Hotel at a Glance: Forest Villas Hotel

The recently renovated Forest Villas Hotel sits adjacent to the lush Prescott National Forest and less than a 10-minute drive from quaint downtown Prescott. Guests can easily set off on a multitude of adventures, from a spa day in Sedona to sightseeing at the Grand Canyon (both are within a two-hour drive of the hotel).

• Where you’ll stay: Guest rooms come with free WiFi, a coffeemaker, a refrigerator, and private balconies with views of the Bradshaw Mountains.
• Wake up to a free breakfast of eggs, sausages, and pastries.
• Head to the lounge in the evening to sip wine and champagne.
• Stay connected with complimentary WiFi.
• Relax in the hot tub (seasonal; opens mid-March)
• Shop til you drop along Prescott’s Whiskey Row, a series of historic buildings that have been converted into boutiques, galleries, and cafes.

Prescott, Arizona: Historical Mountain Town Encircled by Wilderness

Far from the metropolitan bustle of Phoenix and a mile up in the mountains of Arizona’s central highlands, Prescott maintains a small-town charm, from the old Victorian homes fronting its streets to its friendly locals. During the winter, the courthouse plaza is the epicenter of an impressive display of colored lights strung from downtown trees, helping the city earn its designation as “Arizona’s Christmas City.”

Across the street from the courthouse plaza is the Wild West–style saloons on Whiskey Row, a historical block of bars once known as hangouts for some of the Old West’s notorious crooks and cowboys. At the historical Palace Restaurant & Saloon, travelers can push through swinging, saloon-style doors and sidle up to the bar, which survived a devastating fire in 1900.

There’s a ton of outdoor activities here as well. Hikers trek up the steep paved paths of iconic Thumb Butte, pausing at the summit for panoramic views, and climbers scale the jagged rock formations of the Granite Mountain Wilderness on the outskirts of Prescott. The waters of Watson Lake Park reflect the surrounding rockscape of red boulders nestled about a 10-minute drive north of town. The lake lures anglers and kayakers to wade into its waters and skim across its surface, respectively. Many families favor the park’s short hiking trails, which wend through rocky, high-desert landscapes.

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