Doubletree Resort Scottsdale / Pardise Valley
The Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort is located at the corner North Scottsdale Road / Jack Rabbit Road app. one mile north Old Scottsdale with it shopping opportunities. The N. Scottsdale Rd. is one of the main roads and crosses the Interstate 202 from where on could easily reach the I-10 and also the airport. You will drive app. 25 minutes from the airport depending on the traffic.
The hotel has only two floors, the ground and the first floor. It covered a whole block and is inspired in its architecture Frank Lloyd Wright. The parking lots area located around the building and the parking on the rear side are less full than those at Scottsdale Rd.. The hotel has 387 rooms and suites altogether.
To the covered main entrance leads a driveway where you could also park you car while unloading your luggage. If you enter the hotel you are standing in the lobby, which is a bit dark but nice. The style of the exterior inspired by Wright continues inside the building. So this is truly not the typical average chain hotel. On the left side are the hallway to some meeting and function room and the offices of the hotel. There is also a rental desk of Avis in this hotel.
The check in is right across the entrance to the hotel with four places to check-in and –out guest and also a concierge desk.
On the right side is a souvenir shop, which sells also bottled water, and the lobby with the hotel bar. Opposite the check in is the ‘en fuego’ restaurant, which has a also a terrace with some tables.
The business centre is located in the ground floor near the bigger meeting rooms. It consists of two older PC with a printer and some office equipment. It’s not a separate room but part of the hotel office and only separated with some movable walls with a high of app. 1.60 metres. I was told, the usual business centre was undergoing renovations.
The hotel has free wifi in the lobby, but not in other parts of the hotel, especially not in the rooms.
Two open tennis courts are on the back of the hotels. There are rooms facing the courts, so you have probably some spectators if you play there. Floodlight is available, which on the other hand might cause some problems for guest staying in these rooms. From this point I would try to avoid the rooms beginning with a 9, as they are located in the part of the hold where the tennis court is located.
In the basement of is part of the hotel is the gym. The equipment is okay, the machines are of different age but also the older ones are okay. Towels are provided.
If you are at least HHonors Silver, the fee for the gym is waived; all other guests have to pay 5.00 USD per use. The gym is opened until 22.00 during weekdays, but only until 18.00 on weekends. I would have expected not such limited opening hours of the gym for a hotel. At least until 20.00 during weekends should be possible.
The hotel has two pools, both with an adjacent Jacuzzi. The one in the south is more for families with a nearby children playground. A putting green could also found in this part of the hotel.
The north pool is near the lobby and a bit bigger than the other pool. Both pools have sun chairs and tables with chairs. Towels are provided and there is a pool bar called “Cabana Bar Pool” at the north pool serving light snacks and refreshments to the guests lying at the pool between 11.00 and 17.00.
The hotel has one restaurant called “en fuego” open from 06.30 in the morning till 22.00 in the evening. The food offerings in this hotel are somehow limited to salad, steaks and pasta and the price level is high. But quality was okay, while service was a bit slow.
The bar is serving the lobby and also responsible for the beverage service of the guests of the restaurant.
The garden of the hotel is nice with palms, small ways and one fountain. The most room are facing the garden / court with an open corridor on the opposite side facing the street / parking lot. Thus makes to room quiet and you do not hear the noise of the traffic. To the upper floor are stairs app. every 50 metres, but as far as I know there are only three elevators, which are all in the north part near the lobby and since the hotel is not that small it’s quite a bit to walk if you need an elevator.
Arrival Date: 19 August 2006
Departure Date: 20 August 2006
Room type booked: Standard Room
Rate Plan: Travelzoo Promotion incl. 75.00 USD food voucher
Room Number: 8228
Room Rate: 75.00 USD (incl. 75.00 USD food voucher, excl. taxes)
Status of Guest Program: Gold
The Tavelzoo Promotion was too good to let is pass. The exterior looked nice from the presentation and the voucher was a nice gift. Although I was sure, I would never use it up alone, I booked this rate, which came with a standard guest room.
I arrived at the hotel at 16.41 by rental car and parked the car on the parking lot. It was a bit difficult to find a place near the entrance. I was greeted at the front desk and after the usual procedure of checking in was done, I got a map explaining the way to my room and my keycard.
I noticed while walking on the corridor to my room that a few rooms very slightly higher than the other rooms. Thus gave the building a nice looking and it did not appear that massive. My room was one of the higher rooms. This rooms have a window in the upper part and so the room got (sun)light from both directions. While the room was higher, the entrance area was of normal height.
After entering the room one was standing in the hallway with wardrobe. In the wardrobe was the ironing board with the iron. A mirror with seat was there for the female guests. The bathroom was small and looked dated. It consists of sunk, toilet and bath. Shower curtain and head were okay, but should be replaced in the next time. The sunk had several scratches and the hairdryer was not working properly. Towels were provided for three persons. The nice thing of the bathroom was it had a windows made from glass
bricks, so one could not see in the bathroom but one got some natural light-
The room was styled in a nice beige colour, but also the interior were a bit dated – a nice reminiscent to the late 70ies.
The room had a huge sideboard on the wall to the bathroom with a huge mirror. There could be also found the minibar, a sunk and tea and coffee facilities. The bed – a king – had two bedside tables. On one of them was the phone on the other the Hilton alarm clock. In front of the glass window to the balcony with two chairs was a lounge chair on the one and the desk on the other side. On the desk was another phone with dataport. Opposite the bed was a board with the TV and the playstation.
The design was nice and especially the high ceiling gave the room a really spacious appearance, though I think the seize was not bigger than the usual rooms in the hotel. Though the furniture was a bit dated, but in very good shape. No big scratches, only some minor one if you search for them and also only very few stains in the carpet. The mattress of the bed must have been replaced, as I found it really comfortable, meaning not too soft. It seems that the bed was newer than the rest of the furniture.
From what I saw as I strolled around the hotel, some rooms are undergoing a renovation.
Air condition was noisy and the regulation a bit difficult. The best thing was to put the fan on the lowest position and set the temperature a bit higher. Thankfully there was no draught from the air condition.
There was no wifi in the rooms, only a high speed connection by LAN for a fee.
I had dinner in the “en fugeo” restaurant and opted for pasta and had a white wine. Service was a bit slow, I got my second glass of wine just before I had finished the pasta instead before. Food was okay and especially as due to the food voucher it was nearly free, I was more than satisfied.
Breakfast in the morning was styled as American Buffet with several cold and warm dishes (bagels, cereals, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, marmalade and jam, peanut crème, fresh fruits). Tea and coffee were available as well as different juices. Service was normal, a bit more attentive than in the evening. As Hilton HHonors Gold the continental option is included, but I used the voucher to get the difference to the American buffet.
My wish for a later check out at 14.30 was declined; the latest I could get was 13.00. I did not need a late check-out, but it would have been nice to relax a bit longer at the pool. Staff was friendly and asking me about my stay in the hotel. Folio was prepared.
I was very satisfied with my stay and would definitively stay there again. I really live the appearance of the hotel. Staff is friendly and the two pools are nice. The opening hours of the gym during the weekend are too limited – two hours longer would be okay. The interior of the rooms is dated, but in good shape and I have been to much newer hotels with rooms in worse shape. The downside is the missing wifi in the rooms.
