Arabella Hotel Sedona — Hotel in Sedona

I wanted to love this place, I really did. I’ll start with what we liked.

Jackie! The concierge was wonderful and very helpful, booked us a tour, and was very knowledgeable about, well, everything!

The coffee. Available all the time, and actually really good, and I’m a coffee snob! Also the water bottle refill stations were great.

The breakfast. The breakfast was decent for hotel breakfast. Definitely better than a typical hotel breakfast, and while it was essentially the same each day, there was enough to choose from to make it feel not repetitive.

Now, for what made our stay less than ideal. We initially only booked two nights, but decided at check in to extend our stay another two nights. Front desk said ok! No problem. No other issue. We got assigned our room, which was on the second floor of the same building that the check in is. These are the standard rooms, which was fine with us but we soon realized why. We get into our room and it just feels old. The carpet felt dirty, the bathroom had moisture spots on the ceiling, the tub was literally coming away from the shower to the point where we both felt if we stood in it for a shower we’d break it! There was hair on the shower walls (gross!) and when we did finally shower, the giant crack in the tub basin would open up every time we moved and it was clearly letting water in below the crack, how could it not!? We told the front desk about it the next morning and they had maintenance come look. We were told they wanted to fix it right away and we’d have to move rooms. Fair enough.

The front desk said they’d be upgrading us to a courtyard room, and I mentioned that we had extended our stay and we didn’t want to have to move rooms again for our next booking, we were assured we’d only have to move this once, and that they would move everything for us. We got our stuff packed, and upon return from our day in Sedona we were in our new room. These rooms were updated and much nicer than the standard room. Updated bathroom, not a gross tub, still worn carpet but it wasn’t as bad as the prior room. We had a “courtyard view” room, but we essentially had a view of the wall of the building next to us, so there’s that. Still, it was better than our initial room and a “free” upgrade so we appreciated it.

The next morning we headed to the Grand Canyon, about two hours north. My phone rings and it’s the hotel. This particular front desk person asks if our stuff is packed and if it’s ready to be moved. I, flustered, respond with uhhh, no, why would it need to be moved? She says well, your second half of your reservation is for a standard room, and you’re in a courtyard room. I tell her that yes, we were in a standard room, but we were upgraded because of a maintenance issue. She says, well that was for your initial stay, your second booking is in a standard room so when we’re ready, staff will come move our luggage to our new room.

At this point, I’m getting increasingly flustered as we’re two hours away, with no plans to be back until late as we have a whole day at the Grand Canyon planned. I tell her that as I understood it, we wouldn’t have to move as we had already been moved once, and out of our 4 night stay, we didn’t want to move three times. She gets huffy with me and says well your reservation isn’t for that kind of room, we need to move. I say we’re unable to do so as we’re at the Grand Canyon, and she scoffs, then says ugh, well I guess I have to talk to my manager, and then hangs up.

We hear nothing until 6:30 when a different front desk person calls and says we just have to come and get our key card refreshed and run our card for the second reservation. I ask about everything and she says oh no, we’re to stay in our current room, it was an upgrade due to maintenance. I explain everything and she apologizes for the misunderstanding.

So all was ok in the end, but the whole thing just left us with a less than ideal opinion of the place. Room rating based on our initial room. Service rating because everyone but that one...

My girlfriend and I recently stayed at the property. It was in a great location within Sedona. The property has a nice overall feel. There are several buildings to the property. They seem to all have outside entrances with two levels. The amenities outside the rooms are nice. The pools and hot tub are good , as are the outdoor fire pit areas. We utilized the hotel as a hub as we ventured off property for various activities within Sedona, and as far as the Grand Canyon.

We did unfortunately have an issue with two staff members, along with some other minor issues. One day we were out of the room at sunrise,, and did not return until about 9:15. We decided to go to the hot tub, which was lovely. It closed at 10:00, so we then went back to the room, and were now relaxed and comfortable. As we were getting ready for bed, I called the Front Desk to ask for a 5:00 am wake up call. The guest service agent confirmed the request, and we then went to bed. At approximately 10:05 pm, the agent called the room. I was told that several calls had come in to the desk complaining about noise from our room. I explained that we were out of the room all day, and we had just returned, and that no noise was coming from us. The agent then stated that we needed to keep the noise down. I reiterated that we were not in the room and that here must be a mistake, and that calling the room and insinuating that we were disturbing other guests and making a lot of noise was not a good practice or policy.. I was told that it’s their policy to call the room when they get a complaint. I then suggested that they should have a staff member or security go outside of a room or to the general area to confirm where disturbing noise may be coming from, and not just call a room and make the assessment and assume that another guest’s complaint is accurate. It felt very accusatory.

