Forget shades of the sheik this is a very different kind of desert resort in a very different kind of desert. New York matrons of means and Hollywood celebrities have long sought seclusion at The Phoenician's luxury spa hoping the Sonoran desert (and the indulgent treatments) would soothe their over-worked starry souls. The golf course, an oasis of 27-hole, expensively watered green, has also been a draw card. We're not talking bijoux Bedouin camp here either; this resort sprawls across the red Arizona sand at the base of Camelback Mountain with the kind of sumptuous suites and impressive square footage that only a sizable property can offer. The new apartment-style Canyon Suites at The Phoenician are decorated in cool greys and silver, a contrast to the hothouse air outside. Other suites and rooms in the main hotel are shades of tasteful beige. Nothing is done by halves here; on the walls is a $25 million art collection and there is a watery-wonderland of pools.

Those who remember childhood cartoons won't be able to resist the chance of spotting a roadrunner (if not a coyote) in the 250-variety cactus garden.