Our Colorful Stay at “The Saguaro Hotel”
In a Nutshell:
Centralized location within walking distance of Old Town Scottsdale
A bit pricey for what you're getting... but still worth it.
Met some people from Minnesota... or Colorado? They seemed confused in how to respond about their place of origin.
Where we ate: Cornish Pasty Co. & The Montauk
Lucy Agave:
Given the theme of our blog, I guess it is no surprise that the name of this hotel is what first caught our eye when we were planning our trip. But after arriving, it was obvious that the name of the place had nothing on the eye-catching plethora of color in their décor. The main buildings of the Saguaro Hotel are mostly white, but the accent walls are in every other color and the furniture ranges from hot pink sofas in the lobby to bright yellow chaise lounge chairs by the pool.
In décor alone, the entire hotel felt like a pick-me-up.
Fortunately, this was exactly what Sam and I had in mind for our overnight trip. See, normally Sam and I would be concerned with entertainment available “around the hotel” but this was one of those rare trips where we just wanted a unique hang out. After a particularly stressful beginning to the 2021 semester -thanks, COVID- we just needed a place to (safely) let our brains melt in peace. I’m sure our fellow teachers and stressed-out Monday-Friday workers in any field can empathize with that need.
So, Sam and I threw together our odd mix of “Scientific American” issues we hadn’t had time to read during the school year along with the latest trashy magazines and made our way for the pool.
The Saguaro Hotel boasts two separate pools to choose from. Sam and I settled down at the larger of the two. Eventually, Sam disappeared to the poolside bar to order us some beer. She came back with beer and water and a pursed lip at the price.
“We didn’t come to Scottsdale for how cheap everything was going to be,” I couldn’t help but comment.
We didn’t have to get up from our lounge chairs for the next couple of hours… which was as relaxing an experience as that sounds. The staff stopped by occasionally to ask if we wanted another drink. The crowd at the pool was not overwhelming. A particularly buzzed and talkative girl, named Brittney, meandered over to us eventually to make conversation. She was either “from Minnesota and living in Colorado” or “from Colorado and living in Minnesota”. Although Brittney had a lot to say about a lot, it was comforting for Sam and myself to talk with another couple of girlfriends who had also stumbled on this hotel in search of a place to relax.
Sam and I stayed at the pool for most of the afternoon until it was getting a bit cold (for us desert creatures anyway). We dolled up and walked to a nearby restaurant, the Cornish Pasty Co., a favorite of mine that Sam hadn’t tried before. Over the hearty pasties, Sam and I plotted our walk to Old Town Scottsdale.
Now, although there is a lot to be said about Old Town Scottsdale, I’d prefer to focus on two tangents that relate a little more to the experience surrounding our stay at the Saguaro Hotel. For one thing, as two girls walking alone in the evening, it is worth noting that the area we stayed in is particularly well-kept, well-lit, and safe. Sam and I comfortably walked a 2-mile loop visiting various shops in the area. Secondly, the foodie in me must comment on the variety of amazing options for food and drink surrounding the Saguaro Hotel that Sam and I could not have possibly sampled in just a two-day stay. All that said, the Saguaro Hotel is not just a great place to stay but a great place to come back to.
Sam’s Notes:
I have a couple points to emphasize:
Number one: how expensive those beers at the pool were
Number two: how delicious Cornish Pasty Co. really is.
I knew Scottsdale would be an expensive spot to visit, but I was still shocked when I saw the receipt for our 4 measly little cans of beer. (We’re talking normal sized cans, not those tall ones.) The total -they automatically added gratuity- came to a little over $40. I had that Tiger King meme moment… “I’m never going to financially recover from this.”
Ok, yes… I’m being dramatic! After the initial sticker shock I DID come to the conclusion that we had a great time at the pool and it was totally worth it in the end. But just a head's up that it can get expensive.
Cornish Pasty Co… which I kept pronouncing wrong… it’s pah-sty not Pay-sty… is SO good. I always thought Lucy was a little obsessed with it (she has been known to make 2 hour trips to Phoenix just to get their food) but I totally get it now. It’s the most comforting comfort food you could ever imagine. I would describe it as an adult, sophisticated hot pocket. But a huge hot pocket with this really good flaky pastry dough on the outside and then packed with gourmet cooking on the inside (and they each come with their own type of dipping sauce). If you haven’t tried it yet you need to!
