We chose the Hermosa Inn for our wedding weekend, and couldn't have been more pleased with the selection. Most of our family lives in the Paradise Valley area, and the Hermosa Inn was the perfect spot for our friends from California to stay for an intimate wedding weekend. This is a first class boutique hotel with beautiful desert landscape, an intimate bar, great restaurant, and casual ambience. Everyone just loved the atmosphere and the excellent service and attention to detail they provided.

The hotel setting can be captivating. However, when I check into a boutique hotel I expect everything to be top-notch. Robes were not in the room. It took 30 minutes after my request to get them delivered. The shower control was messed up. Turn ever so slightly from off to get the hottest water. The sheets don't fit the bed, so you end up with the sheets bunched up under you after a short respite. And after a day out and about, we returned to our room to find the washcloth that my husband used for his morning shower still in the stall, still wet and bunched up. When we had a question about our bill upon checking out early in the morning, the night auditor told us he didn't know anything about the room "packages" so couldn't address our concern of an inconsistent charge on our bill. There are many other places in the AZ that will be happy to have our money and we will oblige. But not at the Hermosa Inn.

We had a reservation in late October for my husband's birthday. When we arrived, we were given a pretty bad table, followed by a move to one not much better. After we got up to leave, however, the manager stepped in and really did save our evening. Not only that, but altered a #1 rating to a #5. In fact, there were a few managers on the floor that evening and they couldn't have been nicer and more attentive. They not only settled us - finally - in a very good table and insured that the service was impeccable (it was), but they surprised us with the serving of our dessert and dessert wine in the wine cellar downstairs. A particular treat since my husband and I are such wine lovers. They really do put guest happiness first and I can't recommend Lon's at Hermosa Inn enough. You will be very, very pleased. We plan to return every time we travel to Phoenix.

We stayed here for a couple of nights at the end of a two-week road trip. While we were driving to the hotel we began to wonder what we were in for - our satnav took us a rather bizarre route, I think.

On arrival, though, any worries we had were soon put to rest. The setting is beautiful.

Check-in was very easy, and Anna escorted us to our Grand Casita to ensure that we knew our way, and to introduce us, to our room. Being escorted to a hotel room might seem odd, but the grounds are laid out in such a way to ensure that the hotel not only offers privacy to guests, but also makes the layout of the hotel interesting. The grounds of the hotel are spectacular, with lush greenery all around.

Our room (103) was nothing short of stunning. The lounge area is very large with a plush leather sofa, a couple of very comfortable armchairs, coffee table and a work desk. There's also a large sideboard where you'll find the fridge and the coffee machine. There is also, of course, a large LCD TV.

The bedroom was equally impressive, with a huge bed, walk-in wardrobe and door on to our private courtyard. There's also a large LCD TV in here, too!

I wanted to bring the bathroom home. The bath was large enough that I could just about touch the end with my toes, and I reckon I could have nearly swum in it. Then there's the shower. Crikey. It must be almost 6ft square with two (yup, count 'em) shower heads!

All of the furniture was of very high quality. None of it looks or feels like it came from a chain store, but has been carefully selected to reflect the uniqueness and quality of the hotel. The carpeting throughout gives a fantastic feeling of underfoot luxury.

I was taking part in a local sporting event on our check-out day, so I asked if I could push check-out back unti 1pm rather than 12. Anna immediately offered to move it back to 3pm, which meant that I could return after the event, unhurriedly, get showered and go for a swim before checking out. I really appreciated this gesture, and I'm sure many other passengers on our return flight to the UK did, too!

Not long after checking in, one of the inn's staff called to see if we wanted the turn-down service, to drop off the daily newsletter, which contains a summary of what's going on that evening, and (more importantly) two very nice chocolates. I was minded to eat both myself, but decided that that was too risky an action to take.

Breakfast in Lon's was lovely. There's a wide ranging menu, including traditional US dishes, such as pancakes, as well as more sophisticated options, such as Eggs Benedict. Both of those dishes, by the way, are excellent.

The Hermosa is by no means a cheap place to stay, and our bill of over US$1000 for a two-night stay illustrates that quite clearly. However, it is excellent value for money. That it's located in Paradise Valley, I suspect, is no coincidence. If you're looking for a good place to base yourself in the Scottsdale/Phoenix vicinity, and want somewhere where you can do more than just rest your head, consider the Hermosa Inn. I'm sure that, like us, you'll be treated as a VIP during your entire stay.

I've been fortunate enough to stay in many nice hotels, but the Hermosa Inn is my new favourite. It has something that's difficult to put in to words without resorting to an over-used cliche, so I shan't.