New online Arizona travel guide offers visitors the best of Scottsdale-Phoenix

A family of Arizona online travel guides (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/) has launched its newest venture in the Scottsdale-Phoenix market that builds on its portfolio of popular websites in Northern Arizona.

Launched late last year, scottsdale-phoenix.net is a full-service, smart-looking online Scottsdale and Phoenix travel guide from Southwest Media Communications that offers visitors a one-stop portal to Arizona tourism-oriented businesses’ websites — such as hotels in Arizona (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/wheretostay/hotelsandmotels), Scottsdale golf courses (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/golf), Phoenix spas, (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/whattodo/dayspas) Arizona restaurants (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/restaurants) and Scottsdale-Phoenix area shopping (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/shopping).

Southwest Media Communications owner and president Ted Taylor has spent the last year developing the company’s established online Arizona travel guides – known as the Travel Sites to Be Seen – including sedona.net, thecanyon.com, prescott.com and flagstaff.com, but wanted to create a website for Arizona’s largest metropolitan area.

"Scottsdale and Phoenix are an important Southwestern destination," he said. "Our online Arizona travel guides (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/) receive over 5 million visitors a year; people primarily looking to travel to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. But we believe the vast majority fly into Phoenix, spend a night or two at an Arizona resort hotel (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/wheretostay/hotelsandmotels), then drive up to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. We knew there was something powerful behind the idea of that ‘loop’ – starting and ending in Phoenix and Scottsdale – and we wanted to help Arizona visitors plan their entire trip within one family of websites."

Scottsdale-phoenix.net features several services that are unique to booking Arizona travel online and that reflect the vast appeal of the Valley of the Sun:


* "Editor’s Picks" A special feature where scottsdale-phoenix.net highlights specific Phoenix hotels, (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/wheretostay/hotelsandmotels), Scottsdale golf courses (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/golf), Phoenix spas, (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/whattodo/dayspas) Arizona restaurants (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/restaurants) and Scottsdale-Phoenix area shopping centers (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/shopping) that are the best the Valley has to offer.

* "Special Offers" (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/specialoffers) This section features hotel, resort and lodging discounts savvy Internet users have come to expect. But unlike other travel portals, Scottsdale-phoenix.net also offers special deals on services, dining, shopping and more.

* “11th Hour Getaways” (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/lastminuteoffers) Locals and visitors alike will love 11th Hour Getaways section, dedicated to finding discounts, travel coupons and last-minute discount travel deals from hotels and motels in Arizona, including Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

* “Real Estate & Relocation” Visitors can find Arizona property for sale (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/category.php/swmc/realestate) and relocation information; even apply for Phoenix employment opportunities (http://www.scottsdale-phoenix.net/subcategory.php/swmc/realestate/jobs) via Scottsdale-Phoenix.net’s relationship with CareerBuilder.com.

* “Locals Only” Scottsdale and Phoenix residents will be able to find and share the best-kept-secret spot for everything from Girls Night Out to Sunday Brunch, from 2-for-1 Margaritas to farmers’ markets. And the best part? The secrets are revealed for visitors so they, too, can live like a Phoenician.

Scottsdale-phoenix.net is free for visitors to use, browse and book their travel. The website is neatly organized and easy to navigate, allowing visitors to find businesses in specific subcategories under the aforementioned lodging, golf and spa categories as well as restaurants, real estate, shopping – even plan a Scottsdale destination wedding.

"Our past success with sedona.net and thecanyon.com and the other sites helped us decide what categories and subcategories a visitor might look for," Taylor said. "But we can always add new subcategories if there is enough demand. We know that this marketplace is always changing and we want to adapt along with it.”


Visitors to scottsdale-phoenix.net can browse businesses, see up to three large pictures per listing, and peruse ample text describing the product or service. Visitors are encouraged to click through to the businesses’ websites for additional information with plenty of user-friendly hyperlinks. Of course no travel site would be complete without Special Offers, and visitors to scottsdale-phoenix.net will not be disappointed. Not only will one find Special Offers, you can also check out the 11th Hour Getaways to book last-minute deals on romantic weekends for two, spontaneous family getaways or individual adventure trips.

Do you want to receive updates on special offers, deals, coupons and news about Scottsdale, Phoenix, Sedona, the Grand Canyon and more? Sign up for Southwest Media Communications e-newsletters for periodic updates on stories, interests and subscriber-only savings offers.

If you’re wondering how much it costs to get to Phoenix from your home city, there’s no need to leave scottsdale-phoenix.net to browse dozens of airline sites. Take advantage of scottsdale-phoenix.net’s booking engine to reserve your air, hotel and rental car in one step.

Up next for Southwest Media Communications is a major redesign of sedona.net, thecanyon.com, prescott.com and flagstaff.com. The design will be based on the current look of scottsdale-phoenix.net, giving the existing sites additional functionality, streamlined navigation and an increased search engine optimization effort. The redesigned sites are scheduled to be launched in the second quarter of 2006.

Southwest Media Communications is based in Cave Creek, Arizona. For more information, contact by email at info@southwestmedia.net.