CopperWynd Resort, the Fountain Hills hotel with striking views of Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains, is closing its doors indefinitely as a result of the economy.

Starting Monday, the upper level of the resort’s main building and all 32 European-inspired guest rooms will close until further notice. The resort’s upscale restaurant, Alchemy, also will cease operations.

Spa, fitness, tennis and pool areas will stay open for private members, according to the resort’s Web site.

“The circumstances dictating this course of action are unfortunately unavoidable,” said CopperWynd manager Doug DeLong in a letter to resort members.

Straddling an area between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, the four-diamond resort debuted in 1999 to much fanfare. Its grand opening included a 26,500-square-foot country club with a spa, fitness center, nine tennis courts and three swimming pools.

Alchemy, which serves New American cuisine with a Sonoran flair, reopened with a new design in 2001.

Five years after courting investors for a potential expansion project, the resort has suffered from decreased spending and low occupancy, DeLong said in the letter.

By funding a “sizable” deficit every year, ownership has “done everything” to ward off a closure, he said.

The resort and club, which overlooks a nearby golf club and mountain ranges, was ranked second on Arizona list in Condé Nast Traveler Gold List World’s “Best Places to Stay” in 2007. It has been honored as a Four Diamond Award winner in AAA’s recognition program every year since 2003.

Frank Ferrara, president and CEO of the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, called the luxury inn the “jewel” of Fountain Hills. He remembered when owners first posed plans for the project.

“We just thought it was great and a beautiful concept,” Ferrara said. “(The property) was just a mountain then.”

According to Ferrara, there is no time limit on the closure. The resort’s economic hardship is “a hardship on everybody,” he said.

“The amenities are going to be there for the members as long as they can continue to operate on it. I imagine (operators) are exploring all their options.”

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Pamper Mom with this ultra-relaxing package including:

• Restorative Sleep Ritual: Full Body Reflexology, addressing pressure points in the feet, hands, and scalp combines with a Serenity Foot Wrap and an Aromatherapy Massage to promote restful, quality sleep.
• Moroccan Manicure & Pedicure
• Granada Love Bellini
• Make-up application and a complimentary lip gloss by Aisha
• Joya Spa bag with Layla & Qays Bath Gel & Moisturizer

$450.00 all inclusive

Valid May 1 – May 10, 2009

Montelucia Resort And Joya Spa

4949 East Lincoln Drive
Scottsdale, Arizona 85253
USA

480-627-3020

Joya Spa at InterContinental Montelucia is the jewel of Paradise Valley. Joya Spa is a magical place where every detail is designed to magnify your inner and outer beauty and accelerate the fruition of your deepest wishes. Experience life in a fresh new way, from meaningful intention-setting rituals to the luxurious iridescent Hammam, the best of the best in talent and equipment to signature treatments infused with the rare night-blooming flower essence. Joya Spa creates awe and joyful awakening, opening the heart to life’s mysterious miracles.

Joya Spa is proud to present Arizona’s only authentic Hammam. A luxurious bathing ritual that you’ll come to love, the Hammam experience relaxes you on a profound level.

Custom everything, from luxurious jewelry pieces to skin care and makeup, organic perfume oil to wellness programs, musical selections to custom adventures with friends or loved ones, Joya Spa has truly refined the art of customization.

A spacious environment reminiscent of Morocco and Andalusia, the inviting lounges, opulent balcony suites, and warm walkways filled with intricate light shadows entice you to visit every corner of Joya Spa.

Joya Spa skillfully blends the highest of technological advances with a joyful simplicity.
Enjoy high-tech accoutrements like a zero-gravity pedicure chair, a massage table that vibrates in tune to the music, and top-of-the-line fitness equipment.

Whether experiencing a meditative moment in the Hammam, lounging on the terrace gazing at the mountain, or inspired by exotic music with a cool drink in hand, you’ll feel on every level … that anything is possible.

