The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

I spend a week here weith my parents after flying into PHX.

I booked with bookin hotels for $106 per night.

After arriving about 9am on Friday night we used valet parking ($20 per night).

At check in were offered pool view rooms for an addititonal $25 per night which we took.

My parents were given 4471 ( just up from the lobby) and was a massive room ( junior suite) with a seating area the size of the bed area but no step out balcony.

I was given 4605 which involved a walk thorugh the link between the two bedrooms and past the shops before taking the lift at Primo restaurant an d effectivly doubling back along the 4th floor corridor ( lobby is on the 3rd floor). The room was the standard room but had a step out balcony over looking the pool area and the hills.
The bathroom had a separate bath and shower.
The bed was comfortable and the room was quiet.

Given the Sat/Sun was Labor day weekend the pool area was busy but the hotel had lots of activites on and the lazy river and water slides were busy too.
The fitness centre in the spa is $25 per day but there is a free fitness centre with a limited range of machines ( adequate) by the plunge restaurant by the pool area.
On Sunday evening the hotel put on a wonderful fireworks display ( from the golf green just dwon from the pool area) This was delayed from 915pm to 1015pm due to the thunderstorms and rain on sunday night but as I had a pool view room I got a birds eye view of the fireworks!! ( it lasted 15mins and was excellent)
Monday to Friday the hotel was busy with conventioneers but as they were at the convention the pool was dead quiet ( lots of water slide goes for me).

Valet parking was ok apaprt from 2 sessions on Sunday when we had to wait 15-20mins due to problems with the valet key cards.
On monday to friday we used the self park ( $10 per night) and were able to find a place close to the lift ( a little walk back to the lobby)as my dad has a knee problem.

The signature grill was ok for dinner ( a bit expensive and a bit too much of nouvelle cuisine) as we had dessert for the only time in the trip as the meal whilst good did not fill us up like the outback or Red lobster chains.
The breakfast buffet was $22 which we skipped and drove 10mins to IHOP ( on Grant Road)for breakfast ( the double blueberry pancakes at $6.99 were excellent!)

The hotel offers guided walks into the hils but I just used the hking map for a copule of morning hikes ( 45mins or so) and saw lots of wonderful cacti.
At sunset the hills, the clouds and the cactai provided wonderful photo opportunities.
Drinks in the shop were not too expensive and there was a Starbucks on site also.

Overall an excellent hotel but the parking charges are a bit high and a slightly cheaper evening restaurant would have been useful.

We got a 1pm check out on Friday for no charge.

You really do need a car here as it is about 10-15mins drive to the nearest shops( McDonalds/IHOP) and about 30mins to the tucson Mall.

Regards

TBS

DZMAN

Thinking of staying here for spring break with my wife and 18 year old son. Anyone have insights into this property. Conceriege lounge? nearby shopping/restuarants? Things that are within walking distance.

Appreciate your insights.

Big Mo

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419707

This is a great property located in Tucson Mt. Park. The only things within walking distance are the resort grounds, the beautiful park (great for hiking), and a few homes.

TheAAdmiral

Stunning hotel^ We stay there a couple of times a year( we have a student at U of A).

travelexpert

I love JWs--but this one did not do it for me.

Much preferred the JW in Scottsdale. Right across the road from a monstrous shopping mall with a huge range of stores and restaurants.

NDDomer86

I'm assuming you're talking about the JW Marriott Camelback Inn and the Fashion Square mall. The JW is nearby the mall but to say it is across the road is a HUGE mistake. The JW Camelback is down a mile or so on Lincoln Avenue from Scottsdale Rd. Fashion Square Mall is on Camelback easily a 5-10 minute drive.

Anthemflyer

DZMan,

I stayed there a few years ago and thought the hotel was fine. Its a big resort, so depending on where you rooms are located, you could have a bit of a walk to the restaruants or pools. There really is nothing within walking distance except the resort itself.

The evenings I was there, they hosted an event to watch the sun set and light the fire pits. I think everyone got a free shot of something.

Depending on where you are from and when sprink break occurs, make sure to check the temps. It can easily reach 100 plus in early spring. You may love the heat or hate it!

If I were making the choice, I would probaly vote for Scottsdale or Phoenix. Many more things to do and see, much better shopping. Lots of golf. Tucson is quieter, more laid back, more western. Just depends on what you're seeking.

Good luck!

