Stayed at the Camelback the week after
Thanksgiving. Stayed in unit A11, a large 2
bedroom 2 full bathroom unit. The unit was
clean but had an odd smell, perhaps a
freshner using an odd spice. The kitchen is a
nice size but sparsly furnished. Never did find
any measuring cups. This is an older resort
and it is showing its age. The couch and
loveseat in the living room both sagged. The
outside of the front wood doors and outside of
the patio doors both need to be refinished.
There were older TV's in the living room and
both bedrooms all hooked up to cable. There
is no internet access in the rooms. There is
wireless up in the lobby and restaurant. Is is
a bit of a walk and there is no privacy when
checking your e-mail.
The bed in the master bedroom is only a full
size. There are 2 twin beds in the 2nd
bedroom. The large patio can be accessed
from both the living room and the master
bedroom. It is very private with a 6 foot
masonary wall surrounding it. One of the best
things was waking up in the morning, looking
out the double doors to the patio, and being
able to gaze up at Camelback Mountain. It
looked golden first thing in the morning.
The dining area is large and the dining set
easily seats 6. It was very comfortable.
The master bathroom was great. Double
sinks, a large shower, a large jacuzzi tub, and
the commode was in its own area with a door
seperating it from the rest of the bathroom.
The grounds were very nice. They do a great
job making sure everything looks great. There
is a putting greeen, miniture golf, croquet
setup and horseshoe pits. The workout room
was well furnished - one of the best I have
seen at a resort. The pool was good sized,
plenty of chairs, a large hot tub, and a nice
kids pool. There is a bar poolside. There are
also plenty of tennis courts right next to the
pool area.
The food at the restaurant was not fancy but
plentiful and very good. This restaurant is
nothing fancy. You go to a window to order
your food and then sit down at one of the 10
or 12 tables to eat. We ordered "To Go" and
it was fast, fresh, plentiful, and reasonably
priced.
The folks that work there were one of the best
things about the resort. Very friendly. I don't
think I passed a maintenance worker than
didn't smile and say "Hi". The folks at the
checkin were friendly and helpful.
The location is more convenient than some of
the Scottsdale resorts. We have stayed at
the Sheraton Desert Oasis and, even though I
liked it better, it seems like it is out in the
middle of nowhere. The Sunterra Village
Mirage is right around the corner from the
Oasis.
The Camelback is close to a lot of restaurants
(go east on Camelback until you get to
Scottsdale Rd and turn right going South and
you will find pretty much any kind of
restaurant you want). Avoid the Pink Pony in
Old Scottsdale. The food was ok, but even
though they no longer permit smoking in
restaurants, this place smells like a dirty
ashtray. It really ruined the meal.
There is a Walmart about 10 minutes
northeast and a Super Walmart about 15
minutes southwest. The airport is really
convenient - just go west on Camelback to
44th St (about 2 miles) and make a left. About
4-5 miles down the road you will turn right into
the airport.
Here are some things we did in Arizona that
we enjoyed. Drive the Apache Trail. Make
sure you stop at the Tortiila Flats' Restaurant.
If you like HOT chile, try theirs if you dare.
Down by the airport is the Hohokim Indian
museum and archeological excavation - very
interesting if you are a history buff. Climb
Camelback Mountain and get a great view of
Paradise Valley. If that is too strenuous, the
South Mountains are easier to hike in and, if
you hike to the summit, you will get a great
view of Phoenix.
Though I mentioned a few negatives, I would
stay here again. There are more upscale
places to stay such as the Phoecian up the
road or the Biltmore, but if you can rent a
timeshare here for $650 for the week as we
did, it is a decent place to stay for the money.