Scottsdale Blog

Art Gib asked:


If you want to vacation in “Sun Valley,” finding a place to stay will not be a problem. There are over 70 resorts and hotels in Scottsdale, AZ and many of them have earned AAA Five Diamond ratings. In addition to warm weather, western culture, beautiful views and premier golf courses, guests can enjoy heated pools and fine dining at almost every Scottsdale resort.

A lot of people enjoy staying right on the resort during their vacation to read, swim and relax, but for those with a more restless personality golfing, hiking, biking, shopping and other forms of recreation are all close by. There are several parks and trails throughout Scottsdale where both visitors and residents can enjoy playgrounds, sports fields, picnic areas and fitness centers. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is also close by and is home to a lot of different stores because it is one of the twenty largest malls in the country.

If you want to experience a little bit of Southwestern culture, you’ll be happy to know that Scottsdale has also been called “The West’s Most Western Town.” Although commercial activity and development have replaced many of the city’s ranches and horse corrals, a taste of the western culture is still maintained by the architecture and decor in the area and by events like the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, the PRCA Rodeo and the Jaycees Parada del Sol.

Scottsdale draws tourists from all over the world because of its luxury resorts and world championship golf courses. Unfortunately, with the international reputation as an upscale tourist destination come upscale prices. Nightly rates at an upscale resort can range from $300 - $700 dollars for rooms and $1,000 - $6,000 for suites. So, having giant water slides and private plunge pools right outside your door is not that cheap.

In addition to prices, location is another factor to consider when you conduct a search for the Scottsdale resort of your choice because each area has a unique environment. For example, if you are hoping for a somewhat secluded and quiet vacation you may want to consider researching resorts on Camelback Mountain instead of the hotels and resorts that are located right next to the shops and restaurants in the Old Town section of Scottsdale.

Where you stay will influence the experience you have during your vacation, but as long as you have a well-defined agenda and budget, you should be able to find the right lodging during your stay in Scottsdale, AZ.



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Naveen Marasinghe asked:


 

The Scottsdale Fashion Square is one of Arizona’s top tourist destinations, and the Southwest’s distinctive address for premier shopping. It is Arizona’s largest shopping mall located in the heart of the country’s fast-growing metropolitan area, on the corner of Scottsdale Road and Camelback Road in Scottsdale.

 

It is spread over 2 million square feet (180,000 sq m) of retail space and is one of the 30 largest malls in the country. In terms of profitability, it beats the national average by clocking sales of nearly $740 per square foot. Since 2002, it has been owned by Westcor. The Scottsdale Fashion square today, is a name extended beyond the mall to include the Scottsdale Waterfront and Southbridge.

 

This exclusive shoppers’ destination started out in 1961 as an open-air, three-storied structure with two local Phoenix outlets as its anchor stores, the Goldwater’s department store and the AJ Bayless supermarket. Its biggest competitor was the Los Arcos mall, a fully enclosed one built in 1969 in Scottsdale. Its success led to its expansion in 1974 on the west side, and the addition of Diamond’s, a department store on the northern side.

 

Further, 1977 saw the opening of Camelview Plaza, a competing fully enclosed mall, on the other side of North 70th street, west of Scottsdale fashion Square. This plaza housed the exclusive Los Angeles department store Bullock’s and Houston’s Sakowitz, and also a Harkins Camelview theatre.

 

The competition among these big malls continued till 1982 after Scottsdale Fashion Square was bought by Westcor, and the owners built a double storied retail bridge to connect the malls across North 70th Street. The shuttle service was discontinued, the street was sunk and a new four lane North Goldwater Boulevard came in its place. The malls also underwent major renovations to become what they are today.

 

Today, Scottsdale fashion Square has some top-end tenants, a high-end clientèle for the most elite brands that are available only here in Arizona. This gives it an edge over close rival Biltmore Fashion Park situated six miles away to the west. Anchor stores here include Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, the largest Dillard’s store and Barney’s New York, opening in fall 2009.

 

There are plenty of Scottsdale hotels located around the shopping mall and you can enjoy a memorable stay there after an exhausting day of shopping and sightseeing.



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