Originally Posted by
r.brown
As for the gift shop, they charge $22 for sunscreen, so make sure you bring plenty before you arrive to the hotel.
My only gripe was the valet parking @ $29 / day. The self parking lot is so far away that you would seriously probably spend 15-20 minutes walking to it. The Biltmore is in the suburbs of Phoenix which as you know is a desert. Plenty of land but they charge it because they can.
I think most hotels will milk guests for items in their shops. We do have Target, Wal-Mart, etc here though, where you'll find sunscreen for far less than $22. I remember pricing sunscreen at a resort in Cabo and it was probably similar.
I'd hardly call the area of the Biltmore in the suburbs. More like uptown. There are a few vacant lots nearby, but other than the golf course, it really isn't the open desert. I just ran through the property last week (along the Arizona Canal, which goes in between the golf course and the hotel bldgs), and it certainly was buzzing...even at 7am. Much more than where I live (which I would definitely call the suburbs).