Valentine's Getaway at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass

In February of 2024, my husband and I took a little 'Valentine's Getaway' to a resort I had been eyeing up on Instagram for the past few years. The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass boasts gorgeous sunsets, fantastic dining and a plethora of outdoor activities. We knew we wanted to escape somewhere warm, and the flight to Phoenix is a quick and easy flight (pretty much from anywhere in the country), and then it's a short drive to the resort. We opted for a rental car, but you could easily keep yourself entertained at the resort for several days without leaving. We did not use Uber at all while we were there, but though this resort feels remote and off the beaten path, it's really only several minutes to the freeway or to local shopping, restaurants and a casino.

**The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is a Fora preferred partner hotel. This means that when you book with me as your Fora Advisor, you can take advantage of some great perks: breakfast included daily, early check-in/late check-out, welcome amenity, upgraded rooms when available, and $100 resort credit!**

Once we arrived at the resort, check-in was a breeze. The lobby area is open and beautiful, and I just wanted to take a few minutes to enjoy all the gorgeous artwork. We stayed in the Deluxe Guest Room - 1 King. The room was very nice and the bathroom was new, spacious and very clean! We didn't have much of a 'view' — a tree was blocking most of the view from our balcony and beyond that, it was mostly a parking lot. I thought about asking the front desk if we could upgrade to a mountain or pool view room, but once we got unpacked, it seemed like too much of a project, when we wouldn't be spending that much time in the room anyway.

After stopping at the room, we decided to get lunch as it had been a long morning between waking up early and the flight to Arizona. We decided to have lunch at Hanyo, which is the pool bar and restaurant. There is seating poolside, with umbrellas or in the shade of the bar area. There is a wraparound veranda that faces the recreated Gila River, as well as indoor seating. When we arrived, it was partly sunny and around 60 degrees, so we opted for the indoor seating. The server was very friendly, and we were seated right away. I ordered the chicken tingas quesadilla and my husband had a brisket sandwich. Both meals were really tasty!

After exploring a little more around the resort, we had to go check out the gym. The fitness center is in a different building, as part of the Aji Spa. For a hotel, it was an impressive gym — lots of cardio equipment, weights machines, a free weights area and dumbbells that went up to 50 lbs. We did not go to the Aji Spa while we were there, but there is a very nice pool area that is reserved solely for Aji Spa guests. After our workout, we explored the grounds some more — there are beautiful paths along the river. There is a ferry boat that runs up and down the river, but since we were there pretty early in the season, it wasn't running yet

For dinner on our first night, we ate at Ko'sin, which is inside the resort. We became frequent visitors to this restaurant throughout our stay. The dinner menu is fabulous, serving delicious bistro cuisine. Ko'sin means "kitchen" in the Pima language, and it literally felt like homemade cooking with all the natural ingredients. Flavorful hummus, eye-appealing lobster bisque (the way they serve it to you at the table is its own experience!), and my husband had a melt-in-your-mouth roast with a popover.

**Note: If you are interested in going to KAI, the Forbes Five Star Restaurant located at the resort, be sure to call at least 6 weeks in advance to make your reservation. They were completely booked when we arrived. We were told we could be put on a list in case of a last-minute cancellation, but she told us that was rare.**

The next morning, we were back at Ko'sin for breakfast. When you book with Fora, this will be the location that has the included breakfast buffet every morning. There is a vast assortment of fruit, yogurt, granola, toppings, breads and hot breakfast items. From quiche to pancakes, breakfast enchiladas and yummy bacon, we never left breakfast hungry. Usually, buffets aren't my favorite, but this one was GREAT, and even better that it was already included in the price of our stay!

We ventured to Hole-in-the-Rock that morning; it was fairly busy, but we expected that since it was a Sunday. It is a very short 'hike' (more like a steep walk), and from the top there are some great photo opportunities and a nice view. There are some nice areas to walk and explore around there, including a man-made lake and lots of cacti. By the afternoon, it was near 70 degrees, so we spent the afternoon at the pool area and then to the gym. Though February is by no means 'hot' in Arizona, it is very nice out at the pool area, and no fighting for chairs! There was ample space and it was very peaceful the entire time we were there. We were told by some staff that by the end of February/beginning of March, it starts to get busier again once spring training starts and tourists come to watch the baseball players. The Superbowl was that night, so we ventured down to the Lobby Bar to watch some of the game and get a bite to eat. There is a limited bar menu, but I had a decent chicken Caesar salad and Nick had a burger. We were also able to order some popcorn while we watched the game. Since it was the Superbowl, it was an anomaly that the bar was extremely busy. I don't think there were enough people on staff, as it was very difficult to get service.

