Phoenix/Scottsdale watchers take note – reservations are now being accepted at InterContinental’s Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley. In fact, they were being accepted on Tuesday, so John McCain could have totally had his party here, instead of down the road at the Biltmore.

The Montelucia, just shy of 300 rooms, sits on the corner that used to house the old La Posada property; there’s a slightly intriguing history (well, if you’re a hotel nerd) behind the project, which you can read just a little bit about here. You can also read more things we wrote, more recently, about the Paradise Valley area specifically, here. I

Many have criticized the overcrowded design, due to the small plot size; for now, we’re going with it’s not the size of the plot, it’s how you use it. Two questions, though. One, the incessant plugging of how the “essence of Spain” has now come to Paradise Valley (Or is it Italy? All that colorful exterior paint has us very, very confused). Were we waiting for Spain in Arizona? I for one, was not.

The other thing is calling the corner of Tatum and Lincoln boulevards “coveted.” What – by suicidal pedestrians? Like so many other intersections in suburban western cities, there’s absolutely nothing there. At least they have sidewalks.

Time to shut up now; we’ll see how this plays out — after all, it is good service and reasonable value that matter — not feeling like we were in Andalucia, by way of Rome, by way of Las Vegas. In suburban Phoenix. Opening rates from $295, they throw in a $300 $300 resort credit if you stay three nights or more. Tempting, but we’ll wait.