The next morning we “did not” get our wake up call, but I fortunately set the alarm on my phone. We made it out for the day on time. We made it back to the hotel that day at approximately 6:30 pm. Upon returning I wanted to go to the front desk to discuss what had happened, and also bring up a few other smaller issues, but mainly the problem and occurrence with the call the night before, and the fact that we did not get our wake up call, or housekeeping service. I had asked to speak to a manager. I was told who that person was, and I started explaining the situation. I was quickly interrupted by the manager telling me that she already knew of the matter, and she just started reiterating the hotel’s policies. I was hoping to explain how it made my girlfriend and I feel, and I was hoping to tell her about the housekeeping matter, and the wake up call issue. Unfortunately she would not allow me to speak, and just became very defensive and combative. I was not looking for an argument, and I was not looking for a discount. I just wanted to make them aware of the issues and discomfort we had experienced.

The “manger” started to interrupt me in every way possible. I was so disappointed in her attitude and lack of hospitality that I told her that she was very unprofessional and I was walking away from her. As I was walking out, she said loudly across the lobby, “I guess you won’t get the discount I was going to give you.” That was the very moment I decided to write this review, which I believe is my first negative review out of many given.

If it were not for the above mentioned experiences, I probably would have left a 4 or 5 star review, but those negative experiences really made the overall stay uncomfortable.

I did like the property overall. It’s in a great location, the pool and hot tub are nice, the breakfast is good, and the overall atmosphere of the hotel is very nice, including the restaurant (Mole’). The in-room amenities are a bit limited, and there is room for improvements, but those would not have prompted me to leave a negative review. It was unfortunately a culmination of things, but mostly the call to the room and the manager’s...

We had a fantastic week-long stay at this resort and wanted to leave a detailed (and hopefully helpful!) review. While it’s not a 5-star luxury hotel, it absolutely delivers 5-star service and amenities at a budget-friendly price point. It’s a great option for families, couples, or anyone looking to enjoy a relaxing and affordable getaway.

Service The service was exceptional from start to finish. Every staff member—from the front desk to housekeeping to the breakfast attendants—was warm, welcoming, and incredibly helpful. It truly made our stay feel special.

Rooms We were lucky to get a room connected directly to the smaller pool, which we think is the best spot on the property—especially with kids! Being able to step out of our sliding door to swim, lounge, or sit by the fire pit was such a treat. The room itself was spacious, clean, and larger than a typical hotel room. The medium-sized fridge held much more than expected, which was perfect for a week-long stay. There’s no microwave in the room, but there is one available in the lobby. Toiletries, a hairdryer, safe, and plenty of plug-ins were provided. Beds were a little firm for our taste, but we still slept well. Housekeeping came daily, which kept the room fresh and clean—a big plus when traveling with kids.

Breakfast The complimentary breakfast deserves its own shoutout—it’s one of the best we’ve ever had at a hotel! From hot items like eggs, bacon, and potatoes to fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, pastries, and more—it was truly impressive. Coffee and juice were always available, and the muffins were such a hit that we even asked where they got them from. Seriously, don’t get rid of the muffins! Breakfast is served from 6:30–10:30 AM, giving everyone plenty of time to enjoy.

Pools Both pools were clean, well-maintained, and offered generous-sized hot tubs. Maintenance staff checked the water each morning, and pool towels were always stocked. We especially enjoyed having access to both a larger and smaller pool.

Amenities This hotel offers a lot of thoughtful extras: fire pits in the evening, live music, nearby walking trails, and our personal favorite—watching the sunset at Sunset Vista. There are also plenty of water refill stations and ice machines throughout the property.

Lobby The lobby is welcoming and practical, offering complimentary water, coffee, and tea all day. The concierge desk was helpful in offering suggestions for hikes and excursions.

Location Great walkable location! Shops, restaurants, and even a Circle K are all close by, which was super convenient.

Final Thoughts This resort is a hidden gem—affordable, clean, and packed with amenities that rival those of a luxury resort. It’s hard to find such a well-rounded, family-friendly hotel that doesn’t break the bank. We wouldn’t hesitate to return and highly recommend...