how awesome this little desert town is that we find ourselves daydreaming of the place A LOT.
We booked last minute trip after seeing a killer deal at The Saguaro Hotel on Guilt Travel, which ended up being the perfect base for our Scottsdale adventures. One of the greatest parts was how easy it was for us to get there. Usually, flights out of our local airport are super expensive but this direct flight was amazingly affordable! We left at 6:00 am, took a quick 1.5-hour plane ride, grabbed a taxi from Phoenix, checked into our hotel, and were at brunch sipping mimosas by 9:30 am!!! Both of these deals made it perfect for our spontaneous trip to Arizona. We have put together our favorite places to eat, drink, stay and play.
xxx Ivy & Eve
Stay
The Saguaro Scottsdale- $$-$$$ This hotel screams fun! With bright colors everywhere you look, it's impossible not to be in a good mood. We chose to stay here because of its central location, super fun vibe, and great price! This hotel was the perfect place for our weekend getaway. We definitely recommend this place for a girls weekend or bachelorette party (Eve actually planned one of her friends bachelorette weekends there last fall!). We found this hotel on one of our favorite travel sites Guilt Travel. We wouldn't recommend this hotel for someone looking for a very quiet relaxing weekend since there were quite a lot of screaming girls (in bachelorette parties) but if you are visiting Scottsdale with friends it's ideal. The hotel offers bikes you can take for a spin, two pools, and a spa facility where you can choose from a number of treatments.
TIP: It obviously get REALLY hot in Scottsdale in the summer and come July monsoon season hits and lasts until the end of August where you'll get torrential rainstorms out of the blue. these storms don't last long though so it isn't too bad if you don't mind getting a little wet. We recommend going End of September-June for the best weather. June gets HOT (100+) though so be warned!
Eat
Diego Pops- $$ This trendy Mexican restaurant is located in downtown Scottsdale. Their menu includes the typical tacos, and burritos you'd expect but it also includes a few poke bowl options. And if your not hungry just their drinks are worth a visit. The menu features a variety of tropical cocktails, a tequila flight or even a fun snow cone margarita!
Saguaro Restaurant- $$ Located at The Saguaro Hotel this was the perfect place to grab breakfast or lunch before or after our pool time. they also have a smaller poolside menu with similar options for lunch. We loved their guacamole, nachos, and street tacos alongside a pitcher of frosé!
Arcadia Farms- $$$ Located in old town Scottsdale this classic brunch place is perfect for any girls weekend. This was our first stop on the trip and helped get us into vacation mode. (All the mimosas we consumed may have helped.) We also recommend heading next door to the Arcadia Farms Marketplace. This is an awesome place to grab food to go or purchase some fun gifts!
The Montauk- $$$ This place was amazing! With lots of fresh food options, it was the perfect lunch spot to sit under the misters and enjoy the hot Arizona weather. We loved their frozé and a refreshing rose cocktail. Eve went back for brunch and can tell you it is equally good then!
The Original ChopShop- $ We grabbed a quick breakfast here early one morning before wandering around old town Scottsdale. With the slogan "just feel good food" this place was the perfect place to fuel up before a day of pursuing shops and laying by the pool. For the morning menu, they specialize in superfruit bowls and parfaits that look good and taste great, along with fresh juices and some tasty breakfast sandwiches.
Prado- $$$-$$$$ This restaurant is located in the Omni Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley which is a little ways outside of Old Town (10-minute taxi). We enjoyed a leisurely dinner of Spanish wines and many tapas-style dishes on the patio and enjoyed the sunset views of Camelback Mountain.
We brought Mom along for this fun weekend!
