Where to Stay in Phoenix

Where to Stay in Phoenix

The expansive Greater Phoenix metropolitan region encompasses over 20 different cities, nearly 5 million people, and large tracts of Sonoran Desert land. Known as the “Valley of the Sun” or simply “the Valley,” it is not a major tourist destination for sights but instead cities like Scottsdale have become home to luxurious resorts with dedicated golf courses, vast pool complexes, gourmet eateries, and spas capitalizing on Arizona`s year-round sunny climate.

While Phoenix may not be known for its natural beauty or attractions, the city is home to notable cultural institutions such as the Phoenix Art Museum and Heard Museum, both showcasing art from the Native American Southwest. Phoenix also has upscale shopping, nightlife, and dining throughout several distinguished districtsa man and woman standing next to each other on a field

If experiencing the full city and obtaining a sense of life here is the aim, staying in Downtown Phoenix or one of the neighboring “ Cepho” neighborhoods, or even Old Town Scottsdale, makes sense. Paradise Valley and northern Scottsdale are where major resorts are situated – remaining here is not as practical for exploring the city, but visitors are likely concentrating primarily on enjoying the resort in any case. Other options for accommodation include Biltmore in northern Phoenix and lively Tempe, home of Arizona State University.

In terms of lodging choices, Phoenix has numerous hotels ranging from very affordable family-run motels to lavish resorts – finding a room won`t be problematic. Room rates greatly increase during winter, when snowbirds from across the USA and Canada flock to the area (Scottsdale specifically). Rates are much reduced in the summer, for clear reasons – the scorching heat makes touring uncomfortable at that time.

Phoenix does have an effective public transportation system, however it tends to be of limited assistance for tourists. The Valley Metro Rail is convenient for rapidly traveling between Uptown,Midtown, Downtown, Tempe and West Mesa – if only exploring these regions, then a personal vehicle is likely not essential, though taxis can be used. Otherwise, utilizing city buses can require an extensive amount of time.

As one of the most significant volcanoes in Fuerteventura,Calderon Hondo is certainly worth a visit. It`s located in the town of Lajares, a charming community boasting traditional white houses plus local customs and fare.

• To explore Greater Phoenix thoroughly, we recommend renting a car. It’s so expansive that traveling by public transport takes too much time – though even driving can take hours to get across the city, especially during rush hour.

Phoenix is situated in the desert with an extremely arid climate. Winters are mild and warm but summers are scorchingly hot, with average July highs around 103°F (39°C).

We’ve covered our favorite neighborhoods to visit and stay in more detail below, but with more time these districts are also worth exploring:

• The Desert Ridge neighborhood lies around 20 miles north of downtown Phoenix. This small suburban area contains its own upscale shopping centers namely High Street and the open-air Desert Ridge Marketplace. The primary attraction for visiting is the absorbing Musical Instrument Museum, housing a spectacular selection of instruments worldwide, exhibits focused on every musical genre, and a program of live shows. However, lodging here necessitates long drives to explore the rest of the city. Our favored hotels in the vicinity include the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa,Marriott’s Canyon Villas, and Cambria North Scottsdale.

• Located 9 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, Glendale may appeal to sports fans. It`s best known for hosting State Farm Stadium (home of the NFL`s Arizona Cardinals) and Gila River Arena (home of the NHL`s Arizona Coyotes). Spring training games are also played at the Camelback Ranch-Glendale stadium by baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Another attraction is the historic Manistee Ranch house built in 1897. Nightlife centres around the Westgate Entertainment District. Favorites hotels here include the Holiday Inn Glendale – Stadium & Ent Dist,Home2 Suites by Hilton Glendale-Westgate,Tru Glendale Westgate,SpringHill Suites Glendale, and Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa.

