I stayed in 2 of Arizona’s top hotels, and they couldn’t have been more different. Take a look.

• Scottsdale, Arizona, has become a popular destination for luxury travelers.
• The Phoenician and Hermosa Inn are among Arizona’s top luxury hotel offerings.
• I stayed in both and had two completely different experiences.

Arizona is a hot spot for luxury travelers.

The state is known for its award-winning travel offerings, from high-end resorts and spas to pristine golf courses and awe-inspiring desert landscapes, Condé Nast Traveler reported in 2023.

This is especially true in Scottsdale.

In 2022, the city outside Phoenix hosted roughly 11 million tourists, from day trippers to overnight visitors, who spent a total of $3.2 billion, according to the city’s Tourism and Events department.

I recently visited the Southwest desert town and stayed at two of Arizona’s four-star top hotels — The Phoenician in Scottsdale and the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, a nearby town known as “the Beverly Hills of Arizona.”

The Phoenician was named “Arizona’s Leading Resort” in the 2023 World Travel Awards. It also received the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award in 2024 for the 22nd time in a row, according to the hotel’s website.

Meanwhile, the Hermosa Inn is a boutique establishment that Travel + Leisure named the best hotel in Arizona in 2023.

I had top-tier VIP experiences at both establishments, but the vibes at each couldn’t have been more different. Ultimately, I think they were made for two different vacations.