Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains

I spent a weekend there for a convention. I was glad the room was paid by my organization and not out of my personal finances because I was left underwhelmed.
Wall paper in my suite wing was pealed back to have wall and insulation exposed. It remained neglected all weekend.
I was given a king size suite. All four drink glasses were dirty, the bathtub had hair in in from a previous occupant and one of the outlets in the bathroom did not work.
Room service took an outrageously long time and the food came cold. One particular dish; the black bean hummus was so over salted it was entirely inedible.
Our dining experience at the bar & grill on site was awful. Our server was inattentive and rude. She left is waiting for drinks and an order for a long time. I flagged down another employee who I watched notify our server immediately and we waited another 5 minutes while she chatted with two other employees behind the bar. Most of the convention goers were attending lunch at the time in the ballroom so it was only us and one other couple waiting for service. A customer came to the bar several minutes into us waiting for her to bring us our waters and she took care of his order from start to finish before coming to acknowledge us.
The food was over priced and not that great. During my entire stay I had a salad, street tacos, hummus, green chili Mac & Cheese and the Turkey BLT. I would not recommend any of these choices to a friend or family member.
Service at the bar in the evening was again disappointing. A crown royal & 7up was $ 11 we put $ 20 in the bill holder and were not offered change. She just took it and moved away.
The advertised check out through your remote did not work. My phone did not get great service and wifi had to be purchased by the day. Working for a non profit made these extra expenditures inconvenient and irresponsible.
I gave 1 star because our check in clerk was nice and the valet/​bellhops were helpful directing us to the proper conference rooms.
One of my friends also stayed for the weekend convention and had to be moved because her first room was dirty and had an ant infestation.

This Marriott stands out as the best location for a conference/​convention or vacation spot. Beautiful rooms, nice property, and pretty darn good food for the hotel and the conference food.
The best part of this location: THE PEOPLE. The staff that works here is amazing, and I truly mean from the top down. The stand out hero for us was Izzy in their convention staff. He is the master of audio/​video things and runs a tight ship. He knows how to make it all come together.
Staff at front desk and bell staff is also just amazing. Seriously, looked for downside and could not find it here. This is an EASY FIVE STAR review for a great Marriott. I would like to see them continue to do what they do because are doing it right. This is a model for the other Marriotts to follow!

I have stayed here a few times and it has always been a wonderful trip! This past time my husband and I came down for a weekend away after he got back from a deployment. They sent up chocolate covered strawberries and champagne on the house to thank him for his service. I was so blown away! This is why I am true to Marriott — they have the best customer service! Thank you & we will be back again soon!

My company held a conference here. The hotel is small and quaint and every room is a suite. A nice living room and a nice size bedroom with a comfy bed. The conference area is nice and worked well for us. I have also attended another conference here in the past that was great. There is only 1 restaurant on site and it was just ok. The pool area is small compared to some of the other resorts in the area. There is a free shuttle service to area attractions and restaurants within 5 miles (I think). It’s a nice place overall especially if you are looking for a larger room.

Old rooms, very uncomfortable beds. Service at their bar (Agave) is less than acceptable. Under staffed 2 nights in a row, we sat for 15min. waiting for someone to be acknowledged.

Rob L. nailed it, this was a surprising gem.
I wanted something close to the Jackson Barrett Auto Auction, this worked perfectly. Even better they had a shuttle bus to/​from the event so we could over indulge in cocktails without any care!
Looking around the place I don’t think any room would have a bad view. Our room overlooked the desert, hearing the coyotes cry at night was spooky… but very cool. I won’t bore you with the details but it’s a very attractive place. What finally nailed it for me was the down pillows and sheets, one of the best night’s sleeps I’ve had in ages. Whoever designed the room really thought of everything down to the toilet seat that doesn’t slam down!
The service was mostly good. I called and asked if we could check in early and they said the room would be ready in an hour… awesome! The concierge and front desk staff always had a smile and were helpful. The valet and drivers were VERY cool and fun. The maid was sweet with a big smile. However, the woman bartender (with a Jamaican accent?) was terrible.
No worries.
Next time I’m in the area I’ll be staying here again. Good Job!

Work brought me to the Marriott. We found the rooms to clean and spacious with an extremely accommodating staff. Only complaint maybe the coil spring bed wasn’t terrible but wasn’t stellar either. The hotel itself is tucked back away from most traffic offering a pretty quiet atmosphere.

