Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale At Troon North

The Four Seasons Scottsdale Resort at Troon North is located North of Scottsdale near Cave Creek, Arizona. The resort sits nestled in the foothills of Pinnacle Peak, about a 25 minute drive from Old Town Scottsdale. If you are visiting this resort, chances are you aren't going to leave the resort. And with all the amenities and dining options, you shouldn't need to. Upon arriving at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale the first thing we noticed was how much cooler it was being a little higher up in terms of elevation. We will be excited to return to this property next year as they are currently finishing a $13 million dollar renovation to make their Casitas a bit more contemporary.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale At Troon North

If you are looking for a relaxing weekend laying by the pool with a great book and a delicious craft cocktail in hand, then the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale At Troon North is the place to be! We stumbled upon Scottsdale, Arizona about four years ago and we have been back at least once each year because we love relaxing pool days.

You might think Scottsdale is too hot. But since it is a dry heat, it's definitely manageable. Upon our arrival we were escorted by the bellmen to the front desk where we were greeted by name. The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful during the check-in process and made an effort to get to know us. The staff at this resort definitely make the experience top-notch.

Our Room

The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale consists of casitas located in several individual buildings. The resort is a bit spread out. So we were given a ride on a golf cart with our luggage to our casita.

The casitas are definitely inspired by the desert with the spanish influence you would expect. Our room was very comfortable with a sitting area, a private patio, a desk and mini-bar.

With lots of brown, red and gold tones, adobe like walls and dark wood furniture, the rooms feel very luxurious but in an old-world luxury type of way. Hence why the property is undergoing a full renovation on their rooms to modernize them.

The bathroom was filled with beautiful earth tones and featured a double vanity, soaking tub, walk-in shower and separate toilet room.

Dining

During our stay we had the opportunity to have breakfast at Proof, a classic American restaurant in a fun and funky modern atmosphere. At Proof they serve up everything from classic biscuits and gravy for breakfast, to a juicy burger for lunch, and chicken and waffles for dinner.

Just adjacent to the lobby of the resort is the Onyx Bar & Lounge. And we enjoyed one dinner at the Onyx Bar & Lounge. We wanted a more relaxed atmosphere to have a few cocktails, have a casual conversation and grab a quick bite to eat. As foodies, the food at Onyx Bar & Lounge blew us away! We both had the Steak Frites with bone marrow butter and they were incredible. The steak was so juicy and tender that it literally melted in your mouth.

Amenities

The Four Seasons Scottsdale Resort has plenty of things to do. There are several paths to walk around the resort and take in a different variety of natural desert landscapes. You'll find beautiful native plants and spectacular views of the desert.

The resort features two pools, including an adults only pool with cabanas and full-service food & beverage. There are also tennis courts, spa amenities such as a steam room & sauna, a world-class golf course, access to hiking and mountain biking.

Even on vacation it is nice to be able to get a descent workout in and the fitness center didn't disappoint. There was plenty of cardio equipment, free weights and machines to get our blood pumping. And of course afterwards we spent some time relaxing in the steam room and sauna.

Overall Impression

The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North is not where we would typically stay in Scottsdale. Despite the fact that we normally stay closer to Old Town Scottsdale, we actually liked being farther away from the hustle and bustle because it forces you to relax. This 5-Star resort is a great place to getaway with your significant other or a trip for the entire family. And be prepared for a luxurious stay. Because the staff truly makes the experience here.

And remember, if you book with a travel agent like Virtual Travel Gurus, you’ll get extra benefits like complimentary breakfast, a $100 resort credit, room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out!

Andaz Scottsdale

Our Verdict

Updated June of 2020: After seven stays at the Andaz Scottsdale, and staying at many other resorts across the Scottsdale area, we continue to be a big fan of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort. It provides a true opportunity to relax by a pool, enjoy a yoga class or sip on a deliciously crafted cocktail. But what makes this resort is the staff. The staff at the Andaz Scottsdale is incredible and they truly make the stay memorable.