You’ll want to explore every corner of our spa including:

* 19 luxurious treatment rooms
* Lavish lounge areas for socializing or personal reflection, depending on your mood
* A private rooftop pool terrace — complete with cabanas and spectacular views
* A top-of-the-line fitness center with group exercise motion studio and a refreshing juice bar
* Joya Terrace, which proves that healthful and indulgent are no longer mutually exclusive

About the Montelucia
InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa features a distinct ambience influenced by the architecture and lifestyle of Andalusia in southern Spain. With a rich cultural history and influence from Roman, Greek and Moorish occupation, Andalusia lends a soulful and distinct flavor to the colors, architecture and décor of the luxury resort and spa.

The impeccable attention-to-detail that sets the resort apart is found in the Alhambra walkway modeled after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the signature restaurant inspired by Michelangelo’s Villa San Michele in Tuscany, the wedding chapel representative of the ballroom at Hotel Cipriani in Venice, and in every sun-dappled courtyard and tucked-away antiquity sourced from Spain.

Easter Weekend At Montelucia Spa Resort in Scottsdale AZ

Escape to warm weather and sunny skies at the new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, located in the warm, dry climate of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled in the foothills of picturesque Camelback Mountain and located just minutes from shopping, arts districts, restaurants and nightlife, the resort and 31,000 square-foot Joya spa is the newest and most luxurious way to soak in warmth and sun in the popular warm-weather destination.

In celebration of the most temperate of seasons, through June 14 stay 3 nights and receive a $300 resort credit to use in Joya Spa, Prado signature restaurant, Kasbah poolside restaurant and lounge or anywhere on the 23-acre resort property

Easter Brunch Menu & Resort Activities

Click here to view Prado’s Easter Brunch Menu!

Click here for Resort Activities for Easter Weekend

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Planet Trekkers First Annual Easter Egg Hunt

With over 300 eggs to find, this event will be one to remember! We will even have a special guest appearance from the Easter Bunny himself!

WHEN: Sunday, April 12, 2009, 8:00am – 10:00am
WHERE: Cortijo Plaza, Valencia Lawn, and Planet Trekkers

(Pick up your egg hunt bags in Cortijo Plaza!)

Planet Trekkers will will be open 7:30am – 3:30pm for this special event. Easter & Spring crafts, bouncy house, and group games are just a few of the fun things we have planned!

Make your reservations today! 480-627-3159

Exclusive Montelucia Easter Package!

Exclusive Montelucia Easter Package starts at $295!

This incredible offer includes overnight accommodations in a Montelucia Signature Suite, Easter Brunch for 2 on Sunday morning and tickets to the 1st Annual Montelucia Easter Egg Hunt starting at 8:00am Sunday morning! Kids 10 and under eat free!

CLICK HERE TO BOOK THE MONTELUCIA EASTER PACKAGE NOW!

Or please call our Experience Designers at 888 627 3010 and ask for the Montelucia Easter Weekend Package

This package is valued at $630, representing a savings of over 50%!

Sundays on Us Package

Simply put, we’re giving you an extra day to do with what you please. We want you to fully experience all that this wonderful destination has to offer, so start thinking about what you will do with your extra time…

BOOK THE “3 FOR 2″ OFFER NOW!

*Payment must be made in full at time of booking. Offer valid through April 30, 2009. Rate based on double occupancy.

$300 Resort Credit

Escape to warm weather and sunny skies at the new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, located in the warm, dry climate of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled in the foothills of picturesque Camelback Mountain and located just minutes from shopping, arts districts, restaurants and nightlife, the resort and 31,000 square-foot Joya spa is the newest and most luxurious way to soak in warmth and sun in the popular warm-weather destination.

In celebration of the most temperate of seasons, through June 14 stay 3 nights and receive a $300 resort credit to use in Joya Spa, Prado signature restaurant, Kasbah poolside restaurant and lounge or anywhere on the 23-acre resort property.

BOOK THE “EXPERIENCE MORE” PACKAGE NOW – CLICK HERE

For more information or to reserve this package, call one of our Experience Designers at 888-627-3010

Miraval

Find your Remedy

Relaxing used to mean doing nothing. Now, my lifestyle has been redefined. My choices are better, my life is balanced and relaxing has become an activity I share.

