“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain
One of the questions I’m asked the most is: “How do you find the time to travel so often?” This quote above helps to explain my perpetual urgency to travel: Few of us know how much time we have on this Earth, and I’m ever fearful of waking up one day and lamenting a failure to squeeze every ounce of experience out of my life.
The other message I take from this quote is that you need not travel far to experience the discovery and joy of travel. So, to ensure that my lovely wife didn’t leave me due to an unhealthy relationship with the airport, I decided to look close to home for a visit to a luxury hotel.
In this instance, I thought it time that I visit the highly regarded Hotel Valley Ho, located in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. The Hotel Valley Ho is independently owned and is a member of the prestigious Preferred Hotels & Resorts Collection, which allows you to accumulate and redeem awards through the iPrefer program.
Click Here to view the location on Google Maps.
Accommodations
Perhaps the most attractive and interesting aspect of The Hotel Valley Ho is its varied accommodation options.
The property includes an impressive 241 guest rooms and suites, featuring mid-century-meets-modern design, terrazzo tile bathrooms, 49″/55” flat-screen HD TVs, morning bars with complimentary coffee, and complimentary basic Internet access. Guests can choose from 105 modern Signature Guest Rooms, 11 Cabana Guest Rooms with double-size patios overlooking the OH Pool, 21 spacious and open Studio Guest Rooms, 40 Pool View Guest Rooms with views of the OH Pool or OHasis Pool, 4 Terrace Suites with spacious balconies, and 2 Executive Suites with bold design and wrap-around balconies.
We were most fortunate to experience one of the newly reimagined two-story Tower Suites, and it was one of the most luxurious suites I have enjoyed anywhere in the world. The suite – awash in shimmering steel and glass – featured a staggering four balconies, full kitchen, spacious and contemporary bath area, and supreme comfort. Here are some images of the superb suite:
Dining
The Hotel Valley Ho offers a signature dining experience at Zuzu, inventively helmed by Chef Charles Wiley. Zuzu is the heartbeat of the property, its stylish and elegant space stretching across much of the property’s main structure. Guests may enjoy one of many Zuzu Potions at the Lounge, or a quick snack or full meal in the Zuzu Dining Room.
We first enjoyed a flavorful dinner (Click Here to view the Dinner Menu), and I adored the variety of sumptuous offerings, ranging from an Asian BBQ Salmon, to a textured Beef Stroganoff, which is what I quite enjoyed. Here are some images of our dining experience:
We also enjoyed a lovely brunch, punctuated by an impressively provisioned Bloody Mary bar! The light that morning failed to cooperate with my camera, so here are some images of Zuzu, courtesy of the Hotel Valley Ho.
Spa
The Hotel Valley Ho features a luxury spa, the VH Spa for Vitality + Health. The VH Spa includes a variety of unique and inspired treatments, including a very cool “Jet Set Crowd” selection of treatments. Click Here to view the entire VH Spa Menu. I love the Spa Deck for relaxing pre or post treatment.
I had the fortune of enjoying the Rock + Roll Massage, which includes heated basalt and Guasha stones, and warmed birch sticks rolled and eased over your body. Yes, it’s every bit as awesome as it sounds. A special thank you to Erin!
Water
Perhaps the most popular and quintessentially-Scottsdale feature of the property are its pools. The OH Pool is the main attraction, casting a dramatic shape across the heart of the property – complete with cabanas, full-service bar and kitchen. If you have a yearning for cold cocktails, and some of the best people-watching you can imagine, the OH Pool will not disappoint.
For a more tranquil aquatic experience, the Ohasis Pool elegantly splits the two northern collections of accommodations.
Here are a few images of the pools, along with a few images, courtesy of the Hotel Valley Ho:
History
In a city where buildings in excess of ten years old qualify as historic, the Hotel Valley Ho is suffused with a rich history. The influx of “Snowbirds” to Scottsdale in the 1950’s, prompted the construction of the hotel, and word spread quickly that the hotel was the place to be, and to be seen.
In 1957, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood held their private wedding reception in the hotel’s ballroom. Wagner’s parents had been regular guests at the hotel and thought the pair should be married away from the glare of Hollywood. Other notable guests included Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Tony Curtis, and Janet Leigh.
Here are some super-cool vintage images, courtesy of the Hotel Valley Ho:
Closing Thoughts
It’s interesting. I’ve been all over the world visiting luxury properties, and the classic elegance of the Hotel Valley Ho has been under my proverbial nose this entire time. I’m unceasingly thankful to the property for welcoming me so that I could spread the word about this local jewel.
I invite you to visit the Hotel Valley Ho, and linger through its timeless spaces where screen luminaries caroused, raising toasts to the destination that offered a respite from their hectic Hollywood lives. And you’ll find that what was cool in the 50’s, is equally stylish and hip today.
A visit to the Hotel Valley Ho will also reinforce Twain’s notion that life is meant for living, exploring, and experiencing – that in your later years, you’re more likely to wish you had done more, than to lament that you did too much. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you traveled thousands of miles around the world, or 5 miles down the highway – only that you made the journey.
Hotel Valley Ho – Location and Social
Hotel Valley Ho (Website): 6850 East Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (Google Maps)
Click on the links below to further learn about and connect with the Hotel Valley Ho:
Click Here to read the reviews on Trip Advisor
More Pictures!
Thanks so very much to everyone at the Hotel Valley Ho, especially to Kristin for making this visit possible! My wife Tanya and I truly had a memorable and relaxing visit.
Please take note that the resort welcomed me as a special media guest, but that my opinions are, as always, entirely my own.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this article, and happy dining and traveling!
#agp
