Snobbsdale, Shoppsdale & Snottsdale, Oh My!

Last year for MLK weekend, my husband and I used our wedding points to take a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona. We wanted to make it a tradition to go on a trip every year during MLK weekend, but this year, we decided to postpone our San Francisco trip to a time when it would be a little more warm. I absolutely fell in love with Scottsdale- whether you’re going on a couples trip, girls trip or family trip; it is most definitely a city to see. I enjoyed it so much that I would consider moving there, but I don’t think I could handle the reptiles in the summer that come out. Scottsdale is definitely ‘bougie.’ What I found fascinating is that every person there is a walking model with the softest looking sun-kissed skin and silky hair. Everyone also seems to be upper-middle class and it reminds me of Stepford Wives.

We stayed at The Phoenecian Resort in Scottsdale. It was gorgeous, quiet and the concierge was super friendly- I have never met such nice people- it definitely beats Southern hospitality. They had complimentary champagne and wine tastings daily with delicious hors d’oeuvres. The pools are gorgeous and heated (even though the weather was perfect in January).
Although we didn’t get to go to Sedona (for next time, it’s on our list), we did get to go hiking on Camelback mountain (the mountain is shaped like a camel with humps). It was a lot of fun to climb the mountain- it was actually my first time going hiking! It was actually a little more advanced than I thought it would be. The concierge at the Phoenician also gave us complimentary backpacks with snacks and drinks.
We also rented the complimentary vintage bikes and went biking all around Scottsdale. We ended up biking to neighborhoods with really nice houses just to stare at the architecture at Paradise Valley.
We also went for afternoon tea (also my first time ever) at the Phoenician. The mini cucumber sandwiches were amazing- I must have eaten 10 or 15. You pay a fixed price and get unlimited snacks and desserts along with tea and champagne (if you choose that option). I actually don’t even like tea and got the English vanilla tea here which was amazingly good. After stuffing our faces, tea time became something I loved and I can’t wait to go try it out at the St. Regis in Atlanta one day!
Scottsdale is also filled with huge shopping areas whether it is high-end stores at Fashion Square (which the Phoenician had a complimentary shuttle to by the way) or art galleries and vintage shops downtown Scottsdale (all the partying is in Old Towne Scottsdale).
We also saw some of the nicest cars there and the most I have ever seen in the span of 2 minutes.
The food in Scottsdale was also really good. We went to True Food Kitchen which is some how 100x better there than it is in Atlanta and the flatbread pizzas were amazingly good. However, my husbands favorite was this fried egg burger he had at the Phoenix airport at Modern Burger which he claims was ‘the best burger he has ever had.’
Lastly, Scottsdale is known to have some of the best spas in the world and it also has the most spas in the United States per capita. We went to Bliss Spa for couples massage & facials.
Looking for a quick luxury weekend getaway? Scottsdale, Arizona is the place to go!