The Ultimate Guide to a Girls' Staycation Weekend in Phoenix

Phoenix and Scottsdale are home to a slew of world-class resorts — with more than a dozen awesome contenders to choose from, we narrowed our picks down to two properties that specialize in showcasing the gorgeous Sonoran desert in a serene environment.

To Get Away from It All: Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale At Troon North

Tucked into the rugged landscape of far-north Scottsdale is Four Seasons Resort, the perfect place to hide out for a few days. It's especially ideal if you truly just want to luxuriate in your adobe casita and feel far away from your everyday life (it's nearly an hour from downtown and 40 minutes from Old Town). 

Choose a two- or three-bedroom suite — the two-bedroom comes with a heated plunge pool, gas-burning fireplace for ambiance, and telescope for late-night stargazing, while the three-bedroom has a private plunging pool, outdoor garden shower, and wood-burning fireplace. Book treatments at the onsite spa (the Himalayan Salt Journey is not to be missed), pop by Proof for a casual meal or sip cocktails at Onyx Bar & Lounge. The property has two world-class golf courses, and the hotel can help book such adventures as Jeep or ATV tours, hot air balloon rides, horseback riding, and canyoneering. 

Wellness Retreat: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney's Resort & Spa

If your besties appreciate a spa-focused getaway, look no further than Sanctuary Camelback Mountain. The Sanctuary Spa takes guests on an Asian-inspired journey of rejuvenation, complete with a dozen indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a meditation garden, and a reflection pond. Standout treatments include aquatic massages (like the Immersive Watsu and Sound Bowl Fusion), the Signature Coconut Sumatra Body Ritual, and Thai Massage.

When you aren't spaaah-ing, try your hand at tennis or pickleball, rent a cabana and take a dip in the infinity pool, and hit some fitness classes (such as BOSU and ball & band). Enjoy cocktails accompanied by live music on Friday nights in Jade Bar (consider booking a private mixology class for a fun and boozy activity), tempt your tastebuds with weekend brunch, and plan for a dinner featuring seasonal ingredients at Elements (get here before sunset to watch the sun dip below the mountains). Villa Roca has four bedrooms and a private pool, or splurge on Villa del Sol with four bedrooms, a spa treatment room, a movement studio with fitness equipment, private pool, and hot tub. 

Oh, you're looking for something more to do than hanging at the pools and spas at your fancy hotel? Well, here are a few other activities to round out your weekend:

Fly High with Rainbow Ryders

The best way to experience the beauty of the Southwest is from high above with Rainbow Ryders. Take in your bird's-eye view of the city and surrounding landscape as you glide across the sky in a hot air ballon for an unforgettable adventure. Book a sunrise (available year-round) or sunset (available November-March) ride and enjoy a celebratory toast and a commemorative flight certificate when you land.

Hike or Bike McDowell Sonoran Preserve

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is a protected area of land consisting of Scottsdale's McDowell Mountains and Sonoran Desert — it's an ideal spot to connect with the city's unique desert attractions, like Saguaro cacti and roadrunners. The Preserve, which is 36 times the size of Central Park, is home to more than 225 miles of trails prime for hiking and mountain biking.

Shop at Biltmore Fashion Park

Would it even be a girlfriends' getaway without a little retail therapy? The beauty of the Biltmore Fashion Park is that it's an outdoor mall, so you can enjoy the sunshine while popping in and out of such stores as Sephora, Anthropologie, Lululemon, My Sister's Closet, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Skin Laundry.

Brunch, lunch, happy hour, dinner, and drinks — half the fun of a girlfriends' getaway is trying new dishes, clinking champagne glasses, and sharing plates. These are the best of the best:

Century Grand

There's no better place in Phoenix (or the country actually, since this three-bars-in-one concept was named Best U.S. Cocktail Bar) to grab a Prohibition-era drink than Century Grand. Grey Hen RX is an apothecary-style bar inspired by New Orleans, Undertow serves up tropical flavors on an antique Clipper ship, and Platform 18 allows passengers to step up aboard a replica of a 20th-century Pullman train car for an immersive ride through various landscapes. Make reservations ahead of time for your 90-minute experience.

Kembara

Top Chef alum Angelo Sosa has opened his second restaurant at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa to much acclaim — a meal here will remind global travelers of dining on street food in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan, as this is where Sosa gained his inspiration from. Definitely order the Green Papaya salad (it's a flowery work of art), Mee Babi (house-made egg noodles with pork belly), Rendang Lembu (Wagyu beef with chili sambal), and the Ketam (Alaskan king crab with tamarind, ginger, and sambal). 

PYRO

More Asian flavors away you at PYRO, the new Japanese-American bistro in Central Phoenix. This restaurant harnesses the power of open flame with fiery and flavorful dishes, including spicy salmon hand rolls, fluke crudo, a 40-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye, short rib fried rice, and Iberico pork skewers. The ambiance makes for Instagram-worthy BFF photos, as it was designed to resemble a mid-1900s Japanese casino.

Le Âme, at the Global Ambassador

The place to see and be seen is The Global Ambassador, famed restaranteur Sam Fox's new hotel with four restaurants and bars in Central Phoenix. Le Âme is a particularly lovely choice for a boozy lunch or brunch, serving up oysters, truffle frites, onion dip with potato chips and caviar, Nicoise salads, Croque Madame, and quiche Florentine — dine outside if the weather allows, as you'll swear you're dining al fresco at a Parisian bistro.

Huarachis Taqueria

Renowned local chef Rene Andrade's newest creation since his recent James Beard Award is a casual downtown spot perfect for happy hour. He serves up Sonoran Mexican comfort foods, such as tacos (try the Lala Lengua or Tripas), burritos, and ceviche — don't miss the elote for an appetizer and wash it all down with the spicy mezcal margarita. 

Anhelo

For a more sophisticated evening, choose dinner downtown at Anhelo. The three-course dinner begins with one cold dish (the crudo is an excellent choice, as is the steak tartare), then a hot second course (the agnolotti is a standout dish, and the dry-aged tuna is delicious), followed by the entrée this restaurant is known for its prime beef wellington). Add a wine pairing for each course and you have yourself a culinary experience to remember.