AUTHENTIC REMEDY

Miraval is the Authentic Remedy for trying times

In these trying times even our usual routines can seem more stressful. Sometimes the only thing we can control is the choice of how we handle these situations. Taking care of ourselves during the midst of it all is the most important choice we can make to stay healthy and happy.
Miraval has long been the place to relax, recharge and gather the tools to take home to live and feel better.
$399* at Miraval. No minimum length of stay.

Book your getaway now!

Call 800.232.3969 to book with code: REMEDY. Visit miravalresorts.com for more information.

Package includes:
o Introduction to the pleasures of Organic Wine with complimentary wine tasting alfresco
o Indulge your epicurean side with daily cooking demonstrations
o Enjoy the freedom of our Signature Programs such as Quantum Leap and The Equine Experience
o Upgraded accommodations available in our luxurious new sustainable rooms with sexy outdoor showers and oversized roman tubs for an additional $200 per person, per night

Package also includes:
o Roundtrip transportation from Tucson International Airport
o Three gourmet meals daily, unlimited snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres and all non-alcoholic beverages
o Use of complete resort facilities
o One spa service or one round of golf up to a $125 value per person, per night of stay
o Unlimited access to all scheduled programs and activities

* Rate is $399 per person, per night of stay based on single or double occupancy. Exclusive of tax and resort amenities fees. Valid for stays in between February 1st through May 31st, 2009. Not applicable to groups or preexisting reservations. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Blackout dates apply.

Miraval Resort
5000 E. Via Estancia Miraval
Catalina, Arizona 85739
USA

800-232-3969

Free Furlough Fridays

Fridays in Arizona. You don’t have to be a California state employee to get in on the “Free Furlough Fridays” deal at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa outside Phoenix — you just have to be a California resident. Present a valid California ID to get Friday night accommodations for free at this resort along the Gila River when you stay a Thursday or a Saturday at rates starting at $199. Deal also includes $25 Aji Spa credit and $50 gasoline card. Use promotional code CALI2009 when booking. (602) 225-0100

CLOSE

Hotel – Click to Play Dining – Click to Play Golf – Click to Play Spa – Click to Play

The resort is located in the Sonoran Desert on an expanse of rugged Arizona landscape where the ancient vistas, mountains and roaming wild horses remain untouched. A unique blend of two cultures, the resort offers the quiet serenity created by Native American tribes who found haven here.  This destination resort includes two 18-hole Troon-managed golf courses, the Aji Spa, a 17,500 square foot spa with 17 treatment rooms, the Koli Equestrian Center for riding lessons, trail rides and outdoor events, and is also equipped with tennis courts and jogging trails. We offer four pools with cascading waterfalls and a 111-foot waterslide modeling the ancient Casa Grande Ruins.

Enjoy the 2-1/2 mile replica of the Gila River that meanders through the resort grounds with scenic boat rides to shuttle guests to the Whirlwind Golf Club and nearby Wild Horse Pass Casino. Let the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort’s professionally trained staff plan your event, for groups of ten to 2,000, in extensive function space including a 17,376 square foot ballroom and an abundance of scenic outdoor venues. Experience a truly unique resort with a multitude of on-site activities in a spectacular setting.. ]]> http://arizonaresortsgetaway.com/travel/2009/02/28/phoenix-az-spa-resort-special-for-california-drivers/feed/ 0 http://arizonaresortsgetaway.com/travel/2009/02/27/scottsdale-spa-resort-girl-friend-getaway/ http://arizonaresortsgetaway.com/travel/2009/02/27/scottsdale-spa-resort-girl-friend-getaway/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:56:14 +0000 Arizona http://arizonaresortsgetaway.com/travel/?p=671

CopperWynd Resort and Club

Spa – Tini Girls Getaway

One night in a luxurious mountain-view guestroom featuring gas fireplace and private balcony
Two chocolate martinis served in our award winning spa
Two manicures and two pedicures
Unlimited use of our Private Club & Fitness Centre,including state-of-the-art facilities and workout programs such as Pilates, BodyFLOW® and Yoga

Visit us on-line or you can let us customize your spa vacation package today. Call our reservations department at 877-707-7760

CopperWynd Resort and Club, a AAA Four Diamond boutique Arizona resort property, one of the best Arizona Resorts, is nestled high on a mountain ridge above Scottsdale, Arizona offering breathtaking views of the Arizona Sonoran Desert and mountain vistas.

Our enchanting 32 European-inspired guest rooms offer luxurious king-size beds with Italian linens by Filo D’Oro, gas fireplaces and private balconies where you can view spectacular hues of Arizona desert sunsets. For guests who enjoy larger accommodations, CopperWynd Resort offers an array of elegant Villas for family and friends.

CopperWynd Resort is also one of the best spa resorts in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Spa will inspire the soul, swim in azure pools, golf at renowned courses, play tennis, work out at the Fitness Centre and complete your journey at Alchemy, CopperWynd’s award winning magical culinary adventure. Come Take the Journey at this one of a kind Arizona resort.

Girl Friends Getaway

romantic getaway

wedding anniversary getaways

cheapest vacation package

relaxing getaway

Hotels for White Sox spring training
Many places to stay near stadium in Phoenix

WHERE TO STAY

The west side of Phoenix is a sprawling expanse of sunbaked and comparatively faceless little towns stuffed with housing tracts that extend for miles. But being here makes more sense than staying in downtown Phoenix because of the hassle of driving back and forth about 20 miles each way to the stadium. Instead, fans will be best off near the new stadium, Camelback Ranch in Glendale.

Some options:

Comfort Suites,  Closest to the grounds (1.1 miles), this year-old hotel is the most convenient option. The hotel also has a free stadium shuttle. The White Sox front office staff has latched on to most of the rooms, so availability is minimal. Rates start at $179, but most of the remaining available rooms are upgraded suites and will cost about $239 and up.

Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa. This upscale hotel, 3.2 miles from the stadium, is near the open-air Westgate City Center, which has more than 15 bars and restaurants, a 20-screen movie theater and a handful of shops. But it has limited availability in March, with rates from $149 to $349.

Hampton Inn & Suites Glendale-Westgate. The Hampton Inn is a five-minute walk across a huge parking lot to the Westgate City Center and is a little more than 3 miles from the stadium. The Hampton is about half-booked for March. Rooms run from $179 to $209.

Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa. This sprawling low-rise property, with most rooms in casitas, has three pools, three golf courses and a new spa. Wigwam, about 5 miles from the stadium, has good availability in March, with rates from $259.

Glendale Gaslight Inn. A comfortable B&B 8.2 miles from the stadium, in Glendale’s historic district. Each of the 10 rooms is themed. The ones we checked were nicely decorated and spacious. Rates run from $145 to $179, and there is availability in March.

Others: Nearby is a cluster of mid-priced Glendale hotels adjacent to Westgate and about 4 miles from the stadium. All show decent availability for March.

Holiday Inn Express, from $179

Staybridge Suites, $189

SpringHill Suites, $209,

Residence Inn by Marriott/Glendale, $209

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Except for this year. The sun and baseball are still fixtures, but sky-high prices night in, night out, are mostly a memory. Hotels and resorts from Litchfield Park to Scottsdale, socked by the economy and the country’s biggest jump in room supply, have slashed rates or added freebies to lure vacationers and business groups.

Call it the hospitality industry’s economic-stimulus plan, an effort to save a season that financially carries tourism-dependent businesses through the summer doldrums.

Hotels and resorts that routinely command $300 to $500 a night during the winter are on sale for 15 percent to 20 percent off, with some dangling rates of $199 a night and less on select dates, as well as previously unheard-of last-minute deals.

The Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa has rooms for sale on Expedia.com for as low as $179 a night during the second week of March, the peak of the peak season. Stay a minimum of four nights, and the resort will throw in a $50 gift card.

The new InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley is offering rates on Travelocity .com starting at $195 a night in early March.

