Funky Hotels Near Phoenix, Arizona
- Visitors will find a number of funky hotels near Phoenix, Arizona.Morey Milbradt/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Webster's Dictionary defines "funky" as "unconventionally stylish." For a hotel, the label funky is subjective. One person may think funky is colorful décor, while another may view funky as sleeping in a bed shaped like a Conestoga wagon. For travelers with an adventurous spirit, a number of hotels near Phoenix are considered funky -- by someone. - The historic Hotel San Carlos is an Italian Renaissance beauty that first opened downtown in 1928 and quickly became a playground for Hollywood's early stars such as Mae West, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Designated a Historic Hotel of America, today's luxurious Hotel San Carlos is known less for its Hollywood visitors than its haunted ones. Guests report seeing apparitions of children who drowned in a basement well in the late 1800s and a woman named Leone Jensen who leaped to her death in 1928 and who reportedly visits the occasional male guest in the middle of the night.
- For travelers in love with all things Mid-Century Modern, the Hotel Valley Ho in downtown Scottsdale is an ideal choice. The Hotel Valley Ho opened in 1956 and was revamped in 2005, keeping the ultra-cool look and feel of the Rat Pack era. The first Mid-Century Modern hotel recognized as a Historic Hotel of America, "National Geographic Traveler" said of the Hotel Valley Ho: "The hippest rooms in town are at this mid-century design hotel." Before strolling the hip property where Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner enjoyed their wedding reception, guests may enjoy taking a dip in the martini-and-olive shaped pool.
- Many hotels attract customers by distinguishing themselves from the competition.Guests at the Arizona Grand Resort can tube along its winding, man-made river, slide down the eight-story-high waterslide and surf the waves in the gigantic wave pool. If guests are feeling more adventurous, they can lounge in a 25-person hot tub with interesting strangers. For those who elect to forgo the hotel's water park, guests can try the 20,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center, the competitive 18-hole golf course and the full-service spa and salon.
- In the 1930s, cowboy artist Lon Megargee built a modest one-room studio in isolated Paradise Valley. Megargee added on to his studio to create a home and eventually turned the home into an occasional guest ranch. Although he sold the ranch in 1941, the property evolved into the secluded Paradise Valley Inn it is today. Zagat called The Hermosa Inn one of the "top 50 small hotels in the U.S." The inn has all the amenities of other Phoenix-area hotels, but those hotels don't offer a lush six-acre oasis of casitas with a view of Camelback Mountain.
