The desert is not a metaphor
Mid-April Scottsdale routinely hits the low-to-mid 90s with single-digit humidity. Hydrate one-for-one with your cocktails, sunscreen before the marketplace (it's on an open lawn), and remember the pool deck is glorious at 10am and a griddle at 2pm.
Book the Valley Ho or plan your walk
Everything happens on the hotel property, and the room block sells out fast — the hotel has committed through 2028, so set a reminder for when 2027 rooms open. Miss out and Old Town has plenty of hotels within a walkable half mile; you lose nothing but the barefoot commute.
Daytime is free, nighttime is ticketed
The vendor marketplace (60+ artists and makers) and some daytime programming are free and open to the public until 5pm. After 5pm, evening resort passes are required — roughly $150–$350 in 2026 — and cabanas book separately.
The tiki bars are a drive, not a stroll
Only Hula's Old Town is walkable from the hotel. UnderTow, the Captain's Cabin, Tropic Thunder, and the Bikini Lounge are 15–30 minutes away by car, and Arizona's last call is 2am. Rideshare it — April weekends surge, so build that into the night's budget.
Reserve UnderTow before you pack
UnderTow Arcadia seats a few dozen people in timed seatings, and on Oasis weekend every barstool in the Valley is claimed by people in aloha shirts. Book the moment your travel dates firm up; the Captain's Cabin only sails Thursday–Saturday from 6pm, so slot it deliberately.