Journal
Scottsdale and Boothbay Harbor, written by the people who run the houses.
When to come, what to plan the trip around, where to eat, and which house or room fits the group. Written by the family that runs them, not a content agency.
Where to Stay10 Bedroom Vacation Rental Scottsdale: Valley Vista
Houses with ten or more bedrooms are rare in the Scottsdale area. Here is how ours is laid out, how thirty people actually sleep in it, and what to check in any house this size.
Scottsdale GuidesFishing Near Scottsdale: Lakes, Rivers and Licenses
The desert has more water than people expect. Here is where our guests fish, from a stocked city lake to the reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers.
Seasons & EventsOctober in Scottsdale: The Month Worth Booking Early
Summer has not left yet and winter has not arrived. That in-between is the whole point.
Stays & PlanningWhere to Stay Near Phoenix: 3 Areas Compared
Three places that share one skyline and produce three completely different vacations. We own houses in two of them, so here is the straight version.
HolidaysFourth of July in Scottsdale: Fireworks and Family Events
The heat runs the schedule on the Fourth here. Mornings are for pancakes and a charity run. Afternoons are for air conditioning. The fireworks start at nine, and then everyone gets in the pool.
Where to StayLarge Group Rentals in Scottsdale: How to Plan the Trip
One person usually ends up organizing a big group trip. This is the guide for that person: choosing the house, assigning rooms, moving people around and keeping everyone happy.
Scottsdale GuidesHiking in North Scottsdale: Trailheads and Timing
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve starts where the houses stop. Four trailheads, what each is good for, and how to hike the desert without the heat winning.
Seasons & EventsArizona Festivals: Plan a Scottsdale Villa Weekend
Arizona gives you festivals in every season and landscapes that change with the elevation. Here is how we would put them together with one of our Scottsdale estates at the center.
Stays & PlanningBachelorette Party Villas in Scottsdale vs Resorts
Groups keep booking resort blocks and regretting it by Saturday afternoon. Here is why a private villa changes the whole weekend, and how to pick one.
HolidaysSpring Holidays in Scottsdale: Valentine's to Mother's Day
Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Mother's Day land in the best weather of the year here. A host's guide to each one, plus the spring festival at the Railroad Park.
Where to StayParadise Valley Vacation Rentals: Staying in the Town
Paradise Valley is a small residential town tucked between Phoenix and Scottsdale, with mountains on every side. Here is what staying there is like, and why it suits some trips better than others.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale Guys Trip: Golf, Games and Old Town
Golf in the morning, something loud in the afternoon, a steak at night. How the groups we host build the weekend, and the house rules worth knowing first.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale in Summer: How to Keep Cool and Enjoy It
Yes, it is hot. Locals still have a great time, and the trick is a rhythm: early mornings outside, afternoons indoors or in water, evenings on the patio.
Stays & PlanningLuxury Vacation Rental Trends in Scottsdale
Oversized lobbies and crowded resort pools stopped impressing anyone. Here is what luxury travelers actually ask us for now, and why the house itself became the destination.
HolidaysChristmas in Scottsdale: Lights, Dinners and New Year's Eve
How we do the last five weeks of the year in the desert, from the first train ride through the holiday lights to the countdown in Old Town.
Where to StayPhoenix Villas: Private Houses on the Valley's Best Side
Search for Phoenix villas and you are really searching the whole metro. Our houses are in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Here is what that means for drive times, and why most visitors prefer it.
Scottsdale GuidesSolo Trip to Scottsdale: A Host's Plan for One
Scottsdale is an easy city to travel alone: early trails, good art, a bar seat at a serious steakhouse, and a quiet place to come back to.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale in the Fall: 9 Experiences Worth the Trip
There is a window every year when Scottsdale quietly becomes the best version of itself, and most people miss it because they are still thinking about July.
Stays & PlanningScottsdale Milestone Celebrations: Why Groups Book Here
Some cities are built for tourism. Scottsdale, for whatever reason, got built for the weekends people remember for the rest of their lives.
HolidaysThanksgiving in Scottsdale: Dinner, Trot and Black Friday
Warm November mornings, a turkey trot in downtown Phoenix, restaurants that stay open on the holiday, and a kitchen big enough for the whole family. Here is how we do it.