Hotels normally in those price ranges, such as the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas, suddenly find themselves battling luxury competition they never had to worry about, on top of the recession. The result: Rates that have dipped below $100 a night on certain dates – rates normally seen only in the summer.

“The season as we know it is not happening,” said Susan Baer, area director of sales and marketing for the Hilton and its sister Scottsdale Road resort, Doubletree Paradise Valley.

Steve Moore, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau, is even more blunt.

“We’re in a very horrible situation,” he said.

Industry officials say the circumstances are more dire than after the 2001 terrorist attacks because the economic downturn is longer and more far-reaching.

“This is just in every facet of life,” Baer said.

The greater Phoenix hotel market registered the biggest drop in occupancy among 25 major markets last year, down 11.5 percent, according to Smith Travel Research. It also registered the biggest decline in revenue per available room, down 8.3 percent.

The pain has continued into 2009.

In the week that ended Feb. 14, which included the first part of the NBA All-Star festivities, occupancy was down 15.9 percent, with the average daily rate off 2.4 percent and revenue per available room down 18 percent, according to Smith Travel.

Year-to-date figures are not yet available, but preliminary estimates for January show Greater Phoenix with among the biggest declines in all the major categories, especially revenue per available room. Those figures are skewed somewhat by the 2008 Super Bowl in Glendale.

The area has taken a disproportionate hit for several reasons, the biggest being a significant increase in hotel rooms for sale. Metropolitan Phoenix led the country in room-supply increases in 2008, at 4.4 percent, thanks to the opening of W Scottsdale, Montelucia and the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, among others.

No other major city topped 4 percent. The U.S. average was 2.7 percent. Big newcomers opened late in the year, making this their first peak season.

Other factors:

• Luxury hotels dominate the landscape, and they have been the segment hardest hit by the Wall Street meltdown and general economic malaise. In January, occupancy in that category nationally was down 15 percent to 17 percent. Revenue per available room was off 22 percent to 24 percent, according to Smith Travel. That compares with averages of 10 percent to 12 percent and 15 percent to 17 percent, respectively.

One reason: Big businesses, which fill a majority of the rooms at the area’s largest resorts during peak season, are cutting back on their meetings and incentive trips because of the weak economy and increased public scrutiny of lavish events.

• Phoenix also has the disadvantage of being a fly-in destination. People have the added expense of an airline ticket to get here, and until recently, airfares were up sharply because of dramatic flight cutbacks by airlines coping with high fuel prices and, now, the recession.

“We don’t enjoy a huge population within 300 miles of greater Phoenix that many other destinations do have,” Moore said, citing California, Florida and Texas as examples of states that do. “That puts us at a disadvantage when these crises occur.”

In response, the Phoenix convention bureau this weekend launched its first-ever peak-season promotion of bargain room rates. The “Spring Stimulus” promotion at visitphoenix .com/springstimulus features a roundup of hotel and restaurant deals.

It is aimed at visitors and local residents and businesses seeking a bargain for a getaway or a meeting, something normally out of reach until the temperature creeps past 100 degrees and stays there for weeks.

The bureau has stepped up efforts in Southern California, too, to lure more spring-training fans given the addition of the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Cactus League. It also is targeting more trade associations, which meet once a year in good times and bad.

Potential tourists and business groups are getting a similar sales pitch from the hotels themselves.

“This is probably the best time in recent history to come to Scottsdale and the Phoenix market,” said Clark Albright, director of sales and marketing for the luxury Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley.

“You’ve got all these four- and five-diamond hotels with distressed inventory.”

Albright said Camelback Inn is holding up relatively well because there was a lot of pent-up demand from regulars who stayed away last season during its $50 million renovation. It is seeing a payoff from a marketing and PR blitz about the makeover of its rooms, restaurant lineup and lobby. Still, its rates are far from usual levels.

Camelback Inn has extended its renovation introductory offer of $299 a night into peak season, which is down from the high $300 to low $400 range during the renovation a year ago. Its golf business is off 15 percent to 20 percent despite a decrease in rates of 25 percent.

