Explore the Mid-Century Magnificence of Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho

Who wouldn’t want to live in Hotel Valley Ho? At least for part of the year—the parts when the Arizona sun isn’t trying as hard as it can to kill you. Scottsdale, Arizona’s famous mid-century marvel surrounds guests in a warm evocation of the past, while providing all the modern amenities one expects from a hotel. A recent two-night stay wasn’t long enough; I could’ve happily stayed until the thermometer hit triple digits. 

Mad Men ended a decade ago but mid-century modern remains in vogue, especially when it comes to hotels. You can probably chalk some of that up to how anonymously antiseptic contemporary hotel design can be, but you shouldn’t underestimate the eternal allure of the sharp angles and bold colors that became popular in the 1950s. In embracing that aesthetic the Valley Ho is honoring its own history; originally opening in 1956, the hotel was a leading resort in then-nascent Scottsdale, with a marvelous space age design sense by architect Edward Varney.

From the start Hotel Valley Ho and the Scottsdale area were popular with Hollywood stars. Before the interstate made it easy to drive there from California, and before communication innovations made it possible to transmit information in seconds, celebrities would flock to Scottsdale to avoid the paparazzi of California. Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner famously had their wedding reception at the Valley Ho, and it was a popular destination for vacationing stars, baseball players during spring training, and the celebrity class in general. That was part of its appeal to everyday guests: even if you didn’t see anybody famous during your time at the Valley Ho, you knew you were eating at the same restaurants and swimming at the same pools the stars did. 

Like the mid-century movement in general, the Valley Ho’s glory days were over by the mid ‘70s. It fell into disrepair over decades of ownership by Ramada, eventually closing in the early ‘00s. It was almost sold to developers who planned to tear it down and replace it with condos in the mid ‘00s; fortunately when their plans became known a lower bid by the current owners was accepted instead, and they meticulously restored the Valley Ho to something resembling its original state while also getting it listed on the Scottsdale Historic Register and the Historic Hotels of America. They expanded it with a tower that was an unbuilt part of Varney’s original 1950s plans, made the whole complex ADA compliant, and opened the restaurant Zuzu. (They also had a Trader Vic’s for a few years in the ‘00s. I really hate that I missed that.) When the refurb was finished, the Valley Ho was officially a modern Four Diamond hotel with the look, feel, and spirit of the 1950s. 

A recent stay at the Hotel Valley Ho showed that this gem deserves all its accolades. A tower suite, which is located above the lobby in the mid ‘00s expansion, feels less like a hotel room than a condo. Its large open-floor plan lightly splits up the bedroom from the living room area with a long, low dresser with a 45-inch flatscreen on a lazy susan sitting on top; a boomerang-shaped couch and three low-slung mid-century chairs made that living room perfect for entertaining. It offers a full kitchen decked out in bright yellow, with stove, oven, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, and microwave. The bathroom’s bigger than my first apartment and includes a free washer and dryer. The tower suite could easily be somebody’s primary home, and if we ever get serious about wintering in the desert (and, uh, also became obscenely rich somehow) we’d absolutely look to buy one of the Valley Ho’s condo units.

Obviously the Valley Ho has the luxuries you’d expect from a hotel today: a top-notch spa, a gym, a pool-side bar with small meals and stiff drinks. The OH Pool Bar sits next to a large circular pool in the main courtyard, which often houses dance parties and other DJ nights. It’s not always about partying, though; when it’s quiet, as it was on a recent Monday afternoon in the late winter, it’s a relaxing, enchanting escape from the everyday world. There’s also a smaller, even quieter pool for those who want to swim laps, with a separate splash fountain perfect for children or just getting your feet wet.

The Valley Ho’s main restaurant and bar, ZuZu, is named after the owners’ grandmother, but I’m sure the connection to a classic beloved movie was a welcome coincidence for a hotel trying to evoke the past. ZuZu serves daily brunch until 2:30 p.m., with breakfast favorites like omelets, breakfast burritos, chicken and waffles, and huevos rancheros. (I recommend the breakfast sandwich, with a hashbrown, sausage patty, eggs and cheese on an everything bagel.) Brunch and dinner alike features an excellent house burger, while the southwestern-tinged dinner menu also offers a tasting menu for two to eight guests. My wife got the most ridiculous milkshake I’ve ever seen, a gargantuan orange onslaught with an orange shake, orange jimmies, an orange-frosted donut, an orange cookie, an orange cake pop, and a full-sized orange popsicle all sprouting out of it. It was like eating all of central Florida in a single glass. I’m pretty sure it would’ve killed me but she really enjoyed it. 

As cool as the Valley Ho is, you’ll still want to split sometimes and take in the town of Scottsdale, and fortunately the hotel’s great location makes that easy to do. Old Town Scottsdale is a short walk down Main Street, the same road the hotel is on; it’s less than half a mile from the lobby to the start of Old Town. Here you’ll find a plethora of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and other shops, all with a rustic old west atmosphere. It’s a charming downtown devoted to art and leisure, and Valley Ho’s proximity to it is one of the hotel’s major assets. 

With its gorgeous design and commitment to nailing the 1950s vibe, Valley Ho feels like a theme park hotel that’s actually authentic. Imagine if Universal Orlando’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort (which is pretty clearly inspired in part by the Valley Ho) was actually built in the ‘50s instead of the ‘00s; even though the Valley Ho had to undergo a heavy restoration, it’s still real in a way a new mid-century-inspired hotel couldn’t hope to be. Granted, like so much nostalgia and reverence for the 1950s and earlier, the era the Valley Ho was created in and pays tribute to isn’t one that people of all demographics would wish to celebrate today, so your mileage, as they say, may vary. If you love this aesthetic, though, and the bright, colorful, optimistic design style that Hotel Valley Ho exemplifies, you owe it to yourself to book a stay here.

Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and anything else that gets in his way. He’s also on Twitter @grmartin.