By CAROLE ORLIN Special to the Daily Press
Old World charm overflows from the latest destination resort I have discovered. It is luxurious, affordable and located in a breathtakingly beautiful setting that is only an one-hour flight from LAX.
It is the Royal Palms Resort and Spa. Just seven miles from the Phoenix airport, the Royal Palms is situated in the Valley of the Sun, near Scottsdale, Arizona, at the foot of the magnificent Camelback Mountain. I have seen pictures of Camelback Mountain, but pictures cannot even come close to doing this place justice. There are numerous hiking, biking and running trails with varying degrees of difficulty, all in close proximity to the resort. Needless to say, my husband and I took full advantage of them. Scottsdale also has 200 golf courses, so if golf is your thing, they’ve got you covered!
Meanwhile, back to the Royal Palms. When we first arrived, we knew we were in for an amazing experience. This resort was originally a grand estate built as a private winter retreat in 1929. Over the years, it has been a hotel of one sort or another; but in 1997 it underwent a major renovation that was focused on restoring its original grandeur.
As we arrived at this beautiful, lush and inviting resort our eyes were treated to Mediterranean style courtyards with Spanish tiles, European antiques, citrus groves, gardens, and blooming flowers all centered around the dramatic backdrop of Camelback Mountain. We were surrounded by the resort’s 119 casitas, guestrooms, and spa-suites. We stayed in the newly completed (three weeks prior to our arrival) Montavista spa suite. We had our own steam shower and a wonderful, oversized, European soaking tub. One thing to remember though, when using the steam shower, is to keep the door closed or the fire alarm will go off!! Trust me, this can be quite embarrassing, but the staff was very gracious about that! Our suite had French doors leading to a beautiful courtyard
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 17, 2007. Read the original PDF.