An urban retreat with chic retro flair, the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona can definitely count me as a fan! I spent 2 nights at the hotel in December, and am ready to go back anytime!

Location

Just a few steps from the pretty Old Town Scottsdale stretch, the location for this retreat is quite nearly perfect to explore Scottsdale, except that it will be tempting to not leave the hotel property! Spoiler: It’s gorgeous! While I recommend you get a car to get around the area in general to do some fun stuff, there are plenty of spots you can walk to from the hotel itself, especially for lunch/dinner/drinks, shopping in the many boutiques and consignment stores of Scottsdale, and the SMOCA.

The Hotel

The property is beautiful, with a fun lounge area (which was buzzing even on a Tuesday night with locals coming in for a drink!), beautifully kept grounds, a lovely pool, and gym and spa. They also have an amazing rooftop which is sadly reserved for private events…highly recommend asking if you can just go up there during sunset to catch the stunning views of the city and the surrounding mountains!

ProTip: Ace Bailey, a local guide, leads tours of the hotel, so if you are interested in learning about the history, the celebrity connections, or are generally an architecture buff, ask the hotel to set this up for you! It costs $19.56 (the year the hotel opened!), and will include that rooftop stop!

Rooms

The rooms are an absolute delight! I love all things retro, and the Valley Ho is the perfect combination of retro + comfortable + gorgeous. I especially loved the pops of orange and teal in the rooms, and of course a giant tub in the middle of the room (remember what I said about it being tempting to not step out?), and a fantastic patio that opened out into the garden. While some of the rooms are a bit different, all of them have balconies or patios, and are all decorated impeccably in a vintage-modern style.

Food

I normally am fast to dismiss hotel restaurants, but I had 2 meals (breakfast and dinner) at Café Zuzu, the restaurant onsite, and can honestly say that I was impressed by the quality of ingredients and the creativity of the menu. I won’t list out everything we ate, but I will say that our table of 6 was generally happy with our choices for both meals. And yes, they work with local farmers and producers as much as possible, so a lot of the ingredients are locally sourced and farm to table. It also seemed like it was not just hotel guests eating here, I always take it as a good sign when it’s a destination restaurant even for folks living in the area.

Patio + fire pit - the perfect place to sip a glass of wine!

What you need to know:

1. The hotel, while mid-century in design, is absolutely modern in amenities.

2. Service is friendly but non-intrusive.

3. The patio dining area is beautiful with fire pits – perfect for dining outside even on a chilly night! Or just grabbing a glass of wine.

Whether you're looking to get away and relax by the pool, need a staycation, or just want a comfortable place to sleep at the end of a day of exploring Phoenix, the Hotel Valley Ho is an ideal destination.