Enough with the rain already!  Head to Arizona for Spring Training

The Scottsdale Resort & Athletic Club is a family-owned and operated resort that is casual, friendly and relaxed.  Perfect place to stay while enjoying Spring Training games, golf with friends and the 85-degree weather.

Each villa boasts almost 1,000 square feet of space with separate master bedroom, fully appointed kitchen, washer/dryer and private patio or balcony. Beautiful pool and hot tub only a stone throw away from the room.  (My friends’ son proved this on our trip!)

It is located next door to the Scottsdale Athletic Club providing guests with access to the fitness center, all classes, 11 championship tennis courts and the OC Seven Restaurant.

Location and details

Located 9.4 miles from Sky Harbor Airport, the Club is located in the heart of Scottsdale’s resort district with easy access to the 101 Freeway. Rent a car since Scottsdale is a large city and is spread out.  Conveniently located close to shopping, restaurants the ballparks & recreation.

Accommodations range from standard guest rooms to one, two and three bedroom villas.  The hotel also has deluxe villas and a three bedroom presidential villa.  This is a great place for a large group or several families.

Highlights of staying here

All of the space!  No more trying to figure out how you can make the closet a bedroom for your children!  Fully equipped kitchens make meals easier but room service also available.

Meeting by the pool after a full day of Giants baseball was ideal.  Close to everything but also a perfect retreat if you just want a quiet day by the pool.

If the adults are lucky enough to get out alone head to Rancho Pinot – hands down the best restaurant in town.  The Pink Pony Restaurant, Scottsdale’s oldest restaurant, is open again after an extensive renovation. Service was exceptional, great food, kid’s menu and great people watching.

The original owner and mayor of Scottsdale brought spring training to Scottsdale so don’t miss the original home plate and all of the memorabilia.  Catch a game at Salt River Fields! A new, state of the art facility where the Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies practice, has cat walks over the batting cages.  American Junkie where you can run into the Giants players.

Good to Know

A quick stop at the market will help – pick up some laundry detergent so you can pack light.  Room service available plus complimentary continental breakfast included.  In an effort to be environmentally friendly the hotel only uses liquid soap – so if you prefer bar soap put that on the list.

Written by Mari Chazen

Property
Set in the Sonoran Desert, The Fairmont Scottsdale is richly landscaped with cactus, foliage, and flowers. The resort even provides guests with trail maps to help them identify the almost countless variety of plants. The property features five pools, including the Sonoran Splash, which has kid favorites like zero depth entry, a basketball hoop, and two long water slides. Other recreation activities include fishing in a stocked lagoon, tennis, basketball, and fitness center. There’s a kids club, available seven days a week, which is free to all families staying overnight, and a hangout just for teens, with, TV, internet, and XBOX games.

Location
The surrounding Sonoran Desert provides unique recreation opportunities. Take a hot air balloon ride and see the landscape from a different perspective. Get close (but not too close) to cacti by hiking the trails on nearby Camelback Mountain. Visit one of the ranches and ride a horse through the desert. Scottsdale is also home to some of the most highly rated golf courses in the country. Or visit Scottsdale’s next door neighbor, Phoenix, and try out the Arizona Science Center or the Phoenix Zoo.

Sleeps
2-5.

Highlights
The innovative National Geographic Explorers Camp for kids. National Geographic celebrity scientists work with kids and teach them about their specialties. When we visited, Dr. Brady Barr, host of Dangerous Encounters, introduced campers to an 18 foot python, an alligator, and a crocodile. Also as part of the Explorers Camp, kids get to use GPS units to solve puzzles throughout the resort, and go on “photo safaris.”

For adults, the standout feature is the Willow Stream Spa. From the rooftop pool with stunning views of the McDowell Mountains, down to the Waterfall Treatment Room, where you’re massaged by walls of water, the atmosphere is indulgent and serene. If you’ve ever wondered if you could truly relax and stop fretting about the kids, the answer is: yes. Just recline in the “Inhalation Room,” and breathe in the relaxing aroma of Eucalyptus. Or treat yourself to one of the over 40 spa treatments, including Arizona Aromatherapy Facial and a Desert Moonlight Massage. You get the idea.

Good to know
If you’ve never been in Arizona before the two most important things to have on hand are water and sunscreen. We were there in June and the locals were crowing about how we came at such a great time, because it was unseasonably cool. It was 95 degrees.

Contact
http://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale

Written by Jody Mace