Surprise gem
I had not heard of the Marriott at McDowell Mountain until a conference brought me there. Driving up, it doesn’t catch your eye– something of a modern Ottoman bazaar architecture that is marked by a large, rectangular facades. But, on the inside, you are treated to shaded archways with ornate courtyards, a very friendly staff, and bright, well-​appointed spaces throughout the interior. It’s truly a surprise how well the hotel uses the space to be large and welcoming one you move through the entryway.
Conference facilities were spacious and comfortable. The food was very good, supported by attentive staff who were both polite and polished in their handling of the meals. The walkways were well-​lit and warm, inviting attendees to talk at length.
Views are stellar and there is relatively easy access to popular shopping areas and eateries. Planes close overhead will also catch your eye. My guess from the many executive to prop aircraft that we saw is that there is a small airport nearby. Not sure if that’s a bad thing for people staying overnight.
The layout of the hotel required traversing floors, which was easy enough, A plus that may mean more to me than others was that the parking was in close proximity to the entryway and hub of access to the hotel’s areas. I appreciate not having to trek a mile to get in and out.
Excellent facility and I’ll look forward to another conference there…

This is another good and dependable Marriott I stay at when the rates skyrocket at the JW Marriott Camelback during high season in Scottsdale. I actually had a meeting at this location on my last visit so it was convenient to make an overnight reservation here. Although not nestled in the upscale Paradise Valley area, the Marriott McDowell Mountains is still centrally located and pleasant enough. Sleeping rooms are average but just fine and conference rooms are a quick easy walk right off the lobby. On warm evenings sitting out on the lobby patio, sipping cocktails or having dinner as you overlook the golf course is really nice. As with all Marriott hotels, service here is excellent, which always adds to a nice enjoyable stay.

Nice room, great place for off-​site business meetings.
Service and employees were FANTASTIC!
Would stay here again.

Time and again, this Marriott property shines! It sits on some very beautiful land with palm trees, a stunning pool, and amazing views of the surrounding mountains and desert landscape.
Rooms are extremely comfortable… Two rooms! Very comfortable living room that is separated from the bedroom by two French doors. Also, a soaking tub and standalone shower.
But it is the employees that steal the show here. They are just so, so friendly and they remember you throughout the stay. After my first morning, every waiter or waitress in the breakfast area said welcome back to me, and the front desk guy who checked me in one day later referred to me by name without looking up my room number.
Whether you are on business or pleasure in the Scottsdale area, stay here! This is my favorite hotel.
Insiders tip: it is cheapest in the summer… Although it is very hot here then, you can get a room for $ 89 a night!

Friendly staff and great views of the mountains and the golf course. A full service Marriott hotel that was renovated 3 years ago.
They have a restaurant, a nice deck for drinks/​dinner, a full bar and a pool deck. This hotel is located right on the golf course.
My room was upgraded a mini suite with two rooms, which was nice and a good value for the money.
They have free parking, as well as valet parking (which costs $ 26 a night). Be aware, there is nothing really within walking distance for food or groceries, etc. Über is a great solution to get around at this hotel and in the area.
My only concern with this hotel, is that it is right next to the Scottsdale private airport.
That means that private planes start taking off and landing at approximately 7 AM each day. We are talking about Jets, propeller planes, and helicopters. And sometimes they can take off in very fast intervals… which means it can get quite noisy in your room. Understand that the planes can take off right over the hotel… so it’s noisy, but if you like aviation, you can see every type of private plane.
I would be concerned about staying here during a busy event in the Phoenix area. The amount of air traffic at this airport could be overwhelming and you might not get much rest. Otherwise a fine hotel.

We used our points to stay here when our AC went kaput. The facilities are really nice. Richmonde at the front desk was absolutely wonderful and is the reason for the 5^th star. He was very helpful and friendly when we needed to stay an additional night and it made it so much easier on us to have great service!

