We’re very fortunate in Arizona to have so many top-rated resorts with beautiful views and noted chefs. The JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is a Four Diamond option with golfing, restaurants, a spa, five pools and a lazy river. We love this place so much that we’ve visited it three times thus far.
On our first stay, we chose a holiday, the Fourth of July, to escape to this oasis fully acknowledging the risk we were taking for feeling burdened with crowds and rambunctious kids. It was surprisingly not bad — oh it was crowded, but this wasn’t their first rodeo and they were prepared with a sufficient number of valets, desk attendants and other staff to make guests’ experiences pleasurable. The expansive grounds also allow for spreading out and claiming space.
If you read my other posts, you’ll quickly realize we love our pools! And this resort does NOT disappoint. We spent the majority of our time on the lazy river but the adjacent pool bar area was also a great place to unwind. Just a Splash Bar & Grill offers fruit smoothies as well as your usual bar drinks. They have regular food offerings with my favorites like loaded tater tots, chicken wings and nachos, as well as salads and sandwiches. Two things make this bar stand out — their delicious prickly pear margarita and the Kokopelli’s Cabana Colada (for a crazy $33!) served in a fresh coconut.
An option to scoping out a spot on the pool deck or lawn by the lazy river is reserving lounge chairs at Griffin Bay within a short walk to the river. If you’re willing to pay, each one is $25-55 and on a crowded holiday weekend, it was awesome! It offers an umbrella for shade, pitchers of ice water and special attention from the servers. There’s also cabana cottages, daybeds and patio suites that connect to some first floor rooms.
We had a blast on the lazy river. Make sure to grab a float as soon as possible and if you’re a couple, the two person floats are a lot fun. We sat facing each other so we could chat and gaze lovingly in each other’s eyes (okay, I know, blech but we still feel like newlyweds!). Strangers became friends as we bumped into each other with a lot of chatting and laughing. One rotation around the river is about 7 minutes (or half a margarita… lol).
Another reason this place is great? The dining! After enjoying a day at the pool, we weren’t ready to return to the room, so we sat in the Stonegrill for happy hour. In the early afternoon we had the place to ourselves enjoying our glass of wine but the place quickly filled up as the sun was setting. We made some friends while watching a hot dog eating competition on the TV — I know bizarre, right?! The energy of the other guests was so fun!
The last time we stayed at the resort was during the COVID pandemic and we were able to snag a spot on the patio at Roy’s Pacific Rim. (If you’re a local and dining on a Monday, ask the waiter about a special they have — it might not be in existence when you go but it was in late 2020.) Walking through the hotel hallway to Roy’s is quite special with its unique architecture and lighting concept.
We had breakfast at the Revive Spa Bistro (we didn’t partake in spa services but had a delicious meal) but I’ll be honest, it is a tad pricey. Twenty6 is another cute spot to enjoy quiet time and a drink on an outdoor patio, another dining option is the Meritage.
On a personal note, we were impressed with the caring and understanding of the staff at this place. I had lost my father a few weeks prior and my husband wanted to take me away from it all and decompress. He requested roses and a special meat and cheese plate as a surprise afternoon snack for us to enjoy while sitting on our patio, with a card quoting our favorite “poet”, Dr. Seuss. Unfortunately it didn’t come. He politely let the management know he was disappointed and that this had not been an ordinary request. We had reservations for dinner at Meritage that night… Below is what came to our table, which brought me to tears. Some of the waiters came over to express their condolences and one shared that her grandfather loved reading her Dr. Seuss.
This was truly a great weekend. I can’t find something to complain about. The grounds were gorgeous and well-manicured, and the rooms nicely updated and modern. I didn’t feel at all that the compassion they showed us was so I would give a good Yelp review. It was heart-felt and meaningful. I hope you have a great experience there as well! (And the golfing is pretty awesome too 😉
