Attended a work incentive trip based out of talking stick. We checked in on the 7th of feb until the 10th. I had a terrific time gambling and playing golf.

The first night we arrived late from Boston and checked into our very clean rooms. Only issue and it's minor, is that the water pressure wasnt very good. Otherwise, the room was clean and comfortable with nice modern touches. I played the high limit casino games and the black jack tables were wonderful. The casino hosts were also very pleasant!

The next morning we played golf and the course was in great shape. The resort will shuttle you down to the course which is on property. We had a great time! We played the rest of the days at gray hawk and it was spectacular.


Anyways, the resort was amazing and the restaurant orange sky was a great treat with amazing views. Only downside is that there were no shops! Overall I would reccomend this to any adult!

We attended a conference and also stayed at Talking Stick. The rooms were really well appointed and comfortable. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food served at the conference was excellent. I hope the conference we attended is held at Talking Stick again next year.

Being a Native American Resort & Casino, The Talking Stick is one of the few places in the U.S. that allows smoking in the casino and bar areas, and clearly that is why all the smokers choose this place to gamble. If you're A) a smoker, or B) someone who isn't bothered by cigarette smoke, this place is for you. The service is generally friendly, the rooms are excellent (my room had an enormous balcony overlooking one of the small pools), and the room service food was tasty.

Now on to the cons: First, the smoking. I'm not trying to be unreasonable because I smoked for almost 20 years myself, but I now remember the old days of coming home reeking of cigarettes anytime I went out for dinner and cocktails.It can be oppressive, especially if you're sensitive to smoke.

I visited the lobby bar twice, and on both occasions the bartenders seemed a little distracted and not very engaging.

Next, the noise. I'm composing this at 4 in the morning (to catch an early flight), and only minutes ago a party of at least 5 people entered the hallway shouting and cursing at the absolute top of their lungs. There is a security guy no more than a hundred feet away at the entrance to the hotel area, but he apparently thought they weren't quite loud enough to warrant any action. Look, I know it's a resort casino, I know it's a Friday night, and I'm actually okay with loud celebrations when you've had a good night in the casino. What I'm not okay with is the loud cursing, and that should not be tolerated by security.

The rooms themselves remind me of a slightly smaller version of those at Aria in Las Vegas - lovely decorating with nearly new baths and flat screen TVs (the whole place is essentially new). One little detail that was overlooked is the lack of anchoring on the blackout drapes, so when you close them from the center, they pop open on the ends! It's not a huge thing, but c'mon! This is an easy fix, so fix it.

As with many resort casinos, they make you check out in person at the front desk - no bill under the door - so you have to allow another 5 minutes or so at checkout - with today's technology, this should not be necessary.

Lastly, their TV programming is very thin. I understand they want you hanging out in the casino and not in your room, but I'm sorry - FoxNews is a staple in hotels today, yet the Talking Stick only has CNN and HLN. Unacceptable.

There you have it - I was in town on business and this was my first visit here on the recommendation of a friend. It's a very nice place and competitively priced. I probably wil return to one of my old standby hotels the next time I'm in Scottsdale, but it was worth the stay to get a glimpse of the Talking Stick.

We returned for our 2nd visit to Barrett-Jackson and once again stayed at the Talking Stick. This year our number grew from 4 to 7 and all are in agreement: You just can't beat the Talking Stick - Great Food, Wonderful Rooms, Amazing Pool & Spa. What really makes this place is the staff and in particular Kenny and the guys out front. They just cannot do enough for you. My only minor complaint, if you can call it that, is they could put more staff on at the lounge bar when things get busy. That being said, the hotel was at full occupancy on Friday and Saturday and everyone was well taken care of. Thanks Talking Stick - We will be back!