Arizona Biltmore (Waldorf Astoria Resort)
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa At Gainey Ranch
Aloft Phoenix Airport
A bit over a week ago I took a trip to Phoenix to take advantage of some outrageously inexpensive summer resort rates, and to experience some equally outrageous dining. I’ll go through each of the hotels over the next few days, but the first night I stayed at the Arizona Biltmore, which is a Waldorf Astoria Resort.
I booked my stay through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts®, and the $99 rate included the following:
- Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
- Daily continental breakfast for two
- US$100 food and beverage credit to be used during your stay
- Noon early check-in, upon availability
- 4:00 pm guaranteed late check-out
I arrived at the resort around 5PM, and took advantage of self-parking in the nearly empty lot. The exterior was well-maintained, and the landscaping in good repair despite the 100+ degree temperatures.
Hotel exterior
Exterior and landscaping
Lobby entrance
Lobby area
Check-in area
The property was surprisingly busy, though there was no queue at check-in. I was helped promptly and informed that as a Hilton Diamond I’d been granted an additional upgrade, in addition to the Fine Hotels + Resorts® benefits. Technically Diamond upgrades at Waldorf Astoria properties are only to a “preferred” room, so this was a nice perk.
Amenity vouchers
I was assigned a room in the “Terrace Court”, which was across the garden from the main building, and on the far side of the rather large resort complex.
Resort map
Covered walkway
Garden and Terrace Court building
Exterior of Terrace Court building
The interior courtyard had a cactus garden, along with a pool that would not have been out of place at a Motel 6.
Desert landscaping
Terrace Court pool
I had been informed of my suite upgrade at check-in, but was surprised to see my room number on the sign listing the specialty “named” suites. Generally suite upgrades are only given to standard suites, so this was a substantial upgrade.
Named suites
Walkway to suite
Suite entrance
The suite had an exterior door, so presumably the adjacent room could be locked-off to create a two-bedroom suite.
Suite entrance
The room was spacious, though the floorplan was awkward, and combined with the bulky furniture felt incredibly dated.
Arizona Suite living area
Seating
Desk and TV
The living room featured a “bar” area, which had its own alcove, though didn’t really seem to add anything to the room.
Living area and bar
Bar
The half bath was in an alcove off the hallway, and was small but functional.
Half-bath mirror and sink
Half-bath toilet
The hallway itself had a random cutout between the half bath and bedroom, which seems like a great place to hide if you want to scare someone entering or leaving the room.
Hallway and alcove
The bedroom was large, and the furnishings were in good condition, though awkwardly placed, which made the room feel somewhat cluttered.
Bedroom
Chairs and ottoman
Bedroom TV
The bathroom was similarly large, with a separate shower, tub, and toilet room.
Master bathroom
Double sinks
The shower was comparatively small, though the water pressure and temperature control were excellent.
Shower
Bathtub
The bath amenities were the hotel’s own brand, and the packaging featured the same art-deco motif as the bathroom mirror and the concrete blocks on the building exterior.
Toiletries
Toilet
For as overly-furnished as the interior of the suite was, the patio was embarrassingly sparse, and felt very exposed.
Patio
Patio
Patio furniture
View from balcony
Later in the evening I spent some time walking around the property, which was nicely illuminated, with several seating areas and firepits.
Outdoor firepit
Exterior lighting
When I inquired about the breakfast benefit I was informed my voucher could be used at either the main restaurant or the coffee shop. I had some friends joining me, so we opted for Frank & Albert’s, which served breakfast until 11AM on the weekend.
Hotel restaurant
Apparently reservations are recommended, though it was nearly empty when we arrived. We still had to wait several minutes to be seated, however.
Restaurant interior
Restaurant interior
My voucher stated it was valid for the “Consortia Breakfast for Two”. This was supposed to be a continental breakfast, though wasn’t listed on the menu. In practice, our waitress said they would just take the maximum value of the voucher ($40) off the check, so that ended up being a very good deal.
The menu read as follows:
Breakfast menu
We took a glance at the “buffet”, which was so spartan I didn’t even bother taking a picture. The a la carte menu is definitely the better choice here. I selected the créme brulee french toast, which was tasty, though rather sweet (not that that’s a bad thing!).
Créme Brulee French Toast
My friend had the huevos rancheros, which was nicely presented.
Huevos Rancheros
Given how empty Phoenix restaurants are in summer, I was expecting the service to be more attentive, but service in the restaurant was extremely slow, and it took multiple requests to have drinks refilled, which is always frustrating.
After breakfast I checked out the gym, which was shockingly crowded. The equipment was new and in good repair, but the physical space was rather small.
Gym equipment
Treadmills
The sports club facilities also included tennis courts, along with a putting green, croquet court, and lawn chess.
Tennis courts
Putting green
Lawn chess
The pool complex was beautiful, and was fairly empty in the early morning.
Pool
Pool
Water slide
Jacuzzi
Pool and bar
Splash pool
I then spent a few hours getting work done, and met up with friends at the pool in the early afternoon with a goal of spending the remainder of my food and beverage credit. Despite how empty the resort appeared, the pool was packed, with nearly every seat taken.
Too cold for swimming
Spending $100 poolside was surprisingly easy, as the Biltmore had one of the most expensive bar menus I’ve ever seen. The shrimp cocktail (consisting of five shrimp) alone was $18!
$100 of drinks and snacks
Overall, this is one of the odder properties I’ve visited. The exterior was architecturally interesting, and the landscaping was mature and quite well-maintained. The interiors, on the other hand, featured clunky, cheap-looking furniture, and felt incredibly dated. While I would consider mattress-running here again, I don’t know that I would necessarily recommend the Biltmore as a vacation resort until they’ve completed their room renovation.
Still, having paid a $99 rate and having received a huge suite and $140 worth of food and beverage credit, I can’t really complain. 😉
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