Where to StayCorporate Retreat Scottsdale: Lodging Your Team in a House
For a leadership offsite or a small team trip, one house can do what a hotel block cannot. Here is how to plan the lodging, and how to pair it with the right venue and outings.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale Luxury Wellness: Plan a Restorative Trip
Hike at sunrise, book the spa for the afternoon, float in your own pool at dusk. Scottsdale lets you build a wellness trip around your pace instead of a resort schedule.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale in August: Monsoon Skies and Quiet Villas
Most travelers see August on the calendar and start searching for beaches. The couples who have spent it at one of our houses come back every year.
Stays & PlanningRepeat Guests: Why People Rebook Scottsdale Rentals
Our favorite compliment is a rebooking. Here is why more travelers return to the same house instead of searching again, and what a property has to get right to earn it.
HolidaysLabor Day Weekend in Scottsdale (and Memorial Day Too)
Two long weekends bookend an Arizona summer. Here is how we spend both of them, from resort pool parties and flashlight tours to a quiet morning at the National Memorial Cemetery.
Where to StayFamily Reunion Rentals in Scottsdale for 16 to 30 Guests
A reunion needs real beds for everyone, one table that seats the family, and room for the grandparents to get away from the cousins. Here is how to find that.
Scottsdale GuidesBest Restaurants in Scottsdale: 12 Worth Planning Around
People book Scottsdale for the pool and the golf. They go home talking about dinner. These are the twelve tables we send our guests to, and how we tell them to plan around them.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Summer Getaway for Couples vs Las Vegas
Vegas still owns the quick luxury weekend in most people's heads. More couples are quietly booking the Sonoran Desert instead, and they are not going back.
Stays & Planning3-Day Scottsdale Getaway: Why Short Trips Are Winning
Travelers are trading one long vacation for several short, deliberate ones. Scottsdale is built for it.
HolidaysHalloween in Scottsdale: Crawl, Balloons and Haunted Trains
October is the month locals wait all year for. Here is how Halloween in Scottsdale plays out, from a balloon festival with two tons of candy to an Old Town bar crawl in costume.
Where to StayScottsdale Vacation Rental for 16 People: How to Choose
Sixteen is the number where a group outgrows most houses. How to tell a home that sleeps 16 from one that just lists it, and the one we host near Old Town.
Scottsdale GuidesNorth Scottsdale vs Old Town: Where to Stay
Neither side is better. They make different vacations. Here is how we help guests pick the one that fits the trip they actually plan to take.
Seasons & EventsWhere to Stay Near WestWorld of Scottsdale for Events
WestWorld of Scottsdale draws crowds from across the country. After a full day on your feet, the right house matters more than you expect.
Stays & PlanningWhy Scottsdale Beats Other Luxury Rental Destinations
Some places impress you. A few stay with you. After years of hosting people who could have gone anywhere, we have a fairly clear idea of why they picked the desert.
Where to StayMansion Rentals in Scottsdale: 6, 7 and 8+ Bedroom Houses
Once a group passes a dozen people, the choice narrows to a handful of large houses. Here is how to compare them, and how our two big estates differ.
Scottsdale Guides48 Hours in Scottsdale: A Weekend Itinerary
Two nights is enough for the desert, Old Town, one great dinner, and an afternoon by the pool. The trick is protecting the empty spaces between them.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Weather by Season: What to Expect
There is no single perfect month here. There are five different versions of the desert, and each one asks something different of the house you stay in.
Stays & PlanningLuxury Vacation Rental vs Airbnb in Scottsdale
Both show up in the same search results. The stay is not the same. Here is what changes when the home is professionally run and built for groups.
Where to StayMonthly Rentals in Scottsdale: Furnished 30+ Night Stays
A month in Scottsdale is a different trip from a weekend. Here is who books our houses for thirty nights or more, what is included, and how it differs from signing a lease.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale Hidden Gems: Where Locals Actually Go
The glossy Scottsdale is resort pools and Old Town nightlife. The one we live in is quieter, earlier and easier. These are the places we send our own guests.
Seasons & EventsWaste Management Phoenix Open: A Guest's Guide
The loudest week in golf lands in Scottsdale every February. Here is what to expect at TPC Scottsdale, from the 16th hole to where to sleep.
Stays & PlanningVacation Rentals vs Hotels in Scottsdale: Which Wins
We own private estates, so you know where we land. But the honest answer depends on how you travel, who is with you and how long you stay.
Where to StayScottsdale Retreat Rentals: Housing the Whole Group
A retreat works best when everyone sleeps under one roof and the big moments happen somewhere built for them. Here is how we host groups, and what our houses are and are not for.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale vs Palm Springs: Which Desert Trip Fits You
Both have sunshine, mountains and serious golf. The vacations they deliver could not be more different.
