Hotel Review: DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley - Scottsdale
With my American Express (AMEX) Hilton Aspire Card, I get a $250 resort credit for every card member year. The credit can be applied towards a room rate, but technically, you can only redeem the credit at properties listed on Hilton’s resort page. Since I am not traveling internationally at this moment, I decided to use it sooner rather than later when I visited my best friend in Scottsdale, Arizona. Luckily, many Hilton resorts were located in the area, and I chose DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley - Scottsdale. Hilton’s DoubleTree brand never stood out to me. I’ve stayed at various DoubleTree hotels when I travel for work, but the quality of care and attentiveness has been comparable to the level I receive at Hampton Inn. The “best” DoubleTree property has been DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown. I was upgraded to a spacious suite and enjoyed the stay since it wasn’t a typical, cookie-cutter hotel. Though I hoped for unique experiences, I didn't know what to expect since I’d never stayed at a DoubleTree resort. Here is my review of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley - Scottsdale:
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley - Scottsdale is located at 5401 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
American Express Hilton Honors Aspire
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card is currently offering a signup bonus of 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 in 3 months. Be aware that since this is an American Express (AMEX) card, you’re only allowed to receive the signup bonus once per lifetime. With a valuation of 0.6 cents per point, the signup bonus is worth about $900. In addition, until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $20 when they spend more than $20 at restaurants each month. The annual fee is $450, but cardmembers get a weekend night certificate (redeemable on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at non-premium hotels), $250 incidental credit towards your airline of choice, $250 Hilton resort credit at select Hilton resorts, and Hilton Diamond status, the highest in Hilton’s member ecosystem.
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card is one of my favorite credit cards for its benefits and perks. Photo by AMEX.
The Aspire Card earns 14X per dollar spent on Hilton hotels and resorts when booked directly through Hilton and 7X on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly with select companies, and U.S. restaurants. All other purchases will earn 3X per dollar spent. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, you’ll get a 100% points bonus and 10 extra points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. Therefore, the Aspire card earns a total of 24X per dollar spent on Hilton properties when booked directly with Hilton, yielding a grand return of 14.4%. With Hilton’s frequent points promotions, you can rake in a serious amount of Hilton Honors points in no time. Even if you don’t stay at Hilton properties too often, this card is definitely worth the annual fee due to its amazing perks and benefits, and I strongly believe it’s the best hotel credit card available on the market right now.
If you’d like to apply for the American Express Hilton Aspire Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSr3Jf?xl=cp01
American Express Hilton Honors Business
Alternatively, I could’ve used my American Express Hilton Honors Business card to book my stay. The AMEX Hilton Honors Business card is currently offering a signup bonus of 130,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $3,000 in 3 months, which is also worth about $780. Like other AMEX cards, the card is subject to the once-per-lifetime signup bonus rule. The annual fee is $95, and unlike the Aspire, it doesn’t come with airline or resort credits. However, it can be a great workhorse card as it offers generous everyday and business multipliers. It earns 12X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent on hotel and resort purchases booked directly with Hilton and 6X at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless telephone services, U.S. purchases for shipping, and flights booked directly with airlines or with AMEX Travel. All other purchases earn 3X points per dollar spent. Because cardmembers receive automatic Honors Gold status, you’ll get an 80% points bonus and 8 extra points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. In addition, you’d receive 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits and have an opportunity to earn a free weekend night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. As a result, the Surpass earns a total of 20X per dollar spent on Hilton properties when booked directly with Hilton, yielding a return of 12%.
The American Express Hilton Honors Business card can cover a wide range of daily expenses and still comes with a great multiplier for Hilton stays. Photo by AMEX.
If you’d like to apply for the American Express Hilton Honors Business card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/EDWARS067p?xl=cp15
Lobby & Check-In Review
Since I was staying for a night, I didn’t want to use valet service for $50 per night. Luckily, there were parking spots around the property, and it was a breeze to park near our room at any time. The lobby was inviting with plenty of natural light coming in from the ceiling.
Natural light from the ceiling made the lobby more inviting.
I was assisted immediately, but the check-in representative struggled to find my itinerary. It took him a while to find it, but despite having the Hilton Honors Diamond status, I was not offered an upgrade. In fact, he put me close to the main pool and informed me that was the closest thing he could get me in terms of upgrades. I didn’t question his service, but it was another moment that the Diamond status does not mean anything even when the hotel is barely full.
The concierge desk remain closed during my visit.
After receiving obligatory DoubleTree cookies and water bottles, I headed to my room, which was located in the middle of the resort. As I explored the lobby, it became apparent that the hotel’s design was partially inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, especially with column designs. The play with wall lines and windows by the ceiling let in a significant amount of natural light, making the common area more inviting.
