My family stayed at the cheapest Four Seasons in the US — it still felt incredibly luxurious
My family of three spent three nights at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.
Rates start at about $369 a night, and upgrades to the next category are often just $20 a night.
There were lots of complimentary or low-cost treats and experiences throughout our stay.
Scottsdale, Arizona, is a luxury travel destination, which means it has a lot of competition when it comes to high-end accommodations.
Fortunately, the many luxurious options often means that booking a five-star hotel in the city doesn't require taking out a second mortgage.
My husband, 4-year-old son, and I spent three days at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, renowned among many brand aficionados as the least expensive Four Seasons in the country. (Although, notably, it may depend on the time of year you book).
Rates vary but around the time of our stay they started at $369 a night for a 480-square-foot room — and the cost to upgrade to a 500-square-foot premier casita is typically just $20 or $30.
Although the experience was luxe, it didn't feel at all stuffy. Here's what our stay was like.
An hour's drive from the airport brought us to what felt like an oasis.
The Four Seasons is delightfully nestled into a secluded corner of the desert near the foothills of Pinnacle Peak.
The summit is visible from many of the 210 accommodations, but the layout of the casitas across a portion of 40 groomed acres with cacti and flora makes the whole property feel more intimate.
The lodgings and main buildings are designed to become part of the landscape, not tower above it. It felt like our hotel was in the middle of a botanical garden.
The adobe-style architecture and muted tones were understated but expensive-looking.
Casita means "small home," and our premier casita felt like one.
Our well-designed 500-square-foot space had a king bed, a comfy pullout couch, and a covered outdoor patio overlooking the Sonoran Desert.
With such great views even our son wasn't tempted to turn on the patio TV — instead, he opted to spot wildlife like bunnies and lizards.
Plus, the closet had room to stash all of our luggage so we didn't trip over it and our space didn't feel cluttered.
The accommodations felt ideal for family travel.
We also loved the spacious, modern bathroom. It had enough space for all of our toiletries to be stashed away and hidden, and a separate closet for the commode so multiple family members could get ready at once.
I was glad the Four Seasons kept a soaking tub, which is ideal for families with toddlers who don't want to use spa showers.
There were extras for all ages.
Our room had robes and slippers for all three of us to lounge in, and my son's tiny duds were so cute.
Staff remembered our names and loaded my son up with small stuffed animals and bubbles shortly after check-in. They gave us plenty of cold water bottles, too.
Our stay also came with access to free laundry facilities, which can also be especially helpful when traveling with kids.
We loved our room's fireplace and other special touches.
We loved that each our room came with a gas fireplace, a feature usually only reserved for most expensive categories at other hotels.
And we all appreciated receiving cactus-shaped cookies when we checked in.
The property's pools never felt too crowded.
You can't have an oasis without water, and there's lots of ways to splash here. The property has a massive main pool, adults-only pool, and a smaller one for small children.
Our son was too big for kiddie pool, but adored standing up or floating on toys in the main one. Other thoughtful touches for families included free swim diapers in the restrooms.
There were lots of other complimentary or low-cost activities for all ages.
Activities available to us included complimentary astronomer-led stargazing on Thursdays and free guided hikes in the morning. Tai chi and yoga classes were available to book for a small fee.
To beat the midday heat, we brought our son to the complimentary Kids for All Seasons club, where he reenacted scenes from the "Barbie" movie at the giant dollhouse, and played video games and air hockey.
The club also hosted free scheduled arts and crafts for kids daily.
The lobby bar became a coffee station in the early mornings.
As an early riser – and one on East Coast time at that – I appreciated free morning coffee and muffins in the lobby.
It was yet another nice touch at the Four Seasons.
We also enjoyed delicious regional eats at the hotel restaurant, Proof.
At Proof, the aroma of smoked meats drew my husband in like Yogi Bear. We enjoyed outside seating at several meals here, each time getting set up with kids menus, coloring supplies, and child-sized cutlery.
The resort was also extremely attentive to my son's nut allergy, with the chef visiting unprompted to reassure us they were aware of it.
Although we would've been happy to stay at the Four Seasons the whole time, there were other activities nearby.
We spent an afternoon at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, where admission is free.
There are several Western-themed playgrounds, a train museum, and massive indoor model tracks with interactive features. Tickets are required for the carousel and the steam train, but rides are under $5 a pop.
We were also able to do some light hiking with plenty of sunlight. We enjoyed walking on the Four Seasons' paved paths so much we opted to explore the area more at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.
A special draw there is the butterfly pavilion, where monarchs fluttered inches from us.
Overall, we had a great time and we'd definitely come back.
We ventured out most days but for the real royal treatment, we headed back to the Four Seasons, at our son's request.
He told us the resort was "magical" and asked to come back. Mom and Dad would gladly, in a heartbeat.
Read the original article on Business Insider
