Art finds place to stay in Arizona
PARADISE VALLEY, ARIZ.— Walking to your room at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa is like meandering through an idyllic desert village, all sun shining and birds singing in the pine trees.
When you arrive and set your bags down on the terrace, you imagine sitting back on the bright pillows with your morning coffee and paper and nodding to your neighbours. I haven’t even walked in the door and I never want to leave.
Inside my bungalow, one of 201 on the 9.3- hectare site, I find gorgeous colours, texture sand shapes. The rooms are inspired by 20th-century artists and feature prints, etchings and paintings (as well as a leather sleeve or the chain lock) by artists from the nearby Cattle Track Arts Compound.
In keeping with the Andaz mission of blending the local community into its properties, the resort has a visiting artists program with Cattle Track. Guests can create masterpieces at the Andaz studio or the Cattle Track compound.
The Guest House welcomes you to the resort with floor-to-ceiling windows and an expensive mid-century living room feel. The Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen (named for elements in weaving) has an open kitchen and a big menu of acclaimed small plates to enjoy inside or out, overlooking the pool.
If you can tear yourself away from playing house in your bungalow, that is.
Walking in past the couch (more pretty pillows) purple chair and flat screen almost as big as the bed, you arrive at the closet area. Two white robes and two pairs of flip flops await; yellow for him and blue for her. There is plenty of counter space to spread out your stuff that can’t be as pretty as the (complementary) bag of green jalapeno chips on the turquoise tray in the coffee and mini-bar area.
In the bathroom, a skylight lets in the plentiful desert light, the shower is big enough for a dance party and there is a subtle night light under the sink counter in case you need to make a nighttime visit. Speaking of which, even the view from the throne appears art directed; through the glass door to the walled back deck you see a perfectly framed cactus.
A quibble for the tidy: there is only one (tiny) trash can and it’s hidden away next to the toilet. And a note to spa lovers: the resort’s Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary opened in February.
Rooms start at $399 (U.S.) per night during peak season. Suites start at $2,500 during peak season. Jennifer Allford was a guest of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa, which did not review or approve this story.