Pete Ells, general manager of Royal Palms Resort and Spa, said that the luxury boutique resort in Phoenix surveyed its competitors’ leisure rates and found they each were down about $90 to $100 a night.

That’s not to say they’re giving away rooms. Top-of-the-line resorts command $400 to $500 a night and more on certain March dates with big demand.

Royal Palms and others are having to fill rooms with more vacationers than normal because of meeting cancellations. Ells said the decline in meeting attendance at Royal Palms, which gets 70 percent of its business from groups in peak season, has averaged 10 percent.

Albright said attendance at a doctors’ association meeting, a regular peak-season client, was off 45 percent as companies sent fewer representatives or skipped it altogether.

Resorts are using online travel agencies and discounters more than they have in the past during peak season. Albright said about 80 percent of Camelback Inn’s leisure business comes through Marriott reservations channels. That figure will drop to about 70 percent by the end of March as it sells rooms on Expedia.com and other Web sites.

“We’ve got to get our product on the shelf at a lot of different places in order to get the occupancy we want to get,” Albright said.

The sprawling Arizona Grand Resort, off Interstate 10 and Baseline Road in Phoenix, last week advertised on Travelzoo.com a special of $199 a night that included free golf, a $30 dining credit and $20 toward a massage. A year ago, the resort’s lowest price was $250, and that didn’t include freebies, managing director Richard Behr said.

“Everybody is prospecting,” he said.

More resorts are selling a limited number of rooms at fire-sale prices through deep discounters like Hotwire.com, where travelers don’t find out where they are staying until they’ve agreed to the price and location.

Winning bids for March stays include rates as low as $40 a night at Hilton and $70 at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort, according to Web sites that track them.

Baer said, “We did not participate in those last year. We didn’t have to.”

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 Exclusive Scottsdale Spa Escape

Let the Wynd take you here to relax, dine, and spa in luxury. This one-night escape will feel like a week after invigorating spa treatments, gourmet breakfast overlooking the Four Peaks, and an afternoon on your private terrace overlooking serene desert vistas.

*Package Includes:

• One night in a luxurious mountain-view guestroom featuring gas fireplace and private balcony
• Two 60 minute spa treatment* from our comprehensive Spa menu
• Guest receives $50.00 Food and Beverage Credit per day.
• Unlimited use of our Private Club & Fitness Centre,including state-of-the-art facilities and workout programs
  such as Pilates, BodyFLOW® and Yoga
  

Exclusive Package Rate from $399.00*

Check here for Rate and Availability

Or, you can let us customize your spa vacation package today. Call our reservations department at 877-707-7760 or fill out our online request form.

CopperWynd Resort is one of the best spa resorts in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Spa will inspire the soul, swim in azure pools, golf at renowned courses, play tennis, work out at the Fitness Centre and complete your journey at Alchemy, CopperWynd’s award winning magical culinary adventure. Come Take the Journey at this one of a kind Arizona resort.

CopperWynd Resort and Club overlooks the breathtaking Sonoran Desert from its hilltop location on the border between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. This AAA Four Diamond boutique resort property combines the luxurious services of an elegant private club with the spacious accommodations and amenities of a secluded vacation destination. Stunning desert vistas studded with saguaro cacti can be seen throughout the property, enabling guests to enjoy brilliant sunsets over a landscape possessing the stark, rugged beauty for which the American Southwest is famous. In keeping with this picturesque natural setting, the resort’s spa therapies and wellness services emphasize the importance of organic healing and rejuvenation.

In addition to an extensive menu of spa treatments incorporating elements of the surrounding landscape, visitors to CopperWynd can experience the myriad recreational offerings of Scottsdale, whose world-class golf, historic sites, and quaint storefronts are only 12 miles off property. The athletically inclined will delight in hiking and biking excursions through the five mountain ranges that surround the resort. Special packages including Pilates instruction are available for fitness enthusiasts, while couples can enhance romance with a package that involves in-room breakfast as well as spa treatments.