I stayed in 2 of Arizona’s top hotels. They explain why Scottsdale is a luxury travel hot spot.

Scottsdale has more luxurious hotel rooms than standard ones — 80% of the city’s 12,500 rooms are classified as luxury level or higher (upscale and upper upscale), according to a Scottsdale tourism report published in 2022 in partnership with Experience Scottsdale, a travel company that has helped establish the city’s luxe tourism reputation.

The only place in the area with a higher concentration of luxury accommodations than Scottsdale — 90% of rooms — is Paradise Valley, the wealthier suburb between Phoenix and Scottsdale.

But tourists see Paradise Valley as a part of Scottsdale, according to the report — probably because the towns are close together and offer comparable pampering experiences and jaw-dropping views.

I recently spent two nights in Arizona and booked one night in each suburb’s top luxury hotel.

I spent my first night at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, a luxury Marriott Hotel dubbed “Arizona’s leading resort” in the 2023 World Travel Awards.

On day two, I headed to Paradise Valley to stay at the boutique Hermosa Inn, which Travel + Leisure called the best hotel in Arizona in 2023.

These similar superlatives made me think the Phoenician and the Hermosa Inn would provide comparable luxury experiences. In reality, the two hotels were completely different.

Still, both showed me why these Phoenix suburbs are hot spots for wealthy travelers.