Big Mo

IMO it's not a matter of "more to do." There's a very large number of diverse things to do in the Tucson area. Rather, it's a subjective question of whether you'd rather (using the above example) be near a shopping mall or near a beautiful desert mountain park. Since I don't need to go on vacation to visit a shopping mall, I'll take the park every time. Others obviously disagree. To each his own.

Diamondback

Or, could be the JW Desert Ridge. A beautiful property with lots of shopping across the street. The shopping is not high-end stuff but more of a power center type complex.

NDDomer86

Considered the poster might be talking about that one but it's technically in PHX not Scottsdale...

travelexpert

Correct--this is the property to which I was referring.

Loved the outdoor area as well--and AMAZING pools.

And the staff were top notch, across the board.

The gym is VERY well equipped.

Finally, the spa is a separate area, with its own restaurant and pool. One of the most beautiful I have come across (after the JW in Phuket).

DZMAN

your insights are helpful. Looking at the Buttes too due to saver award!!

Big Mo

We just completed our annual rewards stay and again were upgraded to a "view" room with a balcony in the spa wing. Occupancy was down from previous years. It seems that most of the guests were part of the Accenture match play group, which was held at the Ritz across town.

In years past, the White Sox booked a block of rooms during Spring Training, but they've relocated to Glendale this year.

cjw2001

I just completed a 5 night rewards stay at the JW Marriott Starr Pass.

I didn't feel the need to pay for valet parking so I went with the self parking option. There is no self parking signage as you approach the hotel (but there is self parking signage as you leave). Likely this is to encourage guests to use the valet parking at the front entrance.

You can easily bypass the front entrance and go directly to the self park area by turning right onto the service drive as you approach the hotel. A sign at this intersection is labeled "service drive".

As you approach the eastern end of the hotel building there is an outdoor parking structure that appears to be mainly used by hotel staff. Just past the outdoor structure is indoor self parking. There are no parking attendants or control gates to restrict access to the self parking area. Once parked you take the elevator up to level 3 to access the hotel.

Note that it is a long walk inside the hotel from the parking area to the check in desk, so if you have lots of baggage or trouble walking long distances you may be better off to use the front entrance and/or valet parking options. Since my assigned room was on the far western end of the hotel the walk to my car from the room was about 1/4 mile as measured on google maps.

Upon check in was notified that I had been upgraded to an Executive Suite. I was offered (and declined) a key to the in room minibar. I chose the points option for the Platinum welcome gift but was also provided a small gift bag of refreshments anyway.

The guest room was large and comfortable, with separate entrance, living room, bath room and bed rooms. There was also a large balcony accessible from both the bedroom and living room.

Every night around 5:30 pm they do a complimentary tequila toast in the patio bar called Salud located off the main lobby. This is a great area to relax in the evening with fire pits and views of Tucson in the distance.

The onsite restaurants were on the expensive side so I drove into the city for most of my meals. You should have a car and allow for a 30 minute drive if you don't plan to eat onsite.

Since this is a resort there is no concierge lounge for breakfast or refreshments. The breakfast buffet at the on site restaurant was very good but also pricey. I especially liked the made to order french toast and eggs Benedict.

I enjoyed the easy access to Tucson Mountain Park for hiking. There is a loop trail into the park that starts right in front of the hotel. The best time to hike is in the morning before the sun gets too intense.

The hotel trails expert offers a complimentary guided mini hike at 7 am to get you started. At the end of the guided mini hike you can either return back to the hotel or continue on your own to finish the loop trail. There are also other trails available beyond the loop trail if you want an extended hike.

The loop trail takes about 2 hours to complete if you stop along the way to enjoy the view and take pictures. I was lucky on my first hike to encounter 5 or 6 mule deer. Here are some pictures I took during my morning hike through the park.

The resort had three separate pool areas - a lap pool, a general purpose pool, and a lazy river pool area.

I didn't use the spa or golf course so I can't comment on those facilities.

Overall I had a great stay and felt I received good value for the points.

My only post stay complaint is today I found that I have an unexpected $48 in mini-bar charges that showed up on my folio after checkout. This is curious since I was offered the mini-bar key at check in and declined the offer. I'll have to call Marriott Business Services on Monday and dispute the charge.

update: Called Marriott Business Services this morning and was told that the $48 mini-bar charge would be removed.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the updated trip report - especially about the self-service parking directions/location.

Cheers.