I'm a New Yorker who spent 2 days in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. 8 things amazed me concerning Arizona's prosperity hub.

I grew up in a New York City suburb, and all trip to the airfield took at smallest an hour.

So, I was thrilled whenever my cab journey from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Downtown Scottsdale took lone 20 minutes.

And whenever I was headed to the airfield on my way residence from my inn in Paradise Valley, it lone took 15 minutes. It was uncomplicated to see the petition of living near an global airport.

I took the two cabs about noon, so traffic was minimal. However, according to Google Maps, commuting between Phoenix and Scottsdale or Paradise Valley can obtain 30 minutes or longer during hurry hour.

Ultimately, I established that the three areas were near adequate together to navigate effortlessly throughout my trip. While staying in Paradise Valley, I grabbed meal in Scottsdale, which was small than 30 minutes distant by car. Back in New York, getting to nearby cities can obtain complete an hour, depending on which borough you live in.

Arizona has a lot to recommendation in the luxury travel scene.

Scottsdale solitary hosted additional than 10 myriad tourists in 2025, and together they spent $2 milliard on their trips, according to a investigation report conducted for the City of Scottsdale.

During my trip, I stayed in two of the state's top hotels — first, at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, "Arizona's Leading Resort," according to the 2025 World Travel Awards. I spent my second night at the boutique Hermosa Inn, which classified as the second-best inn in Arizona in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards.

I was expecting to feel akin a VIP in the two accommodations, and I did. However, the experiences were so distinct that I realized the area suits a broad range of travelers — and not fair in hotels.

Scottsdale has mountain hikes for adventurers. I spotted luxury spas for those looking to recharge, high-end division stores and boutiques for shoppers, community sculptures for art enthusiasts, and an old town area for former buffs.

The Phoenician was massive. The 600 acres were filled alongside five pools, eight restaurants, multiple shops, a spa, and a sprawling athletics course.

Inside, the inn had a modern, Southwestern manner alongside heated hues, geometric details, and 645 rooms.

The inn reminded me of a mega-cruise ship. There was so much to do that you could expend your complete trip to Scottsdale on the asset without getting bored. But not without getting misplaced — if you're directionally challenged akin me. I spent 30 minutes looking for my area following exploring the property.

With six acres of gardens, adobe structures, 43 stand-alone casitas, and one pool, the Hermosa Inn was smaller than The Phoenician and had a additional traditional feel.

The inn, initially built by a cowboy and creator in 1936, is established in history. From the lobby to the casitas, the asset transported me rear in period alongside traditional Southwestern architecture and inner decor, including rustic furniture, wooden beams, and historic plant of art.

Unlike The Phoenician, which would be ideal for families, the Hermosa Inn seems made for travelers seeking a unique, secluded cognition affluent in culture.

In New York, April can be beautiful hit-or-miss weather-wise. Sometimes we'll have a sunny, 65-degree-Fahrenheit day, and another times it'll be 40 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy.

However, Scottsdale is known for its year-round heated weather, so I was enthusiastic concerning having a brace of sunny days in the desert.

But I didn't anticipate it to be so heated — upward of 90 degrees Fahrenheit whenever I visited in April. And dissimilar in NYC, the warmth was dry, so I felt I got dehydrated easily. It seemed akin I had to beverage twice as much h2o as I do at home.

If I always move to Arizona, the climate volition obtain several getting used to.

Like New York, Scottsdale has a mix of contemporary and historic buildings. However, historic architecture in the Southwest looks different.

I spotted warm-toned adobe buildings in Scottsdale alongside geometric features, as fine as contemporary pane skyscrapers. Some buildings seemed to merge contemporary and traditional elements.

I'm used to seeing neighborhoods alongside a mix of costly and affordable accommodation in New York. But that didn't appear to be the case in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

I spotted humble homes in the Phoenix suburbs, but they were nowhere near the mega-mansions. Generally, it seemed akin the cheaper accommodation and luxury estates were divided by height — the streets higher up in the mountains were lined alongside exclusively high-end homes.

About 40 minutes north of Downtown Scottsdale, DC Ranch is residence to several of the most costly residential genuine asset in the city.

I got a personal tour of the 4,400-acre community, which is made up of four villages. Most have shops, restaurants, golf clubs, and another businesses inside strolling extend of many of the homes. There's equal a academy in the community that students stroll and bicycle to.

Ultimately, DC Ranch felt akin a small town that could prolong itself without having to go to Downtown Scottsdale.

In the most costly village, Silverleaf, mansions row long, winding roads up the mountains. It looked nothing akin the luxury accommodation in NYC, mostly sky-high, sprawling apartments.

My jaw dropped as we drove by these homes, most of which had multiple buildings and theatrical entryways. There was a assortment of architecture up there. As I passed through the wilderness landscape, I was reminded of medieval castles and Greek villas.

I don't see myself leaving NYC for a lengthy time. Still, whenever I do, I may regard this luxury wilderness oasis gratitude to its amazingly walkable neighborhoods, stunning architecture, and proximity to the bigger city of Phoenix.

If I can obtain the warmth — and the cost — there's a chance I'll call this area residence someday.