After an early breakfast on Monday, we made the early trip north (about 25 minutes) to Camelback Mountain. We wanted to do Echo Canyon Trail. Just a heads up, parking is VERY limited, so get there very early, or don't go on a weekend. The hike is about two miles round trip, and it's rated 'Extremely Difficult'. My husband and I aren't outdoorsy by any means — let alone hikers — but we are both in good shape, and I would say this hike was fun, but not easy. There is a lot of climbing on rocks, and for most of the hike there is no path, only a general direction to go — which is basically UP! Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and try not to carry anything. I would not recommend this hike for young kids (unless they have hiking experience). This trail is also not accessible. With all that said, it was BEAUTIFUL at the top. It took us about 2 hours round trip, which included stopping for about 10 minutes or so at the top.

We spent the afternoon back at the hotel and then made reservations for dinner at Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Chandler. It was about a 15-minute drive from our hotel. The ambiance in the restaurant is great and the food was really good! I wouldn't say the service was top-notch, but my enchiladas made up for that.

The next day, after another great breakfast, we explored the Interpretative Trail that you can pick up right at the resort. You can walk or run on the trail, and there are many signs along the way that talk about the history of the Gila River Indian Community, the language and other points of interest. We spent a lot of the afternoon at the pool because the weather was beautiful (in the 70's by this point). After, we went to the gym and got ready. We decided to go walk around the outlet mall that is only a few-minute drive from the resort (you can't miss it, as you see the signs for it when you come off the freeway on your way to the hotel from the airport). There are many stores; check out Phoenix Premium Outlets for more information. From there, we decided to scope out the casino at the Gila River Resort. It's a big casino and we had a lot of fun (and actually left with a little extra cash!) It was getting late, so we decided to head back to the resort for a late-night dinner at Ko'sin. I had the Pecan Butter Glazed Chicken and it was simply delicious.

After breakfast the next day, we ventured into Scottsdale (about a 25-minute drive) and parked near the Civic Center. There's a mini botanical garden you can walk through on your way over to Old Scottsdale. There's a lot of shopping and fun stores with jewelry, clothing and gifts to bring home. We walked along the Arizona Canal before heading back to the car. From there, it was a short drive to the Desert Botanical Garden. It was just under $50 for two adults' admission, but it was worth it! There is so much to see and lots of trails to walk around. You could honestly spend half a day there (at least), but we walked through at a pretty steady pace, and we were there for about an hour and a half. Highly recommend visiting, there's so many beautiful desert flowers and huge saguaros!

In the afternoon, we soaked up some more pool/gym time before heading out to dinner for Valentine's Day. We made reservations at Z Tejas, which had really good Tex-Mex food. The service was not good (but we didn't expect much on Valentine's Day). The food was yummy and different than what you'd expect. I had the Navajo Taco and it was a winner for me!

For our final day in Arizona, we luckily had a late flight, so we scheduled horseback riding at the KOLI Equestrian Center (near the resort). We did a morning horseback ride near the mountains while the sun came up — it was chilly but so beautiful. I highly recommend doing this if you stay at the resort! After breakfast, we were able to fit in a last workout and some time in the sun at the pool before we packed up. Since we booked with Fora, we were able to take advantage of a late check-out at 2pm. So nice to have those extra few hours! We grabbed a late lunch at Eegee's (my favorite sub sandwich shop) before heading to drop off the rental car and back to the airport. We had a really lovely time at Wild Horse Pass. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about this resort or if you'd like to book your own stay!

This resort could be great for a family reunion, couples getaway, girls trip or a family vacation. There really is something for everyone here. With so much to do within a short distance, you could easily spend 4-5 days here and not run out of things to do.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Phoenix. In need of further inspiration? Check out Jen Disler’s guide, Family-Friendly Guide to Phoenix.