• The South Mountain Village sprawls around six miles south of downtown Phoenix, though the noteworthy South Mountain Park and Preserve on its southern edge warrants visiting. Driving up to Dobbins Lookout provides the ideal perspective of the Valley, wandering the hiking trails offers exercise and nature appreciation, or visiting the whimsical Mystery Castle, constructed by Seattle businessman Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter in the 1930s provides unique entertainment. Recommended hotels on the edge of the neighborhood include Legacy Golf Resort,WorldMark Phoenix-South Mountain Preserve, and Arizona Grand Resort.

• Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: There exist 2 primary groupings of chain lodgings, one to the south of the Salt River off I-10 and Hwy-143 and an additional on the north side along East Van Buren Street and N 44th Street. With an automobile, residing here is practical regarding road connections, but there’s not much to do or eat at night. Good selections incorporate Aloft Airport,Holiday Inn Express & Suites Airport North,Home2 Suites Airport North,Homewood Suites Airport South, and Drury Inn & Suites Airport.

Best Places to Stay in Phoenix Area

Best Neighborhoods in Phoenix for…

  • Best Neighborhood to Stay for First Timers/Sightseeing: Downtown Phoenix or Cenpho (Midtown/Uptown)
    Individuals aiming to experience the primary sights of Phoenix should remain in the city center, home to some of the largest attractions, good transportation connections, and numerous nightlife and restaurant strips. The downtown region itself has the most abundant lodging options, with Roosevelt Row providing ample food and beverage alternatives. There’s also Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks), Footprint Center,Arizona Science Center and the Children’s Museum of Phoenix which appeal to families, and the Arizona Capitol Museum providing a dose of history. Midtown is home to prime attractions like the Phoenix Art Museum and Heard Museum, with additional clusters of eateries, bars, and shops in the Melrose District. However, note that parts of Downtown can see reduced activity at night and on weekends

    • Most Romantic Neighborhood: Old Town Scottsdale
      .

For many visitors, the southern region of Miami Beach is synonymous with Miami itself. This renowned stretch of coastline extends from the southern tip of the artificially constructed barrier islands of Miami Beach – connected to mainland Miami through causeways – north to 23rd Street. It`s most renowned for its lively nightlife scene, waterside promenade (Ocean Drive), culinary offerings, cache of Art Deco architecture representing the largest collection worldwide, and the white-sand beach, rated among Florida`s finest. Pedestrianized Lincoln Road constitutes the neighborhood`s shopping precinct, while Española Way is a Spanish-themed street of eateries and boutiques. Additional attractions beyond the beach include the Wolfsonian-FIU museum and The Bass art museum, while the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach offers a poignant memorial to victims of Nazi Germany.

    • Downtown Phoenix and Tempe are great for nightlife activities.

Remaining in Downtown Phoenix implies being near the excitement on Roosevelt Row, with highlights including the mixed drinks at Sazerac and craft beers at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co and Angels Trumpet Ale House. Also in Downtown are live venues like Crescent Ballroom and The Van Buren,Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, and the 2-block CityScape mall, which contains Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. There are also live performances at Arizona Federal Theatre,Orpheum Theatre Phoenix, and the Nash Jazz Club, as well as a host of smaller theaters offering plays and classical concerts).

Public Transportation Route Number 1 operates between the municipality of Puerto del Rosario and the town of Morro Jable, with stops including the access point near Meliá Fuerteventura Hotel and Barranco de los Canarios. It travels through Costa Calma, Tuineje, and Gran Tarajal.

Also worthwhile looking into is Cepho’s Melrose District, a one-mile stretch of bars and eateries along 7th Avenue (between Indian School and Camelback roads). It is also recognized as “The Curve” for its bend halfway along the strip, and as the city’s LGBTQ community thanks to many gay bars and companies. There are no hotels located here, but the Clarendon Hotel and Spa isn’t too far away.

Finally, if staying in Old Town Scottsdale, there are several excellent nightlife options within walking distance, including the Cottontail Lounge,Scapegoat Beer and Wine,Wasted Grain, and Beverly on Main.