Seasons & EventsBest Time to Visit Scottsdale: A Season-by-Season Guide
There is no wrong season in the desert, only different versions of it. Here is how each one feels and who it suits.
Stays & PlanningWhat to Look for in a Luxury Vacation Home
The photos all look good. Here is what actually separates a house you love from a house you tolerate, from people who own and run several of them.
Where to StayScottsdale Winter Rentals: Booking the Snowbird Season
Winter is when Scottsdale is at its best and its busiest. Here is how the season runs month by month, which weeks go first, and how to book a house for it.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale With Kids: Family Things to Do
The aquarium, the butterflies, the tiny train and the splash pad that rescues a hot afternoon. Plus the two houses we built around big families.
Seasons & EventsJanuary Events in Scottsdale: What's On Each Year
Cool mornings, a full calendar, and the busiest weeks of the winter. Here is what happens in Scottsdale every January and how to plan a stay around it.
Stays & PlanningVacation Rental Amenities That Actually Matter
We have furnished and run a lot of houses. These are the features guests notice, and the ones they never mention.
Where to StayTroon North Vacation Rentals: Casitas on a Horse Ranch
Troon North is the high desert edge of Scottsdale, known for its golf and its boulders. Our casitas sit on a horse ranch right beneath Troon Mountain. Here is what the area offers and how the casitas work.
Scottsdale GuidesScenic Drives Near Scottsdale and Phoenix
Some of the best hours of a Scottsdale stay happen behind the wheel. These are the desert roads we send guests to, and when to drive them.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Music, Film and Food Festivals Guide
Free Sunday concerts on the Civic Center lawn, a jazz festival tied to International Jazz Day, a four-day tiki weekend at Hotel Valley Ho and a craft beer festival with hundreds of pours. The events that keep our guests coming back, and when to expect them.
Stays & PlanningLuxury Scottsdale Vacation Rentals: How to Choose
What luxury actually means in a rental, which neighborhood fits your trip and the questions to ask before you book. From the family that owns the houses.
Scottsdale GuidesScottsdale Lifestyle: Why Visitors Come Back Every Year
Sunshine, saguaros, golf before breakfast and dinner on a patio. Once you fall into the rhythm of the desert, it is hard to leave it behind.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Festivals by Month: A Year-Round Guide
Scottsdale keeps a full festival calendar from the first cool week of January to the last night of December. Here is what comes back every year, month by month, from a host who has been sending guests to these events for a long time.
Scottsdale GuidesGolf in Scottsdale: Courses, Season and the Phoenix Open
When to play, where to play and how to do the Phoenix Open properly. Written for the group that books a house around a tee sheet.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Spring Events: Balloons, Bike Week and Cycling
March and April are the outdoor months in Scottsdale. Hot air balloons at dawn, thousands of motorcycles at WestWorld and a road race through the desert. Here is how to plan for all three.
Scottsdale GuidesArizona Desert Sunsets: How to Enjoy Them Well
The best moments of an Arizona trip are usually the quietest ones. Here is how we plan a day around light, shade, and a patio facing the right direction.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Art Festivals: Fine Art Shows and Gallery Walks
From a ten-week outdoor studio show in winter to Thursday night gallery walks that have run for decades, Scottsdale is one of the easiest places in the country to spend a weekend looking at art. Here is the recurring lineup and how to plan around it.
Scottsdale GuidesOld Town Scottsdale Vacation Rentals: A Walkable Stay
If you want to park the car on arrival and not think about it again, this is the part of Scottsdale to book. Here is what is actually within a walk.
Seasons & EventsBarrett-Jackson Scottsdale: Where to Stay for Car Week
The flagship Barrett-Jackson auction rolls into WestWorld every January and the Good Guys Spring Nationals follow in March. Here is how to do car season in Scottsdale from a house of your own.
Scottsdale GuidesThings to Do in Scottsdale: A Local Host's Guide
Hikes, museums, Old Town and the drives worth a full day. This is the list we hand guests when they ask where to start.
Seasons & EventsScottsdale Arabian Horse Show, Reining and Rodeo Guide
From the Arabian Horse Show in February to the Parada del Sol rodeo in March, Scottsdale spends six weeks living up to its cowboy reputation. Here is how to see it from a house of your own.
Seasons & EventsSpring Training in Scottsdale: Where to Stay
The Cactus League turns the Valley into one big ballpark from late February through March. Here is how we plan a Spring Training trip from our Scottsdale estates.
Plan a stay
Tell us about the trip. We will tell you which house.
Dates, headcount, occasion, what matters most. A person who knows every property answers, usually the same day.