Travel Diary: Arizona | Mimosas & Manhattan

We recently got back from our fabulous couples trip to Arizona! We went to Scottsdale for 2 nights and Phoenix for 1 night. So we are breaking down where we stayed, what we did & what we ate below! A major THANK YOU to everyone that sent in recommendations for our trip it was so much appreciated. 🙂

Where Did We Stay:

JW MARRIOTT CAMELBACK INN RESORT & SPA: We honestly do not know where to begin with this beautiful resort and spa. It was everything we could have dreamed for when going to Scottsdale and more! It backs up right into Camelback Mountain and has beautiful mountain views on all sides. I think our favorite part was that there were photo moments at every turn! Everything from the landscaping to the rooms – we were lucky to take it in at all angles. There are also multiple restaurants, pools and bars on the property that reallllly make it hard to leave! We get more into detail on those below!

The Camelback Inn also has a fabulous spa! I, Courtney, was pretty sick when I got to the resort so I knew I wanted to try and relax until our room was ready. I got a 60min Swedish Massage then relaxed in their indoor hot tub for about 30 mins. Once in the spa you receive a pass for the entire day that includes access to their juice bar, spa restaurant and another outdoor pool!

RENAISSANCE PHOENIX DOWNTOWN HOTEL: For Saturday night of our Arizona trip we decided to switch up the scenery and stay in downtown Phoenix! To be honest neither of us really knew much about Phoenix or had ever been. We were so pleasantly surprised at the beautiful street art that surrounded the city as well as how friendly everyone was!

We loved the Renaissance because the location was so centrally located, the rooms were beautiful and big, and they had a fabulous hotel bar and who does not look for that when picking out a hotel!

What We Did:

We had such a great time exploring the cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix! There are truly so many things to do that I now understand why so many people have their bachelor or bachelorette parties there.

Papago Park: If you are looking to take in the gorgeous Arizona scenery without having to travel out to Sedona or the Grand Canyon we highly suggest Papago Mountain and Park. It is conveniently located smack dab in between Scottsdale and Phoenix, offers great hiking, and has a gorgeously preserved Desert Botanical Garden that costs $25 to enter.

Old Town Scottsdale: This was one of the most requested parts of town we see while staying in Scottsdale! It truly does have that old town feel with so many restaurants, bars, shopping and ice cream shops to explore. One of our favorite things we did while in Old Town was wine tasting at Aridus Wine Company – it is only $10 to taste 5 of their wines, we highly recommend the Merlot which was our personal favorite. 🙂

JW Marriot Camelback Inn Pool: To be honest we spent maybe a little too much time at the pool of the Camelback Inn but can’t you blame us! It was just too good not too. If you stay there for a night while in Arizona we recommend their summer mule and cuban sandwich for lunch!

Where We Ate:

Where did we NOT eat is the question. Friday night we had one of the most unbelievable meals of our entire lives at Lincoln in the JW Marriot Hotel – the entire group was floured by the unparalleled service and food. We had one of the most epic food and wine pairings ranging from lobster and shrimp towers to steak wagyu. Truly an amazing experience all around and highly recommend it for a nice dinner.

On Saturday, we headed to Hash Kitchen for lunch and quite literally closed the place down. It is the best turn-up brunch spot for parties but also has really good food – which is usually kinda hard to find a balance between the two. We downed the cereal shots and helped ourselves at the Bloody Mary Bar while we enjoyed the music on the front patio.

Sunday Evening we headed to downtown Phoenix and went to The Arrogant Butcher courtesy of Visit Phoenix which was a really great place for a large group. It is in a great location and very walkable to nearby bars.

Finally on Sunday Courtney started feeling better and was down to clown. We had a full morning of shooting so worked up a bit of an appetite for some afternoon brunching. We went to The Montauk in Old Town Scottsdale where we indulged in crepes and table side mimosa service.