Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale

Half a century ago the original Mountain Shadows, in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, was a swanky Rat Pack hideaway, during the heyday of Southwestern glamour, when overseas travel was still rare and stars from Hollywood vacationed in Palm Springs and Scottsdale. The new Mountain Shadows isn’t so much a rehabilitation or a renovation — the original was almost entirely leveled some years ago — as a total reboot, a reimagining of what a contemporary Paradise Valley luxury resort ought to look like.

The key word is “contemporary.” Mountain Shadows shakes off the stucco kitsch that’s the default Phoenix-area style and opts for something cleaner, more cosmopolitan, and altogether more modern. The interiors retain a very Southwestern sense of place, even in spite of the largely neutral color palette — the fact that many rooms have views of Camelback Mountain through floor-to-ceiling glass certainly helps — and in terms of comforts every room is up to the latest luxury standard: 55-inch televisions, 24-hour room service, and cocktail carts replacing the sad old minibar.

Along with the twin 75-foot swimming pools, Hearth ’61, the open-air restaurant, lounge and cocktail bar is the centerpiece of the resort, while the Citizens Club, with its expansive fitness facilities and on-site juice bar keep you healthy. There’s also the Sanctuary Spa and the Short Course, an 18-hole par 3 where you can keep your skills sharp or warm up for one of the area’s many championship courses. The aim was to put Paradise Valley back on the map for a new generation, and on that score you’d have to judge it a success.