And don’t forget, if you are planning to stay at the Andaz Scottsdale, book through Hyatt Privé to take advantage of exclusive complimentary extras like a confirmed room upgrade (if available), $100 hotel credit, daily breakfast and a welcome amenity. Plus through March of 2021, they’re offering a 3rd night free on Hyatt Privé reservations. To request Hyatt Privé rates, just visit liveluxetravelco.com/hyatt-prive.

MID-CENTURY RESORT WITH A SPANISH & DESERT FLAIR

We are a big fan of the Andaz brand of hotels and resorts and stayed at the Andaz West Hollywood over Christmas and the Andaz Papagayo (see our review) this past January. Hyatt describes it's Andaz brand as boutique hotels and resorts located in dynamic urban and leisure destinations worldwide with a lively local art scene. Essentially Andaz Hotels and Resorts are Hyatt's take on an upscale lifestyle resort or hotel. And The Andaz Scottsdale Resort definitely definitely lived up to the Andaz brand's image.

LOCATION

The Andaz Scottsdale is located just 5 minutes from Old Scottsdale and in a great area of the city with several nearby restaurants and bars. But the Andaz Scottsdale does offer complimentary shuttle service in their Telsa to Old Scottsdale.

You'll arrive at the "Guest House" and you'll be instructed to leave your car with valet parking (valet parking is included in the resort fee).

You won't find a formal check-in desk at any Andaz Hotel or Resort. But instead you'll arrive to a lounge area where a guest services representative will check you in on an iPad (or with COVID precautions you can do online check in and completely skip the check-in progress). During check-in, we were offered a glass of wine or glass of lemonade and we also indulged in a complimentary Fairytale Brownie (made in Phoenix).

OUR ROOM

The resort features beautiful landscaping and our room had a great view of Cambelback Mountain. The modern industrial rooms feature two terraces, one out front and another completely private terrace on the backside of the room.

As soon as you enter the room, you’re in the main bedroom. We had one king bed and a couch along with a huge 65" television.

Beyond the bedroom is a hallway with a closet and minibar. And one of the great features of the Andaz brand is that the minibar is complimentary (except alcoholic beverages). The fridge and minibar get replenished daily with bottled water, soda and snacks.

Beyond the hallway and the minibar was the bathroom. The spa like bathroom was HUGE and featured a long vanity with one large sink and plenty of counter space. And there was also an extra large walk-in shower and separate toilet room.

The shower was uniquely huge and featured dual shower heads. And the entire room and particularly the bathroom had a mid-century yet southwestern feel.

TURQUOISE POOL

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort has two main pools, the Turquoise Pool and an Adult only pool near the Spa.  The Turquoise Pool has incredible views of the surrounding desert. Our only complaint, but it's nothing you don't expect in the Arizona summer, is that the concrete around the pool gets extremely hot.

Needless to say, we enjoyed quite a bit of time at the pool sipping on Moscow Mules and enjoying the inflatable pool toys.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort only has one restaurant (other than the bar at the Turquoise Pool). We enjoyed happy hour, coffee and breakfast at the Weft & Warp Art Bar and everything we tried was delicious. Weft & Warp is known for their avocado toast - just an insider tip. And we were a big fan of the steak breakfast tacos.

And we also enjoyed an incredibly good burger, fries and ice cream sandwich at the Turquoise Pool.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort is an incredible property, has great amenities and the staff ensured the service was impeccable. We can't wait to return to the Andaz Scottsdale Resort. In fact we are already planning our next trip back later this year.

The resort is luxurious, comfortable and makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. While we wish the resort featured a few more food options, the Weft & Warp Art Bar offered a good variety of items on their breakfast, snacks and dinner menus. Plus we found several great food options at the Turquoise Pool. But as we said above, the staff is what makes this property.

