Concierge.com's insider take:

Although Phoenix/Scottsdale is as well known for its strip malls as its cacti and palm trees, a few of the higher-end shopping centers are actually worth stopping by. Biltmore Fashion Park isn't the largest, but it's the most charming, with midcentury, low-profile buildings set in a stroll-beckoning layout (2502 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602-955-8400; www.shopbiltmore.com). Serious shoppers should budget half a day for the massive Scottsdale Fashion Square, with anchors like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom (7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale; 480-949-0202; www.fashionsquare.com). There are some 2255 stores here (most of them familiar names), but we love the mix of accessible (Lacoste, Gap) with designer (Louis Vuitton, Gucci).