Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun - American Southwest - page 416

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North Mountain Recreation Area. All rooms are spacious suites with Southwest-inspired
furnishings; corner units are particularly bright. This resort has steep walkways, so you
need to be in good shape to stay here. At the top of the property is Different Pointe of
View, a continental restaurant with one of the finest views in the city. This resort is more
adult-oriented than the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, but it is otherwise similar.
11111 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, AZ 85020. & 800/876-4683 or 602/866-7500. Fax [phone]. www.
pointehilton.com. 584 units. Jan to mid-May $169-$399 double; mid-May to mid-Sept $109-$209 dou-
ble; mid-Sept to Dec $139-$299 double; year-round $1,500 grande suite. Children 17 and under stay free
in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted ($75 fee). Amenities: 5 restaurants; 2 poolside cafes;
5 lounges; babysitting; seasonal children's programs; concierge; exercise room; golf course; 8 Jacuzzis; 8
pools; room service; sauna; small full-service spa; 2 tennis courts. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet,
minibar.
Moderate/Inexpensive
Among the better moderately priced chain motels in north Phoenix is the Best Western
InnSuites Phoenix Biltmore/Scottsdale, 1615 E. Northern Ave., at 16th Street ( & 800/
780-7234 or 602/997-6285; http://phoenix.innsuites.com), charging high-season rates
of $108 to $180 double.
DOWNTOWN, SOUTH PHOENIX & THE AIRPORT AREA
Unless you're a sports fan or are in town for a convention, there's not much to recom-
mend downtown Phoenix. This 9-to-5 area can feel like a ghost town at night. For the
most part, south Phoenix is one of the poorest parts of the city. However, it does have a
couple of wealthy enclaves that are home to exceptional resorts, and Phoenix South
Mountain Park is one of the best places in the city to experience the desert.

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Very Expensive
Arizona Grand Resort Kids This sprawling resort, which just underwent a
$52-million makeover, abuts the 17,000-acre South Mountain Park and is one of the best
choices in the Valley for families. If you want to score big points with your kids, stay here
and let them spend every day playing in the wave pool, tubing “river,” twisty water slide,
and two free-fall-style water slides. Stables at the resort allow you and the kids to ride into
the sunset on South Mountain, and there are numerous children's programs. The guest
rooms, all suites, feature contemporary Southwestern furnishings and lots of space. Rus-
tler's Rooste, the resort's fun cowboy steakhouse, serves rattlesnake appetizers (see
“Where to Dine,” below) and is a favorite with families.
8000 S. Arizona Grand Pkwy., Phoenix, AZ 85044. & 866/267-1321 or 602/438-9000. Fax [phone].
www.arizonagrandresort.com. 640 units. Jan-Apr from $399-$449 double; May to early Sept from
$139-$189 double; early Sept to Dec from $179-$289 double. Rates do not include $30 daily resort fee.
Children 17 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: 5 restaurants; 4
lounges; babysitting; bikes; children's programs; concierge; 18-hole golf course; health club; 9 Jacuzzis;
11 outdoor pools (including 7-acre water park); room service; full-service spa. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer,
minibar, Wi-Fi.
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa Named for the area's wild
horses, this resort is located 20 minutes south of Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Airport on the Gila River Indian Reservation, and because the resort looks out across
miles of desert, it has a pleasantly remote feel. Throw in horseback riding, a full-service
spa featuring desert-inspired treatments, two golf courses, a nature trail along a 2 1 / 2 -mile-
long artificial river, a pool with a water slide, the Rawhide Wild West theme park, and a
nearby casino, and you'll find plenty to keep you busy. The resort is owned by the