If you are interested in more Frank Lloyd inspired work, I highly recommend visiting Taliesin West in Pheonix.
However, the hallways were dim and uninviting, and you could undoubtedly see the hotel’s age with ragged flooring and walls. Moreover, it was extremely confusing to get to my room; directions and signs were not clearly marked, and it took me several attempts to finally arrive at my room.
The dessert garden was charming, contrary to dim and gloomy hallways.
Bedroom Review
My room faced the main pool, and its hallway faced a small courtyard. I was slightly concerned with the noise given the placement of the room, but because of the low occupancy rate at the time, my stay was undisturbed by neighboring noise from the pool.
The courtyard was relaxing, and you can park your car right behind it.
As soon as I entered the room, there was a powder room to the left to compensate for the small size of the bathroom.
The bathroom was significantly smaller than the bedroom, and the powder room was desperately needed.
Then, the area opened up with high ceilings and wood beam accents. The bed was the room’s centerpiece, featuring a faux leather headboard and an oddly positioned art piece above it.
I loved the wooden beams on the ceiling.
While it was comfortable, it wasn’t anything to rave about. There was a spacious nightstand on each side of the bed, and I really enjoyed the vibe from the wall lamps. They used brass and bamboo materials to create a unique tropical/modern atmosphere.
The combination of bamboo and brass really set the tone for the room.
To the left of the bed were a tiny sink and a Mr.Coffee coffee machine. I ended up using the area to wash my hands before and after going to sleep.
The coffee machine was a letdown, but there is a cafe in the lobby if you’d like to enjoy Starbucks-branded drinks.
To the right of the bed, there was a coffee table and additional seats around it. I liked the aesthetics of the loveseat since it matched the modern tropical vibe of the nightstand’s light fixtures, but it was not really pleasant to sit on it.
Though uncomfortable, the modern tropical theme continued through the standing light fixture.
Across from the bed, there was a TV, and the cabinet housed a mini-fridge.
The mini-fridge was discreetly hidden in the TV cabinet.
Instead of a traditional work desk, the room had a round table with one computer chair. I understood the property’s intention to have a non-traditional desk in a resort setting, but I questioned the chair since it felt out of place.
The work chair didn’t really align with the overall theme of the room.
My room had a compact balcony with seating options and a small table.
The balcony chairs and table were pretty dusty due to recent storms.
I could see the main pool from the balcony, surrounded by cacti and palm trees.
From my room, I could see the hotel’s main pool, the Azure pool, as well as the dessert garden.
The room didn’t deviate much from my expectation - inoffensive. Though it was my first time staying at a DoubleTree resort, the room didn’t have anything special, and everything was just ok. It may sound like I am criticizing the hotel, but it is not a bad case for a DoubleTree property, as it fits its identity—slightly more upscale than Hampton Inn but unimpressive compared to Hilton properties.
Bathroom Review
As mentioned before, the bathroom was pretty small, and I could understand why there was a powder room to compensate for the lack of space. Due to limited space, the bathroom only had one vanity and a walk-in-style shower booth.
Be ready - the bathroom is very compact and cannot fit more than one person.
The shower used a standard showerhead, and the water pressure was below average. The sliding shower door was perfect for cramped space, but it was inconvenient to shut the door after getting in; I had to slide a heavy, handleless sheet of glass.
The sliding door was necessary due to limited space but was somewhat inconvenient especially when entering and exiting the booth.
The toiletries were the DoubleTree’s standard Crabtree & Evelyn brand.
Crabtree & Evelyn is a typical toiletry choice for domestic DoubleTree properties.
Even though the bathroom was functionally acceptable, I wish the hotel had spared more room for the bathroom since the bedroom was more spacious than usual.
Gym Review
After checking into my room, I headed to the gym to work out. The gym was located adjacent to the lobby, and on my way to the gym, I found full basketball and tennis courts for those who wanted to stay active outside the gym.
The tennis court was in decent condition.
The gym felt quite congested, especially where the cardio machines were. The cardio machines were positioned without any social distancing, which was concerning given the Coronavirus was still rampant.
Cardio machines were not socially distanced and there were many wires on the floor, creating trip hazard opportunities.
Strength workout areas had high ceilings and definitely made them look roomier and airier than they actually were. In addition, I liked that the gym had many dumbbells and adjustable benches because some hotels only offer one or two benches.
Not all equipment was maintained well, but the gym offered various of types of machines for all muscle groups imaginable.
Even though there were various workout machines for all muscle groups, the gym equipment was outdated, and apparently, the ventilation system was out of order during my stay. The hotel put several fans on the gym floor to help with the air circulation but the wires weren’t properly tucked and posed opportunities for tripping hazards.
