Arabella Hotel Sedona

Lovely property

Check in staff was very nice and knowledgeable.

I've gotten away from writing reviews; Too many others don't put in the effort. And so many say the worst things for nothing. And don't get me started on the Influencers, at the top end; who I've seen hurt or destroy too many small businesses because the owner sees nothing beneficial in giving the influencer freebies or a collaboration.

There was nothing about the Arabella that I felt called for a review; it's a middle of the road, corporate style property that could be anywhere, and is nothing that would evoke the breathtaking beauty that is the setting for the tourist trap of Sedona.

The Arabella is a clean, contemporary styled hotel that should appeal to most Americans who don't want anything too old, too new, too chic or too dated, that would make them feel ill at ease.

The staff though is the best thing about this hotel. Informative, helpful, pleasant and sociable. From Jackie the Concierge to Zach (and almost everyone else) at the Front Desk, the staff is really the attraction at this hotel. And when my AirPods climbed out of my bag and went walk-about, the housekeeping staff returned them to lost and found.

I would note that my friend reserved a premium room, with a balcony, to enjoy the scenery. We were on the first floor and could not really see anything that would make this room Premium, and while the balcony was commodious, unless you were sitting in the hanging basket chair at one end of it, with the only view of the rocks around us, there really wasn't any view from the balcony.

But back to my ear pods...

It took Southwest TWO hours to get my plane into the sky, after the posted departure time. The plane was 24 years old with no place to charge my phone. When I finally arrived in Phoenix, I was in a state, and when I pulled my AirPods out of my ears, that was the last I thought of them, until I was on another SW plane at Phoenix Sky Harbor to fly home; and they weren't there. It wasn't until I got home, and checked Find My Phone that I realized the darned things were still in Sedona. I have no idea by what mechanism they managed to stay behind.

So....

I watch those Las Vegas videos detailing the exaggerated decline of Sin City, and how the poor place is at Hells Gate with no return. The unwarranted service charges drives these folks to distraction. But no one ever mentions what happens if you lose something...

When I called the Hotel Arabella to report my errant AirPods, the night clerk referred me to Ilostmystuff.com When I called back the next day, and talked to Zach, he left a message for the GM to call me, which did not happen. After about a week I wrote a rather pointed review here, empathetic to the hotels point of view, but disgruntled thanks to the experience of dealing with the lost and found website.

In my mind it amounted to extortion.

Service charges, and monetizing hotel services are one thing. Forcing a customer to deal with a third party for lost and found, with shipping costs that in my case either cost as much as the item, new; or half as much ($59) to ship it back to me. Either you pay up, or you forfeit your possession.

I googled this lost and found website and it's not making the hotels that use it any friends. Everyone roped into it is pissed off. And at some properties (NOT THE ARABELLA) they won't even let you come back to pick up the lost item once you report it.

Yet, when I talked to small business friends in SF, they ALL supported the Arabella Hotel's point of view. Customers are unreasonable, and even deceitful, and this is a way for the hotel to deal with lost and found items and cushion themselves from the worst of their customers.

There has to be another way.

In any case... After I wrote my pointed review here, the Arabella Hotel GM responded to me personally, and here on TA. He offered to ship my AirPods back to me at the hotel's expense.

Ken (the Arabella GM) made this offer UNCONDITIONALLY, without requests.

Since I had already spent the money to replace my AirPods, I did not counter-offer to pay for shipping, as I would have otherwise.

But, I did delete my original review, anyway. It seemed the right thing to do.

So, in short, while I'd prefer a more exotic property (like McMenamin's Crystal Hotel in Portland) this is a nice, clean, contemporary property, close enough to Tlaquepaque to walk on a reasonably temperate day. Its balconies, in the building we slept in, were not the view balconies we would have expected.

AND, the Irish pub next door (Mooneys) is evidently THE place to go in Sedona, for locals and tourists alike, in a town that rolls up its sidewalks with such alacrity at 8pm, it makes San Francisco seem like the all night town it most certainly is not.

But be mindful of your possessions, if you lose them... now you know.

De ligging is perfect, mooi zwembad en goed ontbijt.

Views all around property .
Walkable to many places we wanted to visit.
Hotel very cute lovely late night music entertainment.
Rooms very clean just wished they were a little bigger staff very friendly .
Grounds were beautiful outside of our ground level room .
Lovely destination!
Breakfast was spectacular!

The property was exactly how the pictures looked. Peaceful and serene, no disturbances whatsoever. I especially loved the scenery

I really enjoyed my stay at the Arabella Hotel in Sedona. The location was fantastic, with beautiful surroundings and easy access to enjoy all that Sedona has to offer. It was a great home base for exploring the area.

The room was a great size, the bed was very comfortable, and I especially loved having a nice patio to relax on after a day of exploring.

The complimentary breakfast was one of the best I’ve had at a hotel. There was a great variety including cereal, muffins, eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, waffles, and plenty of other options. Everything was fresh, delicious, and a great way to start the day.

Posizione eccezionale, alla periferia sud del bellissimo paese di Sedona.
Hotel con diversi corpi sparsi su una collinetta ai piedi delle Red Rocks.
Stanza meravigliosa e pulitissima con balcone e splendida vista.
Personale molto gentile.
Abbiamo chiesto un late check out di 4 ore pagando, ma non era disponibile; ci è stato però concesso di tenere la stanza 2 ore in più gratuitamente.
Buona colazione.

The property was so relaxing. The breakfast was amazing and they had daily activities like meditation and live music. There is even a hike that starts right from the hotel!

Die ganze Anlage ist toll. Besonders erwähnenswert ist das überdurchschnittliche Frühstück. Unser dritter Aufenthalt in Sedona und immer wieder gerne im Arabella.

I like the fact that it had head trails in the back of the parking lot and I utilize the trails straight from my hotel room. It was amazing.

Bed was great. Breakfast was outstanding. Staff was pleasant and helpful. Access to path system was awesome.

A great resort property in a convenient location in Sedona. Breakfast was a highlight. Nice pools, access to hiking trails, comfortable outdoor common spaces, and beautiful views. Don’t miss the short walk up to the Sunset Vista. The rooms are clean and spacious. There are some minor things that need some TLC like loose door handles, but it is still a great place to stay for the price point. We would come back again.

Staff and location was great. Rooms very clean and breakfast the best I’ve had in a hotel. Pet friendly doggie park great.
GREAT JOB ARABELLA HOTEL SEDONA
10 out of 10. See you next time.

Beautiful views, comfy beds, great breakfast