Villas of Poco Diablo

Our villa had a floor plan we really liked and a very comfortable bed. We used the kitchen to make breakfast, and after a long day walking, the hot tub by the pool felt great. It’s a beautiful, quiet spot a little away from the beaten path. The porch opened onto a shared grassy lawn and Oak Creek.

We stayed two weeks in January and found the price pretty reasonable. The bed was comfortable, even for me as a side sleeper, and my arms didn’t go numb from a too-firm mattress. I think all the rooms have a gas fireplace and a real two-person tub with bubbles. My wife and I soaked in it with Epsom salt after hiking, and it felt great. The room is spacious and works well for two on a longer stay or a family of four. The decor had a bit of a 70s feel. Our table and chairs were very worn and squeaked and groaned a lot. My wife liked the leather easy chair, and the leather sofa folds out into what looked to me like a decent queen-size bed. WiFi was great. Cell service down near the creek was poor, so we needed WiFi for calls. We didn’t have the full-size fridge or cooktop. A toaster oven would have been handy. The room did have an automatic full-size coffee maker, blender, toaster, microwave, dorm-size fridge, tea kettle, and plenty of pots and pans for cooking. The villas are about a mile from our family, and far enough from West Sedona traffic and the old “wye” on 89a that we didn’t have to wait five minutes to get onto 179. Finding them took some effort: they’re tucked behind a hill and the creek, and there’s a small driveway to the main check-in, marked by a sign on the side of a shed. There are places to sit by a gas fire pit and grills for cooking. One fire pit wasn’t working while we were there, unfortunately the one nearest the only working gas grill. Work was happening on the upper grills and at the front desk. When we told the front desk, they seemed apathetic. The washers and dryers are only available from 9 to 5. My main complaint is that the rooms aren’t quiet. We could hear everything in the adjoining rooms. Our split unit was so loud we had to turn it off at night to sleep, which meant having no heat. I’d want to check the noise from the split unit first and get an end unit.

It’s an older resort in a decent part of Sedona, but we won’t be returning to this location. We had trouble with both plumbing and heating, though maintenance came quickly and fixed them. Finding check-in was a frustrating ordeal because there was almost no signage around the resort. The villas have a small kitchenette but no oven, and the fireplace felt very sketchy. The smell in our unit was awful. I know it’s an older place, but they could have done something to cover that strange odor.

The resort is very nice, but I wouldn’t have stayed if I’d known I’d get calls about their other resort properties. After five calls, I still haven’t gotten anywhere. Poco Diablo resort won’t help, either, and just sends me to a sales department. If annoying sales calls are fine with you, stay here. If, like me, they bother you, I’d recommend choosing somewhere else.