I visited Scottsdale for the first time in the spring. I made 3 mistakes that I'm still thinking about months later.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author in a cowboy hat and sunglasses stands smiling in front of cacti and an adobe building in Scottsdale
Business Insider's reporter visited Scottsdale, Arizona, in the spring and made a few mistakes.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I stayed in 2 of Arizona's top hotels, and they couldn't have been more different. Take a look.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Left: A resort with pools and palm trees in front of a mountain with blue skies in the background Right: A pool lit up with palm trees around it and an adobe hotel behind it. Mountains in the background at dusk
The Phoenician (L) and the Hermosa Inn (R) are two of Arizona's top hotels.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider, Hermosa Inn

I visited 2 of America's wealth hubs: Scottsdale and Jackson Hole. One was ideal for vacation, while the other seemed better for living.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images: Left: Mega mansions in the desert in Scottsdale with mountains in the background. Right: A wide view of a valley between two hills and a large mountains in the background
Scottsdale (L) and Jackson Hole (R) are wealthy enclaves in the American West.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The vulnerable GOP congressman convinced that economic interest voters will save him from the Trump and abortion backlash

Tech Insider : Politics, Economy
Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona
In Scottsdale, Rep. David Schweikert hopes an old-school GOP approach can help him hold onto a House seat that's increasingly turning blue.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

I stayed at one of the best hotels in Arizona, complete with 5 pools and a luxury golf course. Take a look inside my $500-a-night room.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author stands on a balcony with pools, palm trees, and palm trees
Business Insider's reporter booked a one-night stay in a grand deluxe room at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I'm a single mom who rents out my yard as a private dog park. I earned an extra $7,400 in 21 months to pay my bills.

Tech Insider
Samantha Bosley and guest pups, Romeo and Juliet.
Samantha Bosley and guest pups, Romeo and Juliet.

Courtesy of Samantha Bosley

Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are both in Arizona's millionaire hub, but it's clear why one suburb is more expensive than the other.

Tech Insider : Travel
Two images of mansions in desert mountains, Paradise Valley (L) and Scottsdale (R)

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My family stayed at the cheapest Four Seasons in the US — it still felt incredibly luxurious

Tech Insider : Travel
Four Seasons Scottsdale Exterior
Little noise and light pollution make the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North — including the panoramic deck off the lobby — the perfect spot to escape.

Four Seasons Resorts

I stayed in 2 of Arizona's top hotels. They explain why Scottsdale is a luxury travel hot spot.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Left: Exterior of the Phoenician with a fountain in front. Right: A fountain in front of a casita at the Hermosa Inn
Business Insider's reporter stayed at the Phoenician in Scottsdale (L) and the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I'm a New Yorker who spent 2 days in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. 8 things surprised me.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author in a cowboy hat and sunglasses stands smiling in front of cacti and an adobe building in Scottsdale
Business Insider's reporter encountered a few surprises during her trip to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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