HotelChatter

When the Hotel Valley Ho opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1956, it was a cool retreat in the hot desert for celebrities and local hipsters.

The hotel began its decline in the 1970s when the original owners sold it to the Ramada hotel chain. It eventually closed in 2002 and was in danger of being demolished. But fortunately a couple investors recognized the hotel's mid-century significance and begin to restore the Ho to its former glory. The hotel reopened in early December 2005.

The owners have done a really fantastic job of updating the resort - there is a nice mix of preserved original architecture and new modern touches. Walking through the front door, you enter into a living room area with couches and a fireplace. There is also a small outdoor patio off to the side that has a fire pit. Continuing through the lobby takes you to the bar and restaurant Cafe ZuZu. There is ample seating in the bar area, along with a large area for indoor and outdoor dining. All of the drinks are served with a blue plastic Valley Ho swizzle stick, which got us talking about how swizzle sticks are a lost art. There was era appropriate music playing in the background. If it weren't for the trendy, urban crowd, or the flat screen TVs, you would really almost think you had been transported back in time!

We weren't able to get a peak at any of the hotel rooms - we'll report back again once we've had a chance. But two levels of hotel rooms wrap around an interior courtyard with all of the hotel room doors opening to the courtyard. On the opposite side of the building there are floor to ceiling glass windows that overlook views of surrounding Scottsdale. The courtyard has a large pool and adjoining patio for Cafe ZuZu. There are well manicured gardens lining the pathways.

A Trader Vics will be opening in the hotel next month, and they are also in the process of completing an adjoining residential complex.

The owners of the Hotel Valley Ho have done a really great job of restoring it to its former glory--hoorah.

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Hotel Valley Ho Reviews [TripAdvisor]