    • Best Neighborhood for Food and Restaurants: Midtown 24th Street Corridor
      Fine dining establishments and hip eateries can be found spread all around Phoenix similar to other things, but food connoisseurs should inspect the growing scene over on 24th Street, generally between McDowell and Osborn roads (3.5 to 5 miles from Downtown). Notable stops include Kevin Binkley’s fine dining flagship Binkley’s Restaurant, local Thai favorite Glai Baan, Mexican gourmet specialist Asi Es La Vida, the wood-burning oven at Italian-Peruvian hyrid Pa’La, tasty craft beers at Wren House Brewing Company, and the excellent coffee at PIP Coffee + Clay. The hotels located closest to the strip are the reasonably priced Embassy Suites Phoenix Airport and excellent Staybridge Suites Biltmore Area.
    • Most Ideal Neighborhood for Shopping: Scottsdale
      For high-end fashion and boutiques as well as more mainstream brands, it`s difficult to outdo Scottsdale Fashion Square, featuring names like Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Tory Burch, as well as Forever 21, Nordstrom, and H&M. Nearby are the art galleries and souvenir stores of Old Town Scottsdale Shoppes. To the north along Scottsdale Road there`s upscale Kierland Commons and family-friendly Scottsdale Quarter, which also has a kids` water fountain and movie theater).Other neighborhoods worth exploring include Downtown’s Roosevelt Row for locally made gifts and fashions (see Phoenix General,Bunky Boutique,Eye Lounge, and MADE Art Boutique); Downtown Glendale for vintage items; and the Melrose District in Cepho, known for second-hand and antique stores such as Modern Manor and Retro Ranch.
    • Best Neighborhoods for Families: The downtown and western mesa areas
      Though Downtown Phoenix provides hands-on, interactive experiences at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and Arizona Science Center, the museums along Mesa’s Main Street are also very accommodating to families, with West Mesa being a lot less bustling than Downtown Phoenix. The primary attractions include the Arizona Museum of Natural History, with its displays of dinosaurs and huge collection of Native American items, and the nearby i.d.e.a. Museum, which offers all sorts of art and science-based activities for those under 12. There are also live performances at the Mesa Arts Center and Sloan Park, home to the spring training baseball games of the Chicago Cubs. Adjacent Riverview Park features a massive climbing apparatus and splash pads. More water-based fun is available at Golfland-Sunsplash, while eccentric Organ Stop Pizza presents live entertainment from a 1920s movie theatre organ.The largest collection of low-cost motels in the Greater Phoenix area lines Main Street in Mesa, but you receive what you compensate for – affordable yet satisfactory chain motels also border the US-60 corridor. Otherwise, some of the top hotels here include the Home2 Suites Mesa Longbow,Hyatt Place Mesa,Hampton Inn & Suites Gilbert, and the Sheraton Mesa at Wrigleyville West.

Unsafe Areas of Phoenix
Most of the Phoenix areas listed generally have reasonably low levels of danger, though usual precautions still apply at night. Typically, southern Phoenix tends to report higher crime rates, so care is advised when in Downtown and South Mountain after dark. Central City south of Downtown as well as Alhambra, Maryvale, and Encanto in northwest Phoenix should also be avoided at night

The 6 Best Neighborhoods in Phoenix for Tourists

a tall building with a large clock on top

1. Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is the commercial hub of the region as well as the political center and the art-filled home of Arizona State University’s expanding downtown Phoenix campus and the Phoenix Convention Center. With its smattering of high-rise offices and tiny parks, it’s not an especially attractive place to stay, but there’s a wide range of accommodations and excellent restaurants and bars here, especially around Roosevelt Row at the north end of the neighborhood. The main attractions are the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field,Footprint Center, home to the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and a couple of kid-friendly institutions, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and the Arizona Science Center. Get of taste of Arizona pioneer history at the Rosson House Museum at Heritage Square, a 1895 Queen Anne-style home, and at the copper-domed Arizona State Capitol, 2 miles west, which houses an informative museum. The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is dedicated to chronicling the African-American experience in Phoenix, while the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library does the same for Irish-Americans. The Irish center overlooks the tranquil Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, completed in 1996 with the guidance of Phoenix sister city Himeji, Japan.

