- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Sanctuary Resort On Camelback Mountain
Rating Details »
5700 E McDonald Dr
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(480) 948-2100
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(480) 948-2100
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
24 reviews for Sanctuary Resort On Camelback Mountain
I was at first creeped out when the bell man said, "Welcome to SANCTUARY." Just the way he said it made the place seem like it could become a nightmare, but it's a true paradise. Stunning room, beautiful landscape, door to door service with golf carts. Awesome!
When I entered the room, they already had a cheese plate to welcome me and the temperature was just right! I wish I was there now...SANCTUARY!
The Sanctuary is stunning. I mean STUNNING. The decor and architecture are drool-worthy.
My SO and I spent a night here last summer to celebrate my finishing my MBA. We imagined a day and night of basking in the sun in the ginormous spectacular pool, sipping champagne and gorging ourselves on junk food.
The main pool, however, was under construction and was closed, a little detail not shared with us until check-in, without much in terms of an apology or attempt at an accomodation. We were certainly invited to visit one of the two smaller pools, but what happens when you divert a resort full of people into two small pools? It would have been like taking a large bath with a bunch of random people and their stupid kids. No thank you, especially at hundreds of bucks per night.
The people working at the check in desk thought they were pretty hot and had that general "too cool for you" air that always irritates the crap out of me.
Thankfully, we had a spa suite, so we had a little outdoor tub thing that we pretended was a pool. Our suite was just gorgeous and I wish I could have spent a week there, sipping mimosas on the private patio.
Fast forward a year and the economy is in the shitter. Sanctuary keeps bombarding my SO with promo emails, but the rates advertised are hardly a deal. Either they are in la-la land, or they aren't feeling the pinch the rest of us are. Sorry, people. After our so-so experience last time, you're going to have to do a little better than a $279 "special" to get us back.
ROCKSTAR STATUS!
Since I've planned meetings here, my contact really hooked me up fat!
I had an awesome room with a view and this time a kitchenette. We love that we have access to a kitchen when we travel to store snacks and have breakfast in the mornings. There's morning and evening maid service - our rooms were spic & span throughout the 5 nights.
Everyone on the property is so accommodating and nice! They'll bend over backward to make your stay enjoyable. The pool was awesome and they had the lounge chair covers that slip over the top - only the best! The pool staff was so kind to bring us ice cold waters, we didn't even have to ask!
The best part of our trip...since I knew we had a 8pm flight we decided to play golf nearby. And with the heat there was no way I was going on a plane stanky. I kindly asked the front desk if we'd be able to come back & use their spa facility to freshen up even after we checked out. I've never known a hotel to extend a checkout past 2 hours. I'm sure they did this as an exception, but they allowed us to keep our room until 5:30pm! It takes 1 great experience to make it memorable.
I've done 2 offsite meetings here and attended one of them. From what I remember everything was executed flawlessly. Their catering was perfect - great food and nice presentation. Rooms are beyond what one could ask for. Their meeting rooms, spa, pool, tennis courts, and workout facility is beyond excellent. If you're ever considering an event here, Lisa Sterns is the person that assisted me. LISA YOU'RE THE BEST!
Can't say enough about this place. We were amazed by the room and it's stylings and even more amazed with the pool and the view from it. We were on a mission to chill and found the perfect place. Views of Camelback Mountain and a staff that knew what they were doing. Try the brie quesadillas and the Sanctuary lemonade.
There should really be a way to give half-stars, so I could give this place four-and-a-half, but that's okay.
I spent my birthday here with a two-night stay and had a wonderful experience! Check-in was a breeze and we were escorted to our room by a great bellman on a golf cart. We stayed in one of the mountain suites and it was terrific - decorated in a funky, fun style, with super comfortable beds, and nice bathroom and a balcony. All the suites are situated so you kind-of feel like you're alone which I think is pretty cool!
We had great service from everyone we encountered, from the concierge who offered us great suggestions, and even ordered us a complimentary car service to and from our restaurant on my birthday night, to the staff at the spa, who were all friendly and provided excellent treatments, to the staff at the resort restaurant, who, again, were very friendly and helpful.
The spa itself deserves its own review, and I very well may do that shortly. Suffice it to say, a thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable experience!
I would definitely recommend Sanctuary to anyone who wants a more boutique-style, low-key and friendly relaxing sojourn from the real world.
NOW THATS A HOTEL. Please Waldorf Astoria people or Ritz Carlton people come here and learn. Hey, W-hotel people/Mondrian people and other hotels that use IKEA furniture approaches, dont even bother staying here, you might start crying.
The attention to detail in the rooms is outstanding, from relatively high class furniture, incl. sculptures, to candle turn down service and upscale reed diffusers. Beds are very good and the linens are wonderful. Details in every room are so much better than 99% of other 5* hotels. On top of that you have a view to die for (please dont take that literally), a very nice pool area - not overly large but very relaxing with very attentive staff (thank you, Keith and Nicole), a super day spa, a tennis center (!) and a real gym.
