HOW TO SELL SCOTTSDALE
SCOTTSDALE Surprising
BY STEVE HARTRIDGE Surrounded by the unspoilt Sonoran
Desert Scottsdale is a city that combines some of the southwest USA’s finest hotels, restaurants and luxury spas with fabulous shopping and a range of outdoor activities that make full use of the region’s scenic natural assets. It’s also one of the region’s leading ‘cultural destinations’, with more than 100 art galleries and museums in downtown Scottsdale. Food, particularly fine dining, is one of Scottsdale’s main draw cards – and visitors can choose from more than 600 eateries. Superb Mexican-style cuisine can be sampled in several excellent restaurants across the city. New is the downtown Distrito, which opened at the The Saguaro, Scottsdale’s newest hotel, in December 2011. At the Fairmont Scottsdale, La Hacienda by Richard Sandoval serves up contemporary Mexican dishes. Activities in the Scottsdale area revolve
around the great outdoors. There are more than 20 community parks and numerous hiking trails. Hiking highlights include Camelback Mountain, north of Phoenix and overlooking the Phoenician Hotel, which offers walking paths for all levels. But to get away from, and high above, the city, suggest the McDowell Sonoran Preserve which offers a series of short and extended hikes. Other adventure activities include river rafting, off-road tours, horse riding and desert mountain biking. Or sign up for a Desert Wolf Tour into the Sonoran Desert on a fully-automatic ‘Tomcar’, developed by the Israeli Defence Forces. The Tomcar’s heavy suspension means that even a novice can drive them on trails that take in ‘ghost’ towns, Indian ruins, river crossings, stunning views and critters like roadrunners, desert mule deer, and coyotes. The same company also offers a 'Firearms Experience' where guests get to shoot at targets in the desert.
www.desertwolktours.com There are few better
recommendations for golf enthusiasts than Scottsdale. The city has several fabulous courses but among the pick of the bunch are Greyhawk, Troon North, We-Ka-Pa and Talking Stick. The last two named are built on land owned by Native Indian communities. Serious
30 May 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
SCOTTSDALE Top Selling Tips...
• Head into the desert... “Car rental is essential when staying in Phoenix or Scottsdale as exploring the cities and surrounding Sonoran desert is an absolute must for UK visitors”.
golfers will also want to visit TPC Scottsdale, which each January hosts the USPGA Waste Management Open, unique in golf for its crowd atmosphere.
What’s New Downtown Scottsdale’s newest hotel, The Saguaro, is a 194-room hotel decked out in pink, green, orange and yellow hues designed to represent Scottsdale’s varied desert landscape and the area’s indigenous wildflowers. This summer the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has a family package, Sip, Savour & Splash. All family members can stay for $179 per night, which includes a $50 resort dining credit which can be used throughout at any of the property’s food venues. Get a superior view of Scottsdale’s Sonoran Desert by taking a helicopter flight. A 35-mile tour takes flyers over the McDowell Mountains and the neighbouring town of Fountain Hills. There’s also two longer tours featuring Scottsdale, the Town of Paradise Valley, downtown Phoenix, and Arizona’s notorious ghost towns, 1800-era cavalry forts, stagecoach trails, outlaw hideouts, and Indian and conquistador battlegrounds. Prices start at $99. Golfers can pick up some vital tips and
have their swing analysed by one of the USA’s top instructors after Jim McLean Golf School opened at SunRidge Canyon Golf Club. McLean's stable of instructors teaches golfers how to improve their game with lessons ranging from a
• Hot hotel rates... “Summer in Scottsdale is hot, but it’s also the time when hotel rates tumble along with green fess on its golf courses. Many hotels and resorts roll out reduced rates of up to 60 per cent.”
30-minute 'pre/post round' golf lesson to a one-day 'ultimate' golf programme. Prices from $70
www.sunridgegolf.com At Kierland Commons, there’s a Summer Concert Series this June and July, with jazz, rock 'n' roll and soulful blues every Saturday (19.00-21-00) by a variety of bands. Concerts are free.
Where to Stay The Phoenician, situated at the base of Camelback Mountain, has completed a $4 million renovation to its 25 suites, rounding off an $80 million three-year project that included upgrades to all guest rooms. The hotel is a quick 15-minute transfer from the airport and close to major shopping centres. Features include several swimming pools, a 27-hole golf course, a spa, a major on-site art collection and one of Scottsdale’s top restaurants, Il Terrazo.
From the Front Line CASEY HURFORD
USA Product Manager, Funway Holidays “Phoenix and Scottsdale combined
Golf, shooting and desert tours are just three of the many activities available
provide everything the UK traveller could wish for, with daily non-stop airlift from the UK with BA, luxurious yet affordable resorts and world-class shopping and entertainment all set against a stunning desert backdrop”.
Where to Book It FUNWAY HOLIDAYS - 0844 557 0626
www.funway4agents.co.uk Five nights at five-star Arizona Biltmore, The Waldorf Astoria Collection, Phoenix including flights with British Airways (direct) starts from £885pp and includes one free night and daily continental breakfast. Based on September 27 2012.
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