This 5-Star Scottsdale Hotel Is Making A Splash With Pool Parties & Luxury Suites
The W Scottsdale is an architectural masterpiece that is the perfect base for exploring the captivating city.
Located in the entertainment district of Old Town Scottsdale, the five-star W Scottsdale hotel—which just renovated its wow-inducing suites—has a cheeky split personality. During the week it is the place to mellow out and take full advantage of its rooftop swimming pool and world-class AWAY Spa. Come Friday, and it is noon-to-2 a.m. party central both outside on the deejay-pulsating Wet Deck pool and its architecturally stunning open-air lobby-cum nightclub, as well as the Living Room and wavy-gravy-cool Cottontail Lounge. Walls of sound, bikini-ed bright young things, bottle service, shooters—this is Hedonism 101.
Just clock the luxury cars parked in the forecourt. No wonder some call it “South Beach in the desert.” Things can get racy, but all within reason, of course. Want to go out and play? Blocks away, in the heart of colorful Old Town Scottsdale (settled in 1888) there’s a French Quarter-evocative bounty of at least 80 nightclubs to bar hop through.
The W brand, known for quite nearly inventing the luxury “boutique” hotel platform, has always made a point of being regional-centric, creating personality environs that nod to their whereabouts. The 241-room W Scottsdale is like a fascinating spaceship, both blending in and standing out in a city that is best known for cleansing air and golf-golf-golf. It stands in contrast to the stereotype of the town being a place for retirement duffers—simply not true if you look around you.
The renovated suites are mesmerizing, and provide walls of views of the Camelback Mountains. The suites at the W Scottsdale are more like urban-chic residential living rooms, loft-inspired with open kitchens and spacious work areas. Many have fully furnished balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows to look out upon the Sonoran Desert the resort’s tranquil Zen Garden, or the entrancing cityscape below.
Some even have full kitchens and pool tables. And those low-lying, W-signature featherbed mattresses and high-thread-count sheets. Bliss. Furnishings are reminiscent of Mid-Century Modern with contemporary twists, as if Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the 21st century. Form but comfortable function. The entertainment pits do not lack spaciousness. Kick back and just indulge in the sheer glory of it all.
There are three restaurants-cum-cocktail lounges at the W Scottsdale. Currently in residency is Donabe, a Japanese steakhouse that specializes in Wagyu and sushi. Located on the second floor this intimate but streamlined chic spot is a sumptuous addition to the Scottdale culinary map. Donabe excels in such delectables as openers like Pacific oysters, kampachi sashimi and duck foie gras rice. The 16-ounce Wagyu ribeye is Westhome Australian and is big enough for two.
A gourmand’s last meal, the restaurant’s Wagyu medallons of beef are cooked in hot stone pots to diners’ tastes. It is A5 sirloin simmered in daikon, shiso chimichurri, and white scallions. Mouthwatering. As are Donabe’s crispy-skin Ora King salmon laced with citrus, and its gourmet Wagyu cheeseburger served on a Japanese milk bun and laced with truffle mayo, served with haystack fries.
Don’t go without a slice of the matcha basque cheesecake taken with a Japanese Old-Fashioned, the latter one of countless craft cocktails given the Donabe nuances. The Southwest-leaning Cottontail Lounge features upscale-comfort cuisine, amidst its setting of tony book shelves and cow-print chairs. The Living Room Lounge & Bar is where guests go for craft cocktails and live music.
It shares the menu with the Cottontail but offers nightly surprises. Next to Donabe, the pool has day beds galore and 13 private cabanas with wide-screen TVs and offerings of small plate snacks and bottle service. Sometimes it’s a day club, sometimes a night club, and sometimes just the perfect place to chill with the cocktail of your choice. Plus, beautiful people for miles.
The Away Spa is a W brand signature, and the Scottsdale outpost is a destination for both guests and locals. The offerings include “rejuvenating massages, refreshing facials, soothing pedicure and manicure services and revitalizing body treatments.” It’s designed to be a “modern spa oasis offering a serene retreat with steam bathrooms and a variety of wellness experiences.” You can even rent out the entire spa for private parties.
Scottsdale isn’t all about partying. Culture abounds. So many of its building were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. His home Taliesin West, built in 1937, the height of his Prairie Style Mid-Century, and where he set up a sort of desert laboratory-enclave a la the Bauhaus School. The W utilizes some of that “desert masonry” in its fabric. Nearby the hotel is the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which is on the outskirts of the Arts District. Less modern, a vast collection of Native American pottery can be found at the Musuem of the West, also featuring Western movie posters, landscape paintings and 19th Century sepia photographs.
Restaurants have history and pedigree too. The best of those near to the W is The Mission, adjacent to a circa-1910s adobe mission church. This romantic enclave serves Latin-inspired cuisine such as steaks grilled over mesquite and pecan fires. Openers include duck caritas empanadas and roasted corn gorditas. A signature drink is a milkshake-like eggwhite topped margarita. There’s smokehouses and brat houses, nearby, as well as steak grills and taco stands, as well as notable haute cuisine ports of call. And a lot of authentic Wild West signage and collectibles along the horse-carriage-drawn way.
And the local dining scene just keeps getting better all the time. One of the best new additions is Uchi, with an ideal old town location. Founded by James Beard Award‑winning Chef Tyson Cole, with branches in Dallas, Denver, L.A. and Miami, among others, it’s known for non‑traditional Japanese cuisine with signature tastings, sushi, and a seasonal omakase, all delivered in a “delicate balance” of elevated food, impeccable service, and beautiful design.
This elusive Southwestern city and the W Scottsdale itself—part of the Marriott International and Marriott Bonvoy portfolios—are secret-pleasure destination outposts. Travelers seeking alternatives to Vegas, Miami, and Palm Springs may want to raise Arizona on their next transporting trip.