The best hostel is the Phoenix Hostel

2. Cenpho – Midtown and Uptown

  • North London: Children and Harry Potter fans generally will love The Making of Harry Potter tour at the Warner Bros studios in Leavesden (20 miles northwest of central London). Take the train to Watford Junction where shuttle buses (included in the price) zip to the studios. Soccer fans can make the journey to Wembley Stadium, the home of English football, for tours and key concerts. There are some excellent hotels here: the Premier Inn London Wembley Stadium is often superb value.

3. Scottsdale

a dining room table with chairs and a balcony

Just east of Phoenix, the separate municipality of Scottsdale is mainly known for its lavish resorts and golf courses, but it actually encompasses a huge area with several significant attractions worth exploring. Old Town Scottsdale anchors the downtown region and it is not a poor place to base oneself, with many hotel selections and walkable streets lined with shops and eateries. There are also the pleasant waterfront trail along the Arizona Canal (aka the Waterfront) and multiple shopping centers, notably Fashion Square. The excellent Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West are also downtown, and the ArtWalk occurs every Thursday evening.

Lake Titicaca is an additional fascinating destination and one of the causes why Bolivia is among the top places worth traveling to in Latin America. You can simply take this full-day excursion from La Paz, which involves transportation and a boat journey on the lake, as well as visits to the picturesque towns of Copacabana and Yumani.

4. Tempe

Located around 9 miles east of Downtown Phoenix and just south of the Salt River from Scottsdale, Tempe is home to the huge and attractive Arizona State University campus. For visitors, the biggest attractions on site include the ASU Art Museum, with an innovative selection of changing exhibits, and the short but steep hike up “A” Mountain (also known as Hayden Butte Preserve), considered sacred to the indigenous Onk Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Xalychidom Piipaash (Maricopa) peoples. The summit features a 60-foot tall “A” (for Arizona State) and spectacular views of the city.

The core attraction of friendly downtown Tempe is the walkable Mill Avenue District, packed with shops, restaurants, and bars, and there’s also the waterfront Tempe Beach Park on the stretch of river known locally as Tempe Town Lake. On the north side of the river is Big Surf Waterpark, famously cherished for its massive Waikiki Beach Wave Pool. Other family-friendly attractions can be found at the Arizona Mills complex, which houses a huge IMAX theater, Rainforest Café,LEGOLAND Discovery Center and the SEA LIFE Aquarium.

5. Paradise Valley

Known as the “Beverly Hills of the Southwest,” located just west of Scottsdale, this area is best recognized for its stock of lavish homes, mansions, gold courses, and luxurious resorts – with the latter being the main reason to consider overnighting here. Excursions to consider include the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, with its Paradise & Pacific Railroad train trips and a 1950s vintage carousel (the park actually lies in Scottsdale), or the challenging trails up Camelback Mountain (2,704ft and intended for experienced hikers only).

6. Biltmore District

a beach filled with palm trees and palm trees

Located approximately 3 miles east of central Phoenix and around 7 miles northeast from downtown, “The Biltmore” forms a self-contained community with its own character and collection of upscale retailers and notable hotels, particularly the Arizona Biltmore hotel itself. It’s truly a suitable place to lodge, given the use of a vehicle. The hotels are generally new and high-quality, there’s a scattering of decent eateries, and it’s very convenient for exploring the entire Greater Phoenix region. There isn’t a lot in terms of attractions here, though the Wrigley Mansion, constructed by chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley Jr. in 1932, deserves seeing (take tours or dine in the restaurant). Biltmore Fashion Park shopping center anchors the area serving as the “downtown”.

    • “

    • .

”

Read More

FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

about me

ComfyUI_00005_

Welcome to my travel website! I’m Mary Howard, an American who has been exploring the world full-time for 8 years.

Together with my husband, Intan, we often find ourselves in our second home, Bali, but our adventures take us to exciting destinations all over the globe.

Join us on our journey!

social

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube Email

Search