More room than a resort suite, more privacy than a hotel, and dinner is a walk away

Three days for two

Start with a slow morning: the coffee bar is stocked, the patio catches the early light, and the Old Town Farmers Market is a 14-minute walk on Saturdays from October to May. Hike Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon trail before the heat (12 minutes by car; go at sunrise, and skip it in summer), or take the flatter canal path through the Scottsdale Waterfront, 20 minutes on foot from the house.

Afternoons are for the pool across the lawn, a spa day at one of the resorts along Camelback Road, or the galleries on Main Street and Marshall Way, which stay open late on Thursday evenings for the ArtWalk. Then dinner: Old Town has a hundred-plus restaurants within a 20-minute walk, from red-sauce Italian at Pasta Brioni eight minutes away to the tasting-menu rooms downtown. Walk home, or ride two minutes, and finish on the patio with something from the wine fridge.

What couples notice

• The primary suite is upstairs and private, with a soaking tub and a dual vanity
• The patio is walled, quiet and yours, with a grill for a night in
• A wine fridge and a real kitchen make a stay-in night easy
• Covered parking means no valet and no garage
• Two spare bedrooms if friends or family join for a night

Anniversary trips, Valentine’s weekends (the WM Phoenix Open and Barrett-Jackson make February lively, so book early) and long weekends in October and November, when the weather is at its best, are the popular choices.