Advice needed on vacation rentals in Phx area (Phoenix, Scottsdale: apartment, hotel)

[CA-DC-CHI]

Im planning a retreat for a group of 10-14 people, we definitely would love to stay in a home in the hills/with views, a pool is necessary, looking for places that really capture the beauty of the architecture and landscape in the area but we don't want to be too far out from shopping, nightlife, etc. I'm guessing the budget will be 500-800/night, what areas will provide housing/views , but I'd like to narrow down areas as well as resources to find these rentals). Also, what's considered peak season in the Phoenix area?
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[DetroitN8V]

Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. Winter is peak. I think you'll need to up the budget for that.

[CA-DC-CHI]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. Winter is peak. I think you'll need to up the budget for that.

So would Sept be off peak? Most of the rentals I've seen thus far actually had higher off-peak prices which seems counterintuitive to me based on other markets (although it's a sound financial move)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by CA-DC-CHI

So would Sept be off peak? Most of the rentals I've seen thus far actually had higher off-peak prices which seems counterintuitive to me based on other markets (although it's a sound financial move)

I use to rent out our place by the week. February to early April is peak. Even the junkiest places eventually rent at peak. You need to be looking 8-12 months in advance for peak timeline. Thanksgiving week and Christmas week are a close 2nd. January also rents out pretty easy as well as April. Some home owners will decide to price it identically for the times that are close to peak. The nicer the place, the easier it is to rent so long as it is priced competitively. The more rooms there are, the more expensive it is too. I use to charge more $$'s for more people (I had a 5 bedroom). This will be a common theme (from $20-$50 more per person after 4 or 6 people). That said, I would not rent my place out to 14 people and you will run into this often. That is way too much wear-and-tear and it wasn't respectful to my neighbors having 14 people coming and going. I capped my 5 bedroom at 8 people with an adder per person per night after 4. I strongly preferred maybe three couples total. So anyone who rents to 14 people (on average) will have a massive estate and your will be looking at spending a lot more.

Off peak is June to October 1st. We shut things down during that time period because cooling costs would be too high and other people that rented in our area didn't charge enough to make it worth the hassle. Therefore we blocked off our calendars.

VRBO is probably your best bet to rent. Even at $800 per night, I don't think you can find a spot for 14 people. My free advice is to cap it to 10 people and $800 a night is doable. For 14 people, that's $57 per night per person. That's not a realistic number for a 7 or 8 bedroom home in the hills that costs $2M-$5M dollars.

[miran]

VRBO.com has a lot of options.

example...8bedroom villa

McCormick Ranch Vacation Rental - VRBO 934433ha - 8 BR Scottsdale Apartment in AZ, Scottsdale: 12 Room Private Golf- & Lakeview Resort Villa

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by miran

VRBO.com has a lot of options.

example...8bedroom villa

McCormick Ranch Vacation Rental - VRBO 934433ha - 8 BR Scottsdale Apartment in AZ, Scottsdale: 12 Room Private Golf- & Lakeview Resort Villa

That's a great location. It is a patio home though.

EDIT: actually I think it's a hotel.