Stayed at the hotel as part of a Globus tour. Nice hotel. Staff were quite nice and the rooms were clean. In terms of location, there was a shuttle bus that went anywhere needed… at a price but they had coupons which reduced the price by 5 bucks. Huge golf courses here.
Had the free breakfast downstairs, average. They have an omelet station which is nice but I was a bit lazy. The potatoes and otherwise were fine.
They had melon flavored water downstairs that nice and refreshing for a hot summer day.
The only thing I didn’t like was that you had to go downstairs to use the internet. Otherwise, there was a 12 dollar charge per day for the «convenience» of using it in your room. I mean it’s not super fast downstairs anyway so is that really worth it?
The hotel worked for it’s purpose

No complaints here! I stayed in a king suite and it was a wonderful night! The suite was very clean and comfortable. In each of the buildings the smell was over-​the-​top wonderful. I don’t know if they had just cleaned the carpets, but the halls were fragrant and refreshing.
Only a few minutes after getting into my room, which had a beautiful pool and golf course view, my husband and I were surprised with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries! Room service was great and the street tacos were delicious. The salsa in particular was great with a zing of green chile!
The breakfast buffet at Agave was great as well. It wasn’t huge but the server was nice and the food tasted great.
Overall, the employees here were all extremely nice (every single one of them) and the hotel was exceptionally clean. I REALLY appreciated cleanliness so this compliment should go a long way!

Probably the most blasé staff I’ve encountered at a Marriott on this trip. The rates are pretty high, but when you’re traveling with pets, you have to bite the bullet if you don’t want to just crash at a Courtyard.
They have this thing where they can’t extend your stay until they know what the rate will be for that day, like it’s traded on Nasdaq or something. That meant that after checking in at a godawful time following a 16-​hour drive, I had to wake up early to see whether I would be moving on or sleeping in. Most of their guests come for the golf and spa, though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Some of the servers on the terrace were rather snippy. It didn’t ruin our trip, though. We stayed here two nights and played nine holes on the PGA course next door.

Great place very clean great friendly staff awesome breakfast great pool great room looking forward to a great week here

I found the hotel to be clean.
The staff was all very friendly.
I held a short 2 day meeting here. The meeting facilities were great for us, including the food and the meeting planning staff and daily service team. They were all very friendly and took care of us whenever we had a need or question.
I didn’t mind my room. I found it to be roomy, with a fridge, which was handy.
As a Marriott member, I received free breakfast and free wi fi.
I did not spend any time at the pools, but they did not look glamorous. They have an OK gym, with a little cardio equipment and a few weights.
I am not sure I would take little ones here, but I think for professional meetings, this is a suitable hotel in a decent location. The planes can get a little loud above.

I had a very stressful experience. I asked for a room with easy access, very close to an exit because I was traveling with baby. I got a room in the middle of the hall. Quite a walk to my car (with a SHIT TON of baby crap to haul in and out) !! Not to mention, it was facing the entrance of the hotel so it was very loud when we were trying to get to bed at 11pm. Housekeeping came at 9am and interrupted our rest time… After I extended my stay I asked for them to come back…
Took 3 hours for them to hit my room after front desk «told them» to. Keys to my room worked about 20% of the time.
When I notified the front office supervisor I asked him to tell the manager and all he said was «you just told the manager» he didn’t apologize, showed zero empathy and didn’t resolve anything. I am pissed! Not coming back.
P. S. The property wasn’t so bad. Breakfast was good (ordered the American). And the valet staff as very nice and accommodating.

If I were traveling to Phoenix/​Scottsdale for leisure, I would not choose this hotel. For the $ 379/​night that does not include a free breakfast, go stay at the the Kierland Westin, Fairmont Princess, J.W. Marriot Desert Ridge, etc. Yes the Marriott suites at this hotel are nice and spacious, but I found some major things lacking at this hotel.
The pool, there’s nothing special about it and there are probably 25 – 30 lounge chairs to be shared among everyone staying at the hotel — good luck with that. I was out there at 11:00am and there wasn’t a free chair in sight, so I «borrowed» someone’s that was among the many covered with a towel to be «taken.» Speaking of the towels, they are very old, thin, short, and colored a washed-​out blue — you better grab at least 3 in order to be comfortable.
Also, could the parking lot be any further away from the west wing rooms? Another note on parking, there are very few spots open on the weekends, which makes for an annoying time parking and then making the long walk to your room.
Another downer, no free wi-​fi in the rooms. They charge $ 12.95/24-hour access if you would like wi-​fi in your room. Last time I checked, it’s 2014 and we shouldn’t be paying for wi-​fi in public places anymore, especially a $ 379 room. If you want free wifi, you have to go to their lounge, restaurant, or out by the pool.
Other than the pool, parking, and wi-​fi issues, it was a nice stay. The noise from the private planes flying overhead towards the Scottsdale airport, didn’t bother me. The lobby has modern décor and is very big/​open. The hotel is also in a more secluded part of Scottsdale, with lots of running/​biking paths along it.