The hotel desperately needs to fix the AC and remove fans on the floor.
Pool Review
The hotel had two pools; The Azure swimming pool was the main pool in the middle of the property, and the Turquesa swimming pool was a smaller pool towards the end of the property.
The Azure pool was the centerpiece of the resort, but it was a huge letdown due to its poor quality.
The Azure pool seemed to be the hot spot for all resort visitors. Surrounded by palm trees and sunbeds, it was certainly the most crowded area.
Despite it being the main pool, almost all sunbeds were available.
However, the pool was not properly maintained. I am unsure whether it was the quality of the visitors or the maintenance issue, but every time I visited the pool in the morning, there was trash and used towels everywhere.
Each time I visited the pool in the morning, I encountered litter and used towels scattered throughout the area.
The pool was not heated, and it presented a disappointing quality of upkeep and poor hygiene by the poolside; those certainly deterred me from using the pool.
The pool area displayed a lackluster level of maintenance and poor hygiene standards poolside.
I moved on to the Turquesa pool, hoping that it would present itself better. Since it is located at the end of the hotel, I could enjoy the pretty courtyard and water fountains along the way.
The fountain had leaves and trash floating around.
Though they did not meet my standards, they offered new atmospheres and brought more lifts to the resort.
I even stumbled upon a putting zone even though the turf was extremely dehydrated.
The putting green was not usable even though the grass looks fine in the picture.
When I arrived at the Turquesa pool, I quickly realized that my expectation fell short again.
The Turquesa pool was quieter and more intimate in size and atmosphere.
While the Turquesa pool had a cozier vibe with cabanas and intimate seating options, there were leaves in the pool and used towels and empty drinks all over the pool.
Cabanas were available to rent, but they come with a hefty price tag for their quality.
If you are interested in renting a cabana, it will set you back $150 for the day and it comes with chips and salsa and with either six bottles of water or lemonade and tea.
Poolside cabanas were mundane and didn’t have enough seating options in my opinion.
The Turquesa pool was also not heated, and I wish the hotel took better care of the pools since they are the highlights of the resort experience.
I didn’t see anyone keeping up with the pool, and that could speak to why the pools were dirty.
Breakfast Review—Asadero Cocina and Cantina
We could’ve chosen Made Market for breakfast, where Starbucks coffee and pastries were served in a grab-and-go style, but we wanted to enjoy the breakfast in a traditional dine-in style.
Made Market offers Starbucks-branded drinks and simple breakfast options.
The hotel had a restaurant called Asadero Cocina and Cantina, which offered both indoor and outdoor dining options.
If you don’t want to be bothered by birds trying to steal your food, choose indoor for dining.
With my Hilton Honors Diamond status, my breakfast was covered for myself and my girlfriend, and each of us could choose one item from the menu. I went with the pork chorizo breakfast burrito while she ordered the all American breakfast.
If you have a Hilton Honors Gold status and up, you will receive free breakast.
While sipping on coffee and waiting for the food to come out, we quickly realized the outdoor dining area is not for those who don’t like birds. Because people drop food or tables are not cleared immediately, birds came by and ate the leftovers. The wait staff would occasionally clear them out, but the restaurant was short-staffed, and the birds would come back a few seconds later. I didn’t mind, but many people seemed bothered by it.
The outdoor dining was pleasant when birds were not trying to steal your food.
Other than the birds, the food was good; my chorizo burrito was slightly greasy, but the cheese melted perfectly, and the potatoes were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
The chorizo burrito was hefty and was perfectly gooey inside.
The all American breakfast was decent as well; the eggs were cooked perfectly as ordered and the breakfast sausages were snappy and delicious.
The eggs were cooked as requested, and toasts also came with the dish.
In addition, the waiter checked on us frequently and provided excellent service, which is always appreciated. I am sure there are good breakfast spots in town, but if your breakfast is covered due to your Hilton Honors status, I recommend Asadero Cocina and Cantina for breakfast.
Summary
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley - Scottsdale was my first DoubleTree resort experience. I enjoyed staying in a spacious room and appreciated having an actual cook-to-order breakfast in an outdoor setting. While the hotel offered valet parking, it was really unnecessary given the ample parking spaces all over the property. Other than those highlights, my experience fell short at every angle. Both pools were poorly maintained and infested with used towels and trash. The hotel was showing its age at every corner, and I think I would’ve been less disappointed had this been a regular hotel, not a resort. The hotel’s location is desirable, but if you are looking for an enjoyable resort experience, I suggest you look somewhere else that can truly deliver a complete resort experience.
