Originally Posted by robyng

Did you go during high - low or shoulder season? Last time we went to the FS was dead low season - summer monsoon season - during the renovations - and it was hard to complain since we were paying about $100/night. Curiously - the food wound up being better during the renovations than previously. The high end restaurant was closed - but the more casual dining room served a mix of low and high end stuff - but at lower price points than the high end restaurant. And all the spa services were on sale - big discounts. Guess one's degree of satisfaction depends on what one is paying - and getting for one's money. I have to disagree with you about the staff. I've always thought it was professional and friendly - albeit young - like in ski resorts (OTOH - perhaps our fluency in Spanish doesn't hurt).

Regarding food in general - there are much better places to eat than the hotels in this area - so I consider the hotel dining more of a convenience than a destination.

I've not stayed at Enchantment - but we had brunch there one day - and - if the hotel in general is as dreary as the brunch and dining room in which it was served - I wouldn't find it attractive.

It has been too many years since I have stayed at the Sanctuary to have anything meaningful to say about it in its current incarnation.

I am thinking that perhaps the way you look at various places in an area like Scottsdale is the contrast between the older water wasting properties (which contrive to make the desert look like something it isn't - all the lush landscaping - etc.) - and the newer places - like the FS - which is in a quite frank desert setting. I am not that familiar with water rules in Arizona (although I know that newer properties can't landscape like older ones did) - but I do know that here in Florida - everyone will have to get used to less water intensive landscapes as a result of permanent water restrictions (which vary from medium to draconian these days depending on the part of the state you're dealing with). Robyn