Gondola Rides in Scottsdale

Ideas & Inspiration

Gondola Rides in Scottsdale

Living in a desert, few would expect a resort to make a name with a romantic attraction where water is an essential feature—yet that’s exactly what’s happened at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, which offers gondola rides along the serene waterways that wend their way through the property.

Evolving from the ambiance at the property’s Italian restaurant, now known as Alto ristorante e bar, the rides are provided by gondoliers who are also trained classical singers. The three men and two women who guide the boats croon from a repertoire of traditional Italian favorites (think “O Sole Mio” or “Santa Lucia”), light classical pieces or arias. Several of the gondoliers have performed with professional opera companies.

The private rides ($144 per half-hour) are a popular setting for wedding proposals, says Marcus Arbizu, who has been a gondolier for more than eight years; he estimates the boats play host to as many as 100 engagements per year. Arbizu has helped gentlemen pop the question by stashing guitars for them to play in the middle of the ride, dropping a “message in a bottle” for the future bride to find in the water on the way back to the dock, or even by incorporating the words of the proposal into a song. “We’ll do just about anything to help the groom-to-be,” he says.

Wedding ceremonies involving one or more of the property’s four gondolas may also be arranged. The boats can be the setting for the ceremony itself, or the couple can arrive or depart on the boats, according to Ann Lane, senior director of advertising and public relations.

Lane says guests who have incorporated the gondolas into their engagement or wedding often comment on how memorable the experience was. “People never forget the memories they make here,” she says. “They return for anniversaries to ride the boats over and over again.”

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