don

I am planning a trip to Arizona, and was planning on spending a few days in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Sightseeing will be a priority. Is there any difference whether I stay in Phoenix or Scottsdale? Is on preferable over the other? Is it best to stay in town or would outside the city be better? Any suggestions on a where to stay?

Jerry

Budget?
Car?

The best places to stay for sightseeing and all around combo of convenience and quality are in East Phoenix and southern Scottsdale. Specifically Phoenician, Ritz (not a resort, just hotel), Biltmore, Hyatt Gainey Ranch.
You must have a car in this town.
There are some very nice places to stay around the perimeter of Scottsdale, but the drive times can really add up.

steve

Either city is fine. Just go with what your buget will allow. Almost all motels have pools. Avoid those on Van Buren in Phoenix - they are mostly rundown and hangouts for prostitues

Rachel, Hotwire Traveler

Don,

If you're still looking for a good deal on hotel accommodations, you might also want to try Hotwire (www.hotwire.com) - especially if your trip is coming up soon or if you're trying to save money. You mentioned your trip is coming up but I didn't see a date listed. I went ahead and did a quick search for hotels in Scottsdale or East Phoenix for the middle of August (8/16-8/19). Here's what I found:

- an upscale (4 key) hotel in the Camelback Corridor for $50.00/night

- an upscale (4 key) hotel in East Phoenix (Mesa) for $43.00/night

- a midscale (3 key) hotel in Scottsdale for $34.00/night

I hope this helps. (I work for Hotwire so let me know if you have any questions about this message.) Have a great trip!

- Rachel

Dayna

We just spent a week in Scottsdale over Memorial Day, it was great! We stayed at the Scottsdale Links resort in a condo which was great, smaller and more intimate than a hotel+ a kitchen. We rented a convertible(not so good idea when the weather was 100+) You must go to Sedona and bring lots of film!