Sky Ranch Lodge — Hotel in Sedona

Update: My most recent stay was over Christmas 2024, the 22nd till the 25th. This would be my 5th time staying here, with Jun 2023 being my first time. The friendliness of the staff is one reason why this is my go-to place to stay at. But admittedly the views are spectacular and the location is peaceful and remote to an extent (or maybe semi-secluded is a better word), but still close to restaurants, shoppes, etc. Their shuttle will take you into town within a 5 mile radius, if you don't want to mess with parking during peak times. I used it for the first time on this trip and there was maybe a 15 min wait when I called to be picked up from my location (Picazzos) due to him dropping off another couple in Uptown first, so it wasn't a long wait at all. While no place is 100% perfect as its impossible to cater to what would make everyone happy, in my experiences staying there they are doing a wonderful job.

A few things of note over multiple stays: The patio bar is closed now. From what I was told they are putting a pizza kitchen in there. No firm date was provided on that. There is an Airstream trailer now open on site that serves alcohol in the afternoon-evenings, and breakfast from 7am till 11am. One thing to note on breakfast, on Christmas day there was one person taking the orders and cooking. Thus, depending on how many people are in line, it was on average of about 5 to 10 minutes per order. I'm not sure how it is on non-holidays. The new section that they just constructed with upper and lower levels, I stayed in one of the lower rooms there in November, and the only issue I had was that I could hear the people walking upstairs and the toilet flushing, so just FYI, you may want the upstairs unit if you stay over on the end of the property (plus you get the views upstairs). Apparently they are working on rectifying that noise issue. Weddings - I know some people have stated that the noise from those is disruptive, but I haven't found it to be an issue. There was a wedding when I stayed prior to my Christmas visit and I was in the new section. The noise didn't carry over to that area where it was disruptive. The same goes for the rim view room, I did not have a noise issue from it in when I was one or two rooms away from the wedding venue at that time in June '24. I've yet to experience any foot or noise traffic issues from the scenic overview spot next door. One would assume that would be an issue, especially around sunset when it gets busy with vehicle and foot traffic, but its not noticeable within the property at all.

I stayed Jun 9th thru 11th 2023. Check-in and check out process was easy; staff was friendly. My room was nice, comfortable. It had been remodeled at some point (resort has been around since 1977), but you still have that cottage/cabin feel with some modern upgrades. The room did get a bit stuffy at times. They have a large spacious patio area in the back with a scenic view of the mountains across the way (they should add a few more chairs back there due to how many people were back there to watch the sunset). They do hold weddings in that area as well, and it is closed off when they do so you won't have access to it. Luckily there were no weddings when I was there. Aside from some traffic across the way at the scenic view parking area, the noise didn't carry over to the resort. And at night, very peaceful with minimal lighting. This being my first time there, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and plan to stay...

Unfortunately I am allergic to several chemical odors. While I have encountered problems at hotels before, none handled it as poorly as this property. Upon entering our room we were greeted by such an extremely strong smell that we immediately opened both doors and window. It smelled like a bottle of concentrated cleaner had spilled or several air fresheners were placed throughout. We alerted the front desk of the problem and advised them I was not going to be able to stay in that room, because I had trouble breathing. The response was that moving us to a different room wouldn't solve the problem as all freshly cleaned rooms smelled the same. We agreed to try to continue to air out the room. The odor was so severe that I wasn't even able to remain on our patio but had to move further away into the garden while my partner stayed in the room keeping an eye on our luggage. When he joined me two hours later with eyes bright red from the fumes, I contacted the front desk again. Our room category was sold out, and therefore we were offered a room upgrade with the difference, $40 according to their website, paid by them. We were also told that their offer was only valid for the first night of our stay. For the second night we would have to move back to a room in our category. We appreciated the offer and moved our luggage to the new room. Sure enough, the next morning we received a phone call reminding us to gather our items and move. The front desk employee informed me a staff member had already inspected the new room and was unable to detect any offensive odor I could possibly be bothered by. Amazing how someone who doesn't suffer from my allergies is able to make this determination for me! While the new room still had a slight chemical odor, it was fine as long as we kept the window and door open. During our stay management didn't reach out to us once. We were also never offered any help moving our luggage from room to room to room, nor were new keys delivered to us. Considering we paid almost $840 for two nights, we simply expected more. Especially in a town where competition among hotels is fierce, one would assume customer service to be of utmost importance. And yet rather than simply letting us spend one more night in a room we already knew worked well for me, they now have two rooms to clean and a poor...

I recently stayed at the Sky Ranch Lodge and overall had a pleasant experience. The rooms were clean and well-maintained, and I particularly enjoyed the beautiful views from the ceremony area, which offered stunning sunsets and excellent opportunities for night photos of the town. The staff was friendly and accommodating, always ready to assist with any requests. I appreciated the convenience of having TVs with Chromecast, allowing me to play videos from my own devices. The internet connection was reliable, and having a microwave in the room was a nice touch. The pillows provided were comfortable and ensured a good night's sleep.

However, there were a few drawbacks worth mentioning. It's important to note that not all rooms offer the desirable views, so it's advisable to be specific when making reservations. Additionally, the fridge in my room did not keep items cold, which was a disappointment. The layout of the lodge meant that if your room was on the airport side, it could be quite a walk to reach the pool or ceremony area, which might inconvenience some guests. I also found the staff to be quite loud while cleaning rooms in the afternoon, making it challenging to take afternoon naps. The drinks in the bar area were served warm, even though they offered cold glasses. It would be better if they could address this issue. The toiletries provided, including shampoo and conditioner, were not of the best quality, and the toilet paper was thin and rough, so I would recommend bringing your own. Lastly, if you're driving an electric vehicle, note that there are no Tesla chargers available on the premises.

Despite these shortcomings, the Sky Ranch Lodge offers a pleasant stay overall, with its clean rooms, friendly staff, beautiful views, and convenient amenities like Chromecast and good internet. Just be mindful of the specific room selection, bring your own toiletries, and manage expectations regarding...