Extra Perks

And don’t forget, when you book the Andaz Scottsdale with Live Luxe Travel Co., through our Hyatt Privé partnership, you’ll receive a $100 hotel credit to use on dining or at the spa, daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade and welcome amenity.

Weekend Wanderings: Scottsdale, Arizona Guide

Scottsdale: A Luxe Oasis Surrounded by Dessert

We have been visiting Scottsdale, Arizona since we met. And it's one of our favorite places to spend a relaxing long weekend. Yes it's hot, but what better way to spend a weekend than laying by the pool with a cocktail in hand? Scottsdale is known as Arizona’s luxury watering hole. It's quickly become an oasis of Sonoran mountainside resorts offering, outdoor activities, lavish shopping and an incredible food scene. And Scottsdale has nearly 300 sunny days a year!

How to get there: Most airlines fly in to the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport but low cost airline Allegiant does utilize the Mesa-Gateway Airport on the Southeast side of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Scottsdale is spread out and about 10 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. While we normally take public transportation on our weekend trips, Scottsdale is the one exception and we recommend renting a car. Rental cars at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport are off site and you'll need to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to the rental car garage. We recommend giving SilverCar a try. What better way to visit luxe Scottsdale than driving around in an Audi A4?

Where to stay: Scottsdale is filled with amazing resorts. We've stayed at several resorts in the Scottsdale area and have enjoyed all of them. On our most recent stay, we stayed at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa. It was probably one of our favorite resorts we've been to thus far. When you check in to the Andaz Scottsdale you won't find a front desk. Guests check in via an iPad while relaxing on a couch in the lobby drinking a glass of complimentary wine or iced tea. You'll also find a complimentary minibar at the Andaz Scottsdale (soft drinks, water and snacks - alcohol is extra). The main pool (the Turquoise Pool) offers complimentary daily delighters (a spiked frozen treat or drink) each day at 11:45 AM. And if you don't want to drive into Old Town Scottsdale (about a 2 mile drive), the hotel has a chauffeured Tesla which will run you into town!

Another one of our favorite Scottsdale Resorts is the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. Nestled at the base of breathtaking Camelback Mountain, in the exclusive enclave of Paradise Valley, Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia is an intimate oasis inspired by the exotic locale of Spain's Andalusia region.

Where to get coffee: Scottsdale is no Seattle or Portland in terms of coffee, but there are still several great coffee shops where you can get a delicious iced latte to help you cool off on those hot summer days. Our three favorite coffee shops include Press Coffee Roasters, Altitude Coffee Lab and the Cartel Coffee Lab.

Press Coffee Roasters was rated the best coffee roaster in the Phoenix area by the Phoenix New Times in 2015 and 2016. They normally offer two different types of espresso and you can pick which espresso you want your drink made with. Definitely a great coffee experience, so we highly recommend making the drive up Scottsdale Road for a stop at Press Coffee Roasters. And while you are up there, be sure to take a lap around Scottsdale Quarter, a beautiful outdoor mall featuring dozens of shops and restaurants.

And if you make it to the Cartel Coffee Lab, while they doesn’t serve actual food, they do have delicious pastries and we might have indulged in a homemade poptart, and trust us, they are worth a cheat day! So delicious.

Where to eat: Scottsdale is a foodies paradise. There are so many delicious restaurants and gastropubs.

While we have our usual spots that we always visit each time we spend a weekend in Scottsdale, on this trip we added a new place to our favorite list. After a morning hike, we decided to stop by Farm & Craft for a healthy breakfast and it completely hit the spot. Farm & Craft is focused on healthy and sustainable food in a community-style atmosphere. Think modern farm with a contemporary twist. F&C boasts a seasonal “Wellness-Menu” featuring 4 paths to optimal health, including an ‘Anti-inflammatory diet’, ‘Increasing probiotic levels’, ‘Maintaining high level of anti-oxidants’ and ‘Reducing your overall stress’. Yes, the food was delicious (the breakfast burrito was to die for). And they scored a few extra points with us for having Kombucha on tap! Farm & Craft also had sandwiches, salads and wraps for lunch and dinner.