And once you are here try the mixology class at the Jade bar - but dont book dinner afterwards - I promise you will go nowhere that evening. Jason, Mica, thats all your guyz fault :-)
I will come back any time I will be in Phoenix.
I spent my birthday weekend here, even though I live between Scottsdale and Chandler I wanted to get away. First off, I love the atmosphere here because it's so relaxing, tranquil, and seems away from it all. The room setup is unique, and you feel like you have your own private place. We had the basic "Spa View" room and it had plenty of space, a private balcony, and a separate sitting area.
The infinity pool is gorgeous both day and night - and the view makes me appreciate living here. During our hot day at the pool, the staff were amazing and attentive. They offered bottle water, ice water with lemon, and had several yummy drink options. Definitely try the lemonade with fresh berries.
We weren't there long enough to have opinions on the staff or eat in the restaurant but everyone we came across was friendly. It was also nice to be able to run to Camelback Mtn and do some hiking - despite the heat!
Lunch and Learn, Lunch and Learn, Lunch and Learn... get my drift? In July & August at lunch on Saturdays with a couple for dinner. Today it was the "Arizona Iron Chef Competitors" with chef fun, live demos and excellent food & pairings.
The appetizers started small with ham & cheese pathivier by Chef Lee Hilson and asian beef tartare on spiced tarot root by Chef Beau MacMillan accompanied by lindauer brut new zealand n/v. A mouthful or two but quite tasty. Next came the chilled pea soup with lobster. Didn't taste at all like Pea Soup Anderson and in fact it was hard to distinguish the pea flavor accompanied by graffigina pinot grigio argentina 2007. The soup was an unexpected large portion with little shrimps and tasty lobster bits. The entree was braised kobe beef short rib with salsify & asparagus ragu. The kobe beef pairing was wyndham estate "show reserve" south east Australia 2004 with a 91 rating and under $15 at Cosco.
In watching the live kitchen demo I hadn't realized how much preparation played in the final taste for "short ribs". My mother fixed the traditional short ribs with carrots and potatoes but the brazing and marinade process with red wine and chicken broth by Chef Beau imparted a phenomenal taste. I didn't catch how long the marination process was but apparently today's chef's measure the process in 24, 48 and 72 hour increments. Today's portion was very ample and down right tasty.
After so much food at lunch one might expect a modest desert but not this time. The summer berry pudding with raspberry coulis was beyond modest. A genoise sponge shell was filled with a four berry pudding and covered with a raspberry coulis and caster sugar. The pairing here was a not so sweet but bubbly napa blanc de noirs.
The "at the views" room looked to be sold out and I suspect it will be when we return next week for a taste of southern hospitality...
I was more disappointed in this stay than I have ever been with a hotel. It was the worst value considering the service- at $445 a night for a simple, basic room, when our economy is in a recession and hotel trends are weakening, I expect friendly and prompt service AT A MINIMUM. I found the conceirge to be confused, give us poor directions (i.e. taking 30 mins to get somewhere that took 5 minutes), recommended a terrible restaurant to us (Los Olivos) that was completely unsuitable, and never letting us know our folio of reservations and most importantly, NOT LETTING US KNOW WHEN she had been unable to make reservations that she suggested.
The construction at the deck right above the pool was also an issue - no one had notified us of. The jackjammering started at 915 AM on Friday. The manager did give us a $100/night rate abatement after I had to complain - which I appreciated but would have preferred to not have the conversation in the first place.
The room was also dirty - our feet kept turning black and we couldnt figure out why - and we were utterly disgusted to realize it was from our HOTEL ROOM. We had to wear shoes in our room or wash our feet after walking around.
The service at the spa was very good (although you certainly pay for it) and I found the woman at the front desk very helpful which is why I am giving 2 stars.
fab-uuu-laous!
tha's all i have to say about this place....
annnddd - if you happen to spend a weekend there... take full advantage of the day spa!
The land of "yes." Make any request and it will be done. Killer infinity pool. Amazing view. Lovely rooms. One of my all time favorite hotels. Expensive. Go during off season.
Update: Hmmm... seems to be turning into quite the celebrity hideaway. The bartender used to tell me about Britney's stays. And I did see chef Mario Batali leaving one night. But most recently Vince and Jennifer were guests.
The pool area was very nice. Every chair had a towel on it ready for you. The pool service was great. Greg Badger is the most hard-working waiter there. He was out in the sun in upper 90/lower 100 degree temperatures and was very helpful to all the guests. I ate at Elements the other times I visited Arizona, but the poolside menu is great too! I preferred the orange chicken bento box. Although edamame was not on the poolside menu, our waiter was able to get it for us. That is great service!
The bed was very comfortable; nice and soft. I also liked the wall-mounted, flatscreen LCD tv.The valet service was great as well. We were greeted everytime we drove into the Sanctuary complex.
The tennis courts were very nice as well. I played during the morning and made use of their ball machine to warm up.
