If you can't stand the heat, do not stay in Phoenix in July. If you can, or if you're there for any other reason, stay at the Royal Palms! This resort is small and romantic and the landscape is gorgeous; even in the heat of the summer, the grounds were lush and full. I was there with my husband, my parents, and my sister on a family vacation, but the resort was predominantly couples. The few families that came to the intimate pool left quickly when they saw that the atmosphere was quiet and not conducive to loud children. The service was absolutely unbelievable at every turn (Rick at the pool takes service to another level...) and, in the one case it wasn't (the spa did not have our appointments in its system), the extremely apologetic staff bent over backwards to accommodate us. The Royal Palms was such a breath of fresh air and a completely unexpected respite I would visit again in a second.

Reading some of the negative comments about the Royal Palms blows my mind. It was, by far, the best place I have ever stayed at, and I travel quite a bit. The grounds are dreamlike, the rooms are beautiful and unique (not like your typical chain hotels) and the service is incredibly good.

The restaurant, T. Cook's, was very good as well. The service was excellent and as foodies and wine lovers, we were pleased to see that the waiter knew his stuff. The valets were very, very helpful and pleasant (especially a young guy named Brandon!). Our first trip to Phoenix was in 110 degree heat, but we loved it all the same, in fact we are hoping to return at christmas. If that doesn't work out we will go back another time. Everyone should experience luxury like that at least once in their lifetime!

Spent two nights here in June. Having read the rave reviews we were somewhat disappointed. First impressions were certainly not good; the reception staff did not exactly fall over themselves to be helpful and the decor seemed a little faded. The pool area was very average and some new soft furnishing was clearly needed .
Felt better when we had settled in- the room was large and comforatble and my wife loved the bath. Enjoyed an excellent meal in the restaurant though again the decoration was a little old fashoined.
Highlight of stay was sitting in a courtyard with a bottle of wine under the stars. Liked the feel of the place in the evening with lots of clever lighting and quiet acoustic guitar.
Overall it was ok. Think they will need to up their game if they want to maintain their prices. The spanish colonial theme is great but clearly needs a little refurbishment

My husband and I stayed at the Royal Palms for our second anniversary and were pleased with the stay overall.

The grounds at the Royal Palms are beautiful and there are many nice outdoor seating areas and coves but, during Phoenix's hot summer months, these are pretty to look at but not really functional. As mentioned in previous reviews, the pool area is very small for the size of the resort. There were not very many people there during our stay in the middle of the week yet the pool seemed crowded and noisy. Despite this, the grounds are serene and very pleasing to the eye.

We stayed in the Monte Vista Terrace room, which was comfortable but not what I would call luxurious. The Japanese soaking tub was nice but I got a giant bruise trying to get out of it since it's deep, there are no steps, and the entire surrounding area is marble. - so be cautious! The toiletries provided from the spa were very nice and smelled gorgeous for women but not so much for men who do not want to have the fragrance of sweet orange blossom on them.

The Alvadora Spa was also nice. It was comfortable, clean, and quiet. I got an aromatherapy massage, which was good but the therapist did not pick up on the cue that I did not want to converse the entire time. For the price, I would've expected a bit more professional service.

Dinner at T. Cook's was also nice - I got the tasting menu with wine pairings while my husband got the beef tenderloin.

Overall, the Royal Palms was nice but it did not "wow" us as we hoped it might. It was pretty and nice but it was missing those special touches and elements and experiences that would bring us back for another stay.