My wife and I really enjoy traveling and almost always book our travel online. We even book private Condo’s etc. online. Hey, I have even used Ebay!

Well, my wife has now signed up to be a Travel Referral Associate and has her own fancy online Travel Site! Now we book through our own service and make the commissions. Sounds like a wise decision to me.

I surfed through the site the other day and was excited to see some excellent golf destinations and even an exclusive Beijing Olympics Package that included tickets! Have a look below as I have pasted in some picture links to click on. Always easier. Here’s to your next Vacation to Phoenix or wherever.

We visited Phoenix in March this year and had the pleasure of staying at the Arizona Grand Resort. It is located in the Mesa area of Phoenix and impressive. As you drive up the lane to the main buildings you are met by fountains and a huge covered lobby. The staff was very attentive and friendly and they have a valet for you at the main entrance. We arrived early and our room was not ready yet but the front desk were attentive to us and had a room ready within an hour.

Our room was in the “Camelback” section of rooms and was a bit of a walk from the entrance but worth the hike. We walked through the huge Courtyard (see picture to the left) and passed 3 pool areas, many fountains and secluded lounging areas. The room itself was a one bedroom and was not large but you can tell it was recently updated. The bed was extremely comfortable and was a ‘Simmons Beauty rest’ mattress . We had a small balcony that overlooked the “Oasis Water Park” (yes also part of the Resort) and was a pleasant surprise. The living area had a couch, chairs, a dining table and TV cabinet. There was also a small sink and counter and bar fridge. The fridge was full of all the great things the Resort would like you to buy, but we took it out and filled it with our groceries.

The first line of business was to tour the Resort. There were 2 pools within the courtyard that were available and one was specific for families which in nice. I will talk more about the Oasis Water Park in the “What to do in Phoenix” page but you had to pay extra when you check-in for entrance to the water park. No need really unless you have kids with you. The pools at the Resort were clean and excellent. I have included a picture of my favorite pool below which had a restaurant/bar right there, great deck chairs, towels and yes, internet access for my laptop! What more do you need?

We found the walkway to the main building where there is a Cafe that we used every morning for our coffee and muffins. The restaurants are basically spread throughout the Resort and can be a walk but the valet will shuttle you around with golf carts and vans…just ask.
The Resort also has a full 18 hole golf course, spa and fitness center, 3 restaurants , banquet and meeting rooms. I didn’t golf there but I did hit a bucket of balls at the course. The range is small and they use low trajectory balls so you don’t hit the highways. We did eat at 2 of the Restaurants at the Resort and I review those in the “Where to eat in Phoenix” page.

Over all was a great stay. A few comments: forget about getting a microwave for your room. We tried 3 times and were finally told they were only available for families who needed to heat baby bottles. So don’t buy groceries you have to heat up. Internet was extra but worth the cost as it made the resort fully wireless. I suppose you could go to the lobby and pick it up, but a long walk. Rooms were great but a bit pricey. This is not for the budget traveler. Excellent for business stay and especially if you want to be away from downtown Phoenix and close to the Airport.

P.S…this Resort is rated 4 stars and lives up to this. Thanks for reading and make sure you check the other pages for places to eat and things to do while in Phoenix.

To your travels…

Larry

Thanks for visiting the Phoenix Holiday Blog. We will share our experiences of our times in Phoenix, where we stayed, what we did and where we ate. Oh, did I mention golf? Yes, we definitely will discuss golfing in the Phoenix area.

Please take the time to bookmark this site or check back often. There will also be specific pages with recommendations for reference.

Thanks again for visiting and enjoy your stay in Phoenix!

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark