A trip to Arizona is not complete without a visit to Phoenix metropolitan area. There is so much to do in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa! And it is a pretty doable drive from San Francisco Bay Area – about 12 hours (and even closer from Central and Southern California) There is only one major thing you need to figure out – where to stay.
I would like to highly recommend Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort for many reasons: lots of great amenities, fantastic location, nice staff and reasonable prices. Check out specific highlights below to learn more.
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Location Review
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort is located in the heart of Phoenix, with less than a mile drive to some good restaurants and a Safeway supermarket and yet it feels like it is located somewhere in the wild.
The resort backs up to a mountain and most of the buildings with hotel rooms are located close to the mountain and away from the main road. I actually never saw the road or heard road traffic while at the resort. It really feels like you are a world away from civilization surrounded by mountain views, beautiful flowers and bubbling streams and waterfalls (I LOVED the resort landscaping!)
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Amenities Review
When we travel we usually explore a lot out and about and we often only come to the hotel to sleep. We felt very differently about Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort – it has so many great amenities that we wanted to try so we spent at least half a day at the resort entertaining ourselves with various fun activities.
Tennis courts and table tennis
It was a pleasant surprise that at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort we can just get to a tennis court whenever we wanted, no reservation, no fees. In comparison, in one of the Palm Springs resorts we had to book the court in advance and pay $20 each time we wanted to play. So kudos to Hilton!
It is great to play tennis in Phoenix first thing in the morning when it is cool outside and after that go for a swim.
Swimming pools, hot tubs and other water features
There are several pools and hot tubs at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort plus one big water park. The water park does not have water slides, it has more of a relaxing, laid back vibe. There is also one pool for adults only. During winter time the pools were heated and we always felt comfortable swimming even late in the evening.
It never felt crowded around the pools and there were always sun beds available.
There are several waterfalls and fountains throughout the resort and in the water park in particular, which give it a look and feel of an oasis in the desert with a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Hiking
You can easily go on a hike right from the hotel. Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort is located in the hiking area called North Mountain. There are hiking trails behind the hotel and across the street from it. On the trails we saw amazing giant saguaros and some local wildlife (bunnies and road runners). If you take one of the trails up the mountain you will be treated to wonderful scenic views.
Other amenities
There are other amenities at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort such as a gym, golf course and a spa which we didn’t try this time. The spa was closed due to Covid-19.
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Rooms Review
Most rooms at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort are located in small 2 stories buildings that are spread around the territory of the resort. There is also one main 4 stories building. The whole layout reminded me of cool resorts in Mexico where there are no high-rises and the architecture is Mediterranean with bright and colorful buildings and tiled roofs.
All rooms have a private balcony and I strongly recommend booking a room on the second floor which will have better views. Below is the gorgeous view we saw from our balcony every day:
All rooms are actually big suites with 2 rooms with a separate living area, 2 TVs, a mini fridge, a coffeemaker and other standard little perks. There is one thing that I would change about the rooms, and this is not specific to Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort but all Hilton resorts: I would love to have a microwave. If you are a parent, you will understand me. 🙂
One thing Hilton does superbly, in general, is selecting the best bedding. On our Arizona trip we stayed at a couple of Hampton Inns, an AirBnB property and a Hilton. Hilton’s sheets and pillow covers are amazing. They are luxurious, crisp, pleasant to the touch and do not create horrible static electricity in your hair. This is because the bedding is 100% quality cotton and not a cheap polyester mix.
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Dining Review
There are four dining options at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Cascades Cafe serves drinks and small bites at the water park. The Cantina serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Different Pointe of View is a fancy dinner only restaurant. Pointe in Tyme restaurant is currently closed due to Covid-19.
I have to be honest, it is hard to review dining at the time of pandemic because dining options are limited. Typically, Hilton hotels and resorts in general are famous for their fabulous breakfast buffets. I had some of the best breakfasts of my life at Hilton in Quebec City, London and Los Cabos. However, breakfast at the Cantina at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort was underwhelming. My son summed up his feelings about it very precisely, he said: “It tastes like lunch at our school”. And he goes to a public school where they get cheap $5 lunches… Unfortunately, Cantina was the only place that served breakfast so we didn’t have a choice.
I don’t blame this situation on Hilton, I was content that they served breakfast at all during the time of pandemic. I hope one day we’ll be back at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort and may be we will be able to savor the famous Hilton breakfast we are craving.
Lunch/dinner options at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort were much better. The Cantina restaurant had a limited choice of dishes during the pandemic but a couple that we tried (pasta and fish) were very good.
The star of Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort dining is Different Pointe of View restaurant, which is a famous high end establishment with amazing views and mouthwatering dinner menu options. We did not dine at Point of View this time because for a family of four the prices are a little steep. That said, if I am ever in Phoenix on my own for a conference or a girls weekend away, I am definitely putting this restaurant on my dining list.
Additional information about Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
We felt that Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort was very clean and well maintained. There was no regular daily room cleaning available during our stay because of the pandemic but we were amazed how quickly the garbage disappeared if you put it outside your door. The water in the swimming pools seemed very clean too.
We returned from Phoenix a month ago after staying 5 days and we didn’t get sick, so it is safe to assume that Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort’s cleaning protocols are adequate and appropriate for the current situation.
The staff throughout the resort was nice and welcoming which also added to the pleasant experience of our stay. When we go back to Phoenix we would definitely want to stay at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort.
Additional tips
We loved the location of this Hilton property because there are a couple of great dining options that we loved just 0.7 miles drive from Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. One is a Vietnamese restaurant called PT PHO which has a great pho soup served in huge bowls. We bought 3 bowls for 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids) and we could barely finish them.
Another place is Soup and Sausage Bistro, located pretty much next to PT PHO, that offers traditional Russian/Ukrainian food. It is a tiny place but it serves the most delicious inexpensive Russian/Ukrainian comfort food that tastes like home-made! Trust me, I am Russian, I know what I am talking about here. 🙂 It is hard to recommend just one thing to try, I think you should try EVRYTHING there, you won’t be disappointed.
Overall I believe that Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort is a great vacation destination from late fall to spring when the weather is the most pleasant. You may still get good rates for spring break if you book right now and in the near future I will publish all the information you need to know for a perfect Christmas vacation in Phoenix – stay tuned!
To book your stay, click on the banner below and it will take you to Hilton’s main booking site, which is not just the booking page, it also lists all currently available offers and deals that you can use throughout the participating Hilton hotels worldwide (just click “Offers” on the navigation panel at the top of the page):
If you are interested to explore more of the amazing state of Arizona, check out my itineraries:
Arizona Road Trip Itinerary: Phoenix to Grand Canyon
Things to Do in Flagstaff with Kids
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