Our group of 7 (two families with teenagers) stayed here for one night in early August, as part of a big road trip.

We chose this hotel because we needed an overnight stop in Phoenix as we were driving from the Grand Canyon to San Diego. In particular we picked it because of the swimming pools, and these were good, we all enjoyed the lazy river, and the kids liked the slide. In August it was really, really hot, so we definitely needed the pool to cool off in.

We arrived early afternoon and luckily could get into our rooms immediately. The rooms were really big, with a separate lounge area, fridge and coffee making facilities.

We ate in the Lantana Grill and the food was really good, not sure why but the restaurant was almost empty apart from us, but the staff were very attentive - although there was a thunderstorm going on! We had breakfast in the Hole in the Wall Restaurant, which was also good, particularly as it was complimentary.

Would recommend this hotel for families, and if ever passing through Phoenix again, we would stay here.

I was a little worried after reading some reviews, but we were pleasantly surprised.

Pools - We went to the water park on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, Thursday was fine but Friday was a little too crowded with kids. We moved to the North Pool and had it almost to ourselves until a mob of 20 bratty kids came in. Even with the bratty kids we still enjoyed ourselves, you CAN bring your own floats in the pools(and lazy river) along with drinks to the pools outside of the water park.

Holel - We stayed in one of the half-suites for $89/night and it was more than adequate. It had a king-sized bed(extremely comfortable), a shower & tub with the vanity outside of the bathroom and a fridge in the closet. There was a stinky smell coming from the sink but that was a minor issue. Nice flat screen on the wall. I do agree with other posters that you can really hear your neighbors, but that didn't bother us too bad.

Restaurants - After reading the reviews on here we skipped the restaurants. We walked in the Hole In the Wall for breakfast on Friday morning and left after noone acknowledged us after 10 minutes. We were impressed with the pina coladas at the hotel bar; beer and drinks prices were average for a resort. We ate at Gallaghers Sports Bar (right off the property) twice and it was average bar food, nothing spectacular. I do highly recommend Barrios Cafe, a mexican restaurant on 16th that was fantastic - the area is a little shady, but the chicken enchiladas were worth it.

Staff- Concierge was very nice and helpful. We tried calling the front desk several times from our room at different times and couldn't get through. When checking in the girl knew nothing, didn't explain where our room was. There are guys on golfcarts roaming the property that will help you, but they expect a hefty tip in exchange.

Overall, there was definitely more good than bad - I'd recommend this hotel with families looking for a nice getaway. There are also some cute feral kitties that visited us each morning, if you see them toss them out some treats.

We've decided to make Squaw Peak an annual stop. The casita we had is spacious. The bed comfortable. The amenities to die for.
My daughter LOVED Coyote Camp. She came home each of the two days she was there with crafts she'll be showing off for years. I LOVED the Tocasierra spa.. except the price. A massage at home isn't nearly as pricey - but then, the surroundings aren't nearly as wonderful either.
The staff was fun, and the mango margarita at the Hole in the Wall is one I look forward to having again!

We stayed at the Squaw Peak resort in late May/early June and had a very relaxing time. I had spent a lot of time researching various hotels in the Phoenix area and settled on the Squaw Peak because it appeared to be quite "kid friendly" from what we read, including the reviews on TripAdvisor. Our kids, aged 8,10 and 14 had a great time. The lazy river and pools were a big hit, especially with our younger kids.

The check in process went smoothly (we booked through United Vacation.com and got a great deal on the lodging as well as the flight from Denver) and we were given one of the standard rooms with a bedroom with 2 queens and a separate living area with a foldout sofa. When we checked in we were told to check back in a couple days about a possible upgrade. I did check back, and we did receive a room upgrade on about our third day at the resort. The upgraded room was a two story casita, with plenty of room for our family of five to spread out. Much nicer than the standard room.

We stayed a total of 9 nights at the resort and truly enjoyed it. We had been concerned that the heat would be unbearable but as it was Phoenix was blessed with a few days of relatively cooler weather in late May before it started to warm up, gradually. Didn't really matter to us as we spent a lot of time around the pools.

The breakfasts at Lantana Grille and the Hole in the Wall at the River Ranch were pretty good. We tended to go off-resort for other meals - there are some decent places to eat quite close to the resort. We did do dinner at the Hole in the Wall one evening but the service was terrible - in fact my wife and kids got tired of waiting for the food and left - we ended up eating it in our room.

I used the fitness facilities at the Tocasierra Fintness Center a number of times and found it satisfactory, with plenty of equipment - although a couple of the treadmills were not very stable. My wife and eldest daughter also indulged with spa treatments, and although somewhat pricey, they did find them enjoyable.

The River Ranch was the big hit of our vacation, and there was never a problem finding lounge chairs, towels, etc. - although getting service at your lounge chair on the weekend days can be a bit frustrating due to the volume of people.

We also took the free shuttle over to the Tapatio Cliffs resort on a couple occassions. The main pool area at that resort is also quite nice, and I found the bar area actually a little livlier. The fact that we could use the facilities of both resorts is a real plus in my mind.

I travel quite a bit both domestically and internationally, and while the Squaw Peak is a nice place, with decent amenities and mostly very good service, I would not rate it a premier resort. That said the "value for money" was excellent.