This is the place to go if you are looking for a great view and nice ambiance.
The menu usually changes monthly which is nice. Always have a great soup on as well. Last night was lobster bisque, not too creamy, I liked that. They often have some great vegetarian options as well. Usually they have some type of tofu on the menu, but last night they did not. I had the edamame/ scallion ravioli which was not the best that I have had there. My "dinner date" had the fillet minus the bacon. Hmmmm....I don't remember what he even had to say about it. Must of been all the wine. But I do remember the "bus boy" (what is the proper name for them, someone tell me!) who kept trying to take his dish away because he thought he was done! That is the most annoying thing they can do at restaurants especially when you are trying to enjoy the whole "sanctuary" experience. We also were sat outside (have a reservation if you want the nice booth facing the windows) which I didn't particularly care for but I guess I am a picky "date".
But I'll be back!
I'm not sure why some of the folks who wrote glowing reviews still only chose 4 stars? From my experience, this place should get 10! I could care less about the celebrity thing, but I can see why they flock here.
We went for a wedding in the middle of July. It was amazing. Everything. I have not one complaint. Except that I may never get to go here again if I'm spending my own dime....
If its good enough for Britney, its good enough for me. Which I guess isnt saying much these days... But trashy ole Brit knew what she was doing when she booked a room at Sanctuary.
This resort truely is a Sanctuary--the pool, complete with negative edge, in-water matching rafts for guests, and a top notch waitstaff was my favorite spot. Had a gotten a chance to experience the spa, which I've heard is one of the best in town, I may have taken up residence there.
I stayed here as a reward for work with a bunch of girls--we had a suite--a sweet suit eactually, complete with 3 bedrooms, kitchen living room, etc. We even had a cute bellboy who watched parts of the NBA finals with us. Now thats service.
Plush robes, a balcony with a perfect mountain view, and egyptian cotton sheets. Loveitloveit.
At night we went to Elements which is the very up-scale restaurant and bar at the resort. It deserves its own review so I'll write a seperate one, but know that its exceptional and the view is amazing. A great date spot for even those who aren't spending the night at the hotel.
I love sipping wine at the Jade bar or enjoying some of the finest dining with an exquisite view. Not for one on a budget.
I would like to stay and get pampered soon... ;)
In one word...excellent! My fiancee and I had an amazing time here last summer, when we were upgraded to a Spa Casita Suite because the hotel had found out about our engagement, which happened right before we left for our trip. The room was huge, the grounds were beautiful, the pool was awesome, and everything there was so peaceful. The concierge helped us with directions to anywhere we wanted to go and the location was great as well...not far from the main drag, but somewhat hidden from the outside world. We are hoping to return soon.
Went off season and the tariff was reasonable. A bargain, for what it was. Breathtaking views, oh so luxurious room complete with high thread count sheets, cozy robes, a bath complete with products and sponge waiting you, and spray to scent your sheets.
The breakfast was excellent, served in a dining rioom that overlooks a magnificent vista.
My only disclaimer : the a/c unit in the room was in the closet and ran noisily all night.
I wrote my elaborate review under Sanctuary Spa. This place is near PERFECT.
I love-love-loved this hotel. I did a site visit here once, and while I didn't get to see all the space, and the person that was supposed to show me around ended up being unable to do so, I took a quick tour of most of the property via golf cart (they didn't let me drive though - mean). And of course I got to stay in a kick ass room. I had a little kitchenette and a living room, and then the bedroom and bathroom. I always had treats in my room when I came home, and the turndown service was awesome.
I really really want to stay in one of the rooms with an outdoor tub! I love being naked outside! I don't necessarily want anyone to see me, but I like to do it. An enclosed tub is perfect for my non-exhibitionistic-nudist yearnings!
The infinity pool was gorgeous, the bar and its big fire pits incredibly sexy, and the food was good too. But how can food not be good when you're sitting outside on a gorgeous terrace looking out over the desert, or back up toward the mountain? They even own homes on the property that you can rent out!
I would stay here every time I visited the area if I could afford it.
Great place to have lunch or lounge at deck overlooking the pool! They have a great variety of dishes and pretty healthy too! I didn't stay there but have heard mixed stories. Maybe it is better just to go and eat there instead! ;-P
I have a friend who works here, so I get all the gossip on Britney Spears, Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston when they stay here.
The hotel is on Camelback Mountain, giving it a relaxing feel and the views are amazing.
The room was great, the bed was so comfortable and the room service was fantastic.
I'd recommend this hotel to anyone!
Allegedly Jennifer Anniston's hotel of choice, I really enjoyed the scenery at this sedate mountain getaway. Pool had gorgeous mountain views And, no forced valet is nice. Elements did not offer a stellar dining experience for late lunch (though they had creative outdoor heating), so that takes away from my perspective.
Amazing location with verrrry hip atmosphere. The bar is dead by 10pm but if you can score a seat on the hillside deck and linger after dinner there is no place you would rather be.
