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Both Boots & Saddles and Sedona Views serve multi-course breakfasts with recipes created by Sam and the couple’s professional chef son-in-law. Guests never experience the same breakfast twice, right down to the place settings and dishes. Irith and Sam divide their time between the two locations (they live at Boots & Saddles in separate quarters). All guests receive an extensive orientation about Sedona, including maps with the must-see spots and tips on the Razes’ favorite hikes and drives. Irith admits running two of Sedona’s most popular B&Bs can be exhausting, but she has no plans to slow down any time soon. “We love a challenge, that’s why we moved around so much,” she says. “We’ve decided Sedona is home but, since we’ve never lived somewhere so long, we decided we needed to find another B&B.”
Boots & Saddles Bed & Breakfast
1-800-201-1944
www.oldwestbb.com
Rates: $225-$305 per night
TripAdvisor Members Say…
“Boots & Saddles, the icing on the Sedona des(s)ert.”
Sedona Views Bed & Breakfast
1-866-982-2573
www.sedonaviewsbb.com
Introductory Rate: $250 per night
TripAdvisor Members Say…
“Two of the best nights ever.”
The Canyon Wren Cabins for Two
Milena Pfeifer sits next to the koi pond at The Canyon Wren Cabins for Two, surrounded by flowering trees and chirping birds, and says two different types of people live and vacation in Sedona: those who prefer Sedona proper and those who prefer Oak Creek Canyon. “Canyon people like the appeal of staying outside of town, of removing themselves at the end of the day,” says the co-owner of the bed and breakfast. “They want to be near the rocks but also near the creek. We have cooler temperatures and we’re greener.”
Indeed, TripAdvisor’s No. 3 B&B has a completely different feeling from the four other favorites in Sedona. Located six miles up Oak Creek Canyon, the four 500-square-foot cabins – three of which are two-story – have a mountain vibe. You won’t find prickly pear cactus or Native American art, but you will find flower boxes, sycamores, bird houses, hammocks, grassy lawns, private patios with gas grills, wood-burning fireplaces, full kitchens, whirlpool bathtubs and country furnishings. Breakfast is simple – Milena’s husband and the property’s other owner, Mike Smith, wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to bake muffins and cinnamon rolls, which are served alongside fruit, juice, coffee and tea. Guests can dine together outdoors or enjoy their breakfast in their cabins. Every day, Mike’s fresh-baked brownies are delivered to the rooms.
Born in Slovenia, Milena is no stranger to hospitality – her family has a background in the industry. In 1976, her parents opened Slide Rock Lodge and, in 1977, Milena moved to Sedona to be closer to her family. Milena and her father designed and built Canyon Wren (then called Slide Rock Cabins) in 1985, after the death of Milena’s mother. The cabins were located right next to Slide Rock Lodge. “No one thought we could fit four cabins on a 100 by 100 [foot] lot,” she says. “We were the last newly built property in Oak Creek Canyon.”
Milena married Mike, who was from Florida and also relocated to Sedona in 1977, in 1991. When Milena’s father died three years later, the couple sold Slide Rock Lodge and renamed the cabins Canyon Wren after Milena’s favorite bird. In fact, the B&B has become a destination for bird watchers from all over the world. Milena says she began feeding the birds 23 years ago and has lost count of all the species that dine and nest on the property. There’s the constant sound of singing, chirping birds that’s audible even from the highway. Milena and Mike have extra pairs of binoculars (and hiking supplies) for anyone interested in doing some serious bird-watching.
