Hotel at a Glance: AAA Four Diamond Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Set on 9 acres of private gardens and citrus groves at the foot of Camelback Mountain, Royal Palms Resort and Spa is a lush, secluded retreat. It's won several awards over the years: Condé Nast Traveler featured the property on its Gold List of the world’s best places to stay from 2005 to 2012, and Travel + Leisure named it one of the best resorts in Arizona. Built in 1929 and frequently called one of the most romantic hotels in the country, Royal Palms has retained a Mediterranean aesthetic with Spanish Revival villas and European antiques. A multimillion-dollar renovation nearly 70 years later added a AAA Four Diamond restaurant and a world-class spa.

• Old-World style: Guest-room amenities vary, but might include hand-carved furnishings, gas-burning fireplaces, and french doors that open onto semiprivate patios.
• Dishes at Cervantes Bistro: Dayboat scallops with sour apricot, and berkshire pork short rib with spaetzle
• The Alvadora Spa offers signature treatments—such as a citrus-grove facial and a lavender-and-aloe body wrap—that use indigenous herbs and oils.
• Unique architectural features: Italian-style stained walls, outdoor fireplaces, and a 250-year-old stone water fountain
Tee off: Guests receive priority tee-time privileges at nearby golf courses including TPC Scottsdale and Troon North Golf Club.

Phoenix: Bustling Metropolis and Native American Culture Surrounded by Desert

Phoenix enjoys about 300 days of sunshine a year, which has helped it to balloon into the sixth-largest city by population in the United States. It's also 1 of only 12 US cities with at least four major sports teams: the Arizona Cardinals (NFL), the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), and the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL).

Though the topography of the Phoenix area is all desert, it's by no means desolate. Camelback Mountain is a designated city park area with scenic trails that wind past boulders and red-sandstone formations; climb to the very top for a view of the entire city. Or hit the themed trails at the Desert Botanical Garden filled with southwestern flora such as huge sonoran cacti and other moisture-hoarding succulents. Either way, plan hikes in the early morning or twilight hours to catch the most stunning sunlit views and stay cool.

For an in-depth look at the cultures of Arizona’s indigenous population, browse the 12 exhibition galleries and sculpture garden at the Heard Museum.The collection’s nearly 40,000 pieces of art range from 500 Hopi katsina dolls to a full-size Pueblo oven. In nearby Scottsdale, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West was the renowned prairie-style architect’s winter home as well as a campus for his architecture school.

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