Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa

My wife and I just returned from a weeklong stay at Sanctuary. It was our 2nd visit, the first being 3 years ago. There were a couple of things about this stay that would probably keep me from returning but first, the good things about the property because I do want to be fair. Sanctuary is an absolutely beautiful property. The grounds, the pool, the spa, all of it is perfect. From the front desk to the waiters at the bar, restaurant, and the pool, the hospitality is 10/10. I also cannot say enough about the spa. My wife and I both went to the spa twice during our stay and the treatments were amazing so is the spa atmosphere. Everything we drank and/or ate was really good from sushi at Jade Bar to morning coffee and everything in between. Now for the two things that left a sour taste in my mouth. First, nowhere on their website or on any of the emails I received just before the trip was it mentioned that construction would be ongoing on property during our stay and about 100 feet from the pool nonetheless. My idea of a quiet weeklong getaway is not the sounds of jackhammers, saws, heavy machinery, diesel generators, and the incessant beeping of vehicles and machinery backing up. This went on all week and we were told construction would take probably 3 months. Not much of a sanctuary. We stayed at the pool for 2-3 hours every other day but could not take any more than that. I would not visit for the next three months period. Also, I’ve never stayed at a hotel that did not announce construction on their website. That is very deceptive. Second and lastly, the thermostats in the room only go down to 70 degrees. The problem with that is the thermostat is not in the bedroom so the bedroom never really cools off very well. The rooms at Sanctuary are brick and not very well insulated. The ac ran 24/7 and the room never quite felt cool, especially the bedroom. A resort that presents itself as luxury should allow guests to at least sleep at a comfortable temp. Again, I would not stay there during the summer months if you prefer a cool room. While I cannot say enough good things about the people and amenities at Sanctuary, a warm room and no warning about construction on their website will have me looking elsewhere on my next trip to Scottsdale.

The views were breathtaking, the pillows were soft, the bed was super comfy, the food was delicious, and the customer service was impeccable. I will definitely come again because it was all so amazing, and I left feeling refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated.

We wanted to love The Sanctuary because it looks beautiful in the photos and the location is great. We stayed in a Camelback view King suite. On the plus side, our room had lovely views of Camelback mountain and was newly renovated so looked very pretty. Our primary issue was that there was not reliable water in our room. On 3 separate occasions during our 3 night stay the water stopped working completely. When the water was working, there was a lot of air in the lines so the water sprayed everywhere and consistently sounded like the water had just turned back on. We reported this to the front desk, but it continued to happen throughout the rest of our stay. We were washing our hands, brushing our teeth, etc. with bottled water when there wasn’t running water. It was absurd for $1100/night and extremely disappointing that the hotel didn’t do anything about it. In addition, the air conditioning unit was so loud that you couldn’t watch TV and it was hard to sleep.

This was an amazing getaway from start to finish. We stayed at the small villas and were very satisfied with the cleanliness of our room and the level of comfortability that was provided. We took advantage of all of the amenities and had a wonderful time dining and socializing. The spa was the icing on the cake. We will definitely be back!

The property is amazing and a great location. The entire staff is helpful and friendly. The dining at Elements wont disappoint, the menu has a great selection and the staff his very welcoming. My husband and I will be returning in the near future to enjoy the area and each other.

Very Average Should be a very nice experience but poor service, nowhere near the 5 star price point, an extremely crowded pool and spa and very average f&b made this a somewhat disappointing stay although location and views are amazing.