If you're looking for somewhere to grab a bite for lunch, we would definitely recommend Olive & Ivy. Olive & Ivy which has a location near the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is a restaurant & bar serving Californian-Mediterranean fare in a stylish, bustling quarters with a patio. Olive & Ivy offers small plates, flatbreads, bruschetta and pastas, alongside an extensive wine list and craft-cocktail menu.

For dinner, we really enjoy a visit to the Old Town Tortilla Factory in Old Town Scottsdale. With an incredible 1400 square foot patio, the food at Old Town Tortilla Factory is Southwestern with a Mexican twist. The restaurant has that intimate feel making it perfect for a date night!

If you want something quick, Scottsdale has two Shake Shack locations(one of our indulgences on our weekend trips since we don't have any in Idaho). Shack Shack has been serving up their delicious burgers and shakes since 2004. The fast food chain started in New York City and now has over 130 locations including the two in Scottsdale. You'll often find a line around the corner at Shake Shack, but don't worry. You can actually hop on their website to check the camera and see how long the line is.

Scottsdale also has a Hopdoddy Burger Bar. An Austin-born hamburger-and-beer chain, Hopdoddy has been featured on the Food Network. While Hopdoddy is known for their handcrafted beef hamburgers (a chuck and brisket blend), if you're not feeling beefy, the menu also includes bison, lamb, chicken, turkey and tuna burgers, as well as a vegetarian black bean and corn patty. We had an order of their truffle fries (large enough to share) and they were also quite tasty. And for dessert, be sure to try one of their adult only boozy milkshakes!

Where to get dessert: Portland has several great options for dessert. One of our favorite places that we've been stopping at since we originally started vacationing in Scottsdale is Shakes & Cones. Shakes & Cones located in Old Town Scottsdale, serves up their soft serve ice cream, which is made from scratch using their own exclusive recipe. It's gluten free and only made with organic, non-gmo ingredients! They of course are known for their soft serve shakes and cones.

Another place that we've often featured over the course of our travel and reviews is Sprinkles Cupcakes. And of course Sprinkles Cupcakes has a location right across from the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall in Downtown Scottsdale. Sprinkles Cupcakes is a Beverly Hills, California-based cupcake bakery chain which first opened in 2005. It is considered one of the first cupcake bakeries. The Cupcake Bakery features numerous flavors of cupcakes (some of our favorites include the Black & White and Cinnamon). Be sure to see our entire write-up on the Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery & Cupcake ATM.

What to do: Yes, we won't sugar coat it. It's hot in Scottsdale during the summer. Most days see temperatures exceed that 100 degree mark. So we typically sleep in each morning, get up for brunch and then spend two to three hours sipping cocktails by or in the resort pools.

The heat of the afternoon makes for a perfect time do some shopping and Scottsdale has some terrific shopping. We recommend checking out the Fashion Square Mall in Downtown Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Quarter, an open air mall in Northern Scottsdale.

By the time we've shopped and grab a happy hour drink or early dinner, we typically return to laying by the pool for the evening.

Another great way to spend the early morning or late evenings (before or after the heat of the day) is taking a hike. Scottsdale has numerous hiking trails including the famous trail up Camelback Mountain.

The Bottom Line: Scottsdale is a great place for a weekend getaway anytime of the year. Summer is an extremely affordable time to visit as resorts deeply discount their room rates due to the hot temperatures. But the hot weather has never impeded our weekend getaways. We lay by the pool in the morning and early afternoon, have lunch, go shopping and then return to the pool in the evening. Scottsdale has great food, great shopping and an incredible nightlife. It's definitely worth a visit if you haven't been and if you have, well it's time to go back! Let us know if we can help!