While getting the opportunity to speak at the recent Engage!13 Luxury Wedding Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, I was lucky enough to stay at the host hotel, the Montelucia Resort & Spa. Tucked in the shadow of the great Camelback Mountain (a desert mountain that resembles the shape and face of a camel), this residential-like resort takes full advantage of all the outdoor sunshine Scottsdale has to offer.
When you arrive, you walk through two giant and commanding doors towards an outdoor living area (complete with fire pits for winter) and a small indoor lobby to assist you. The hotel rooms are in a variety of buildings peppered throughout the rear of the property near the base of the mountain, which gives you the feeling that your neighbors aren’t hotel neighbors but those of home.
The rooms are spacious but that’s not why you stay at Montelucia. For those looking for a fabulous destination wedding stateside, this property has it all. There’s a chapel with high ceilings, lovely chandeliers and even removable pews. The ballroom is beautifully appointed and sits adjacent to an outdoor manicured courtyard perfect for cocktails and an indoor/outdoor event. They even have a villa suite that one could live in, complete with it’s own lawn big enough for an outside ceremony (and your home base for the week).
The chef is creative but true to the culture around them. We dinned on everything from southwest inspired fare and fabulous guacamole and avocado gazpacho to surf and turf with a twist.
The event staff, headed up by Traci Mead and team are a delight to work with and make welcoming your friends and family with love and open arms a breeze. The hotel is easy to get to, but outside of town for that feeling of disconnect and relaxation and for those who love the outdoors, you will find yourself plenty busy.
To learn about their destination weddings (and honeymoons too!), check out their website here.
All Photos by Elan Artists / Chellise Michael and Scott Clark Photography
