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 Pointe
Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
OK, I'll admit it. Phoenix, Arizona in
August is not the most comfortable heat-wise. But that's when we were
there. That's also why we really appreciated one of the main attractions
at the Pointe
Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort - The
Falls, a lovely three acre oasis of swimming pools, grotto-like
whirlpools, gardens, and cascading streams and waterfalls. The Cascades
Café offered outdoor dining and beverages. There were lounge chairs that
have flags to hail a waitperson and lounge chairs under misters to keep
you cool. It is a wonderful place to spend an hour or entire day. However,
there was no obvious way to walk to it from our room without cutting
through a couple of acres of sizzling hot parking lots. Our other options
were to drive our car the short distance or call for a ride from the
resort via golf cart. This mix of good and could-be-better was a common
characteristic of our visit.
Check-In
It started with check-in. The area you
drive up to is cramped. There is no obvious place to leave your car - just
signs not to leave it there. Although there were lots of employees at the
entrance, none of them appeared to be in charge of traffic control. I ran
in to check us in while my husband circled the car around while waiting
for me.
The Resort
The attractive Spanish Mediterranean
styled resort is terraced into a side of a mountain which sort of explains
the lack of pedestrian walkways. The terraces are full of buildings and
narrow roads with a parallel parking lanes. No room for foot traffic.
There was one pleasant elevated walkway near our room that connected our
building to the main building. There were other walkways on the little map
they gave us, but they were not well marked and did not seem to go to
where I wanted to go (The Falls or the spa).
The Rooms
All of the accommodations
are suites, which makes it very appealing for families. Since it was
August, there was a break in the standard $199/night room price. Our suite
cost $97/night. That included a non-optional Resort Service Fee of $8
which includes the following services: unlimited local phone calls (up to
60 min. ea), unlimited access for credit card, toll-free, and collect
phone calls (up to 60 min. ea), USA Today, Fitness Centre admittance,
tennis court time, shuttle to Pointe-to-Pointe restaurant, incoming and
outgoing fax, admission to Different Pointe of View's Terrace Lounge on
Friday and Saturday. Considering we did not use any of these services, I
would have preferred the charge to be optional.
Our attractive suite
had a living room, bar area, and bedroom and had been recently redecorated. The rooms
are equipped with two two-line telephones and televisions in both the
bedroom and the living room as well as hair dryers, irons and ironing
boards. There is complimentary in-suite coffee and a fully stocked
refrigerated mini-bar with wet bar.
Two room-related incidents led to a
less-than-optimal experience:
1) While we were lying in bed watching TV, we noticed a scorpion on the
ceiling. We called. They came. They apologized. They said these scorpions
were common and not dangerous. This kind only had a sting like a wasp.
They explained the rooms are sprayed every week. Not frequently
enough, apparently. Being from the East where there are no scorpions, I
was probably more distressed than the occasion called for. There were also
crickets in the room. We eventually found 5. One was in our bed. They were
probably why the scorpion was in the room in the first place. We didn't
sleep well that night.
2) After we were home and got our credit card bill, we noticed an
additional charge of ~$6. They had charged us for taking two bottles of
water from the mini-bar. The thing is, I am a member of Hilton Honors. The
bonus for being a member at this resort is two complementary bottles of
water from the mini-bar. I even left the letter saying that on the fridge,
so they wouldn't charge us for it. They did anyway. Now I have to call and
get them to take it off the bill. Needless to say, I would not have taken
the bottles if I had known I would have been charged for them.
The Spa
The tiny Tocaloma (meaning touching the
hills) Spa & Salon appears to be an afterthought to the resort. It is
located at a far corner of the property, and I decided to drive to it
since there did not seem to be a convenient way to walk to it. Most of the
1,600 square feet of spa and salon is dedicated to the salon, but the spa
does a booming business. There is a staff of 42 massage therapists, nail
technicians, aestheticians, and cosmetologists. There is one wet treatment room with shower, one facial room, one massage
room that doubles as a facial room, and a 1,000 s.f. satellite location,
Tocaloma II with three therapy rooms. For such a small physical
location, the treatment selection is large:
Facials (50 minutes, $65 - $130):
Deep Cleansing
European Moisturizing
Problem-Solving
Glycolic
Repechage Four-Layer
Cellex-C Antioxidant
Refresher
Glycolic Treatments
Ampoule Treatments
Body Treatments (25 - 50 minutes, $60 -
$95):
Hungarian Moor Mud Body Wrap
Seaweed Body Wrap
Desert Clay Body Wrap
Native American Healing Treatment
Dead Sea Mineral Body Wrap
Vegetable Mud Body Wrap
Desert Essence Aloe Vera Body Wrap
Native American Healing Treatment
Aroma Wrap
Sunless Tanning & Exfoliation
Pre-Tanning Body Treatment
Burn Relief Treatment
Exfoliating Treatments:
Desert Glo Body Scrub
Native American Healing Treatment
Body Polish
Spa-Glo
Massage Therapy (15 - 80 minutes, $55 -
$135)
Swedish
Therapeutic
Aromatherapy
Maternity
Reflexology
Sports
Reiki
Shiatsu
Massage is available at the spa,
in-suite (50 - 80 minutes, $115 - $160), or in a cabana at The Falls (50
- 80 minutes, $85 - $160).
Spa packages (2 hrs - full day, $153 -
$314) are available.
The spa carries Repechage, Decleor, and
Cellex-C in its retail area and will shortly be offering its own line of
products including shower and bath gels, hand and body lotions, bath
salts, massage oils, loofah body scrub and exfoliators.
A 1,200 poolside cabana was transformed
into a fitness center in 1997 and offers three treadmills, four
Lifecycles, three Stairmasters, ten weight/resistance/stretch
work-stations, steam room, sauna, juice bar, and Jacuzzi. Open 5 am - 9 pm
daily
According to the spa director, Sabrina
Corfield, a new spa and wellness center is in the resort's five-year plan
(so is a new entrance to the resort). Hooray!
Spa hours: 9 am - 8pm Monday -
Saturday, 9 am - 7 pm Sunday
Things To Do
There are lots of other activities
at the resort: tennis, mountain biking, nature hikes, horseback riding,
and golf and the Bobby
Eldridge Golf School. Jeep tours, trips to Sedona, the Grand Canyon,
Arcosanti, and more can be arranged by the concierge.
Awards
The Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
has garnered an impressive list of awards. Here are just a few of them:
-
Travel & Leisure, Sept 1999 - Top
100 Hotels in the Continental U.S. and Canada
-
AAA Four Diamond
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Mobil Travel Guide Four Star
-
Corporate Meetings & Incentives
- Ten Best Resorts
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Wine Spectator - Grand Award, Top
100 Wine Cellars in the World
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Golf Digest - Top 400 golf courses
in the nation
It makes me
think that my could-be-better experiences may have been unique. I would
like to think so. I plan to visit again after the new spa is built.
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Other Arizona Spas Reviews by About's Spa Guide
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Arizona Resources on About
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Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs
Quiet Area near Elevated Walkway
Interior of Suite
Bedroom in Suite
Entrance to the Tocaloma Spa & Salon
Entrance to the Tocaloma Spa & Salon
Retail Area in the Tocaloma Spa & Salon
Refreshment Area in the Tocaloma Spa
Tocaloma Spa Treatment Room
Tocaloma Spa Wet Treatment Room
Entrance to The Falls
The Falls
138' Slide at The Falls
The Falls
Whirlpool Grotto at The Falls
Private Cabanas at The Falls
Stables
photos by Julie Register
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