It’s been some time since my visit to the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, taking me awhile to post another Starwood review. I was quite delighted to see the property listed in Cash & Points so I jumped on the opportunity and decided to take myself and my parents for a nice getaway to Arizona for the 2005 Thanksgiving weekend.

Having had to cancel my Cancun trip due to the storm, I was looking forward to this short getaway to someplace warmer than where I was. The hotel itself looked pretty good and it had the amenities that I wanted - a nice pool area, spa and nice distractions such as a casino.

Check-in: Check-in was pretty standard. I had booked two rooms using the Cash & Points promo so I did not have any expectations. As a Gold Preferred Guest I was given their Preferred Guest floor, but the rooms faced the parking lot. From what I can tell, the difference in the levels of accommodation were as follows: the lower floors for the Non-Preferred guests, the Preferred Guest floor with rooms facing the back of the buliding (i.e. the parking lot) and rooms that faced the pool area, golf course and beyond (sunset). Of course, the rooms itself differed as in doubles, king, suites, etc. Although it was Cash & Points rooms, I inquired if they would be able to offer me a room facing the more attractive scenery. After checking with the manager, they were able to accommodate my request. The only thing was that the rooms were apart which I had no problems with.

Room: I booked two rooms and received what I had requested, a double and a king without much trouble. All the rooms have a balcony with a table and chairs. The rooms are decorated in a typical Southwestern décor with earthy tones. I felt the bed was not very comfortable but my parents liked it. The bathroom was nice: It had a tub of a decent size and depth with a separate glass enclosed shower. The rooms overall were of good size and decoration subtle.

Restaurants: There were so many excellent restaurant choices in the Phoenix area that we did not get a chance to dine at any of the Sheraton’s. There are good choice of restaurants at the resort and they seemed of good quality for anyone preferring to stay at the resort for their dining experiences. Unfortunately, we ventured off to the Hyatt’s Different Pointe of View and wished that we had eaten at Kai instead of the chef’s tasting menu with wine at the Hyatt. The view and the wine selection were excellent but food was not the best. If there is a next time, I would definitely do one of the restaurants Sheraton offers instead or find a In-N-Out burger joint.

Amenities: The room amenities were adequate. I felt it lacked a certain panache for a resort property. It does have all the essentials. Bathrobes and slippers are provided. There is a nice spa away from the main lodging complex. I overheard quite a few people complain about the difficulty in trying to book a spa treatment as it was booked solid. Thus, I did not waste my time. The spa itself supposedly has its own pool and a gym. There is a charge unless you are a Platinum Preferred Guest. I probably would have liked to see the pool and the gym but since it was separate from the main complex, I was not motivated to go and the charge did not help. The resort’s pool is great for families. There is “four” separate pools. Two pools were of good size and heated. One was a cold plunge pool. The other has the waterslide and I would not categorize this as a pool since it basically serves as a plunge area for the slide. The website reads, “We offer four pools with cascading waterfalls and a 111-foot waterslide modeling the ancient Casa Grande Ruins.” I would like to see such description taken off the website. I did not see any cascading waterfalls in any of the four pools and the description of the slide as “modeling the acient Casa Grande Ruins” makes it sound so gradueur, which it is not. Having said that though, I liked the pools. The waterslide offers an excellent amusement for the kids. We went out one night to just relax in one of the jacuzzis next to the pools, sipping some champagne. I did not play but the golf course looked great as well. I did not see anyone on the walking trails. I, myself, thought that the trails were rather gimmicky as some of it was just a path out in the flat land surrounding the whole area with nothing to look at. I did check out the Wild Horse Pass casino one night and of course lost all my money. It’s a good size compared to some of other casinos in the area but I wouldn’t waste my time or money, perhaps for a hour or two of entertainment if you don’t have anything else to do.

Location: The hotel is located in Phoenix, close to the airport. There is not much in the immediate surrounding area, both a positive and a negative. Positive in that the whole place is very serene (but there were a lot of families with kids so be aware). I would recommend having a car unless you plan to stay at the resort for the whole trip. The area is very easy to navigate and a decent distance to get to different activities. As mentioned, the resort property is quite expansive with the lodging complex, golf course, spa, walking trails. I have to admit that the landscaping could use some work. Having visited properties like the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch, the Sheraton looked a bit blah.

Quality of Service: Fair. The staff was on the younger side and seemed to be less experienced than I am used to. They did provide all services without attitude that sometimes comes with experience. They could beef up the pool service since this is a resort hotel. There were times when towels were not available and the poolside services for drinks/food were inadequate. I had to wait a long time before giving up.

Overall, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is a good place for a nice weekend getaway. Make some dinner reservations and book some spa treatments and go. I wouldn’t make a whole vacation out of it though.

Review by ajk2n

Posted at April 19, 2006 11:45 PM