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The Valley of the Sun now offers locals and visitors some of the country's best choices when it comes to funky, high-fashion accommodations.
Developers and hoteliers have taken advantage of the Valley's wide-open spaces to introduce super-size, luxury resorts like the Westin Kierland and the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, offering everything from their own golf courses and water parks to four-star restaurants and shopping villages. Places like the retro-hip Hotel Valley Ho and the sleek, mountainside Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain have brought Arizona to the forefront of luxury-hotel style. Regal resorts like The Phoenician, the Four Seasons, the romantic Royal Palms Resort, and the Moroccan-inspired Omni Scottsdale keep lodging grounded in traditional, unsurpassed elegance, while plenty of boutique and business hotels keep it grounded in price.
Downtown Phoenix properties tend to be business hotels, close to the heart of the city and the convention centers—and often closer to the average vacationer's budget. Many properties here cater to corporate travelers during the week, but the lively weekend events downtown are more than enough to entice leisure travelers. With more than 60,000 hotel rooms in the metro area, you can take your pick of anything from a luxurious resort to a guest ranch to an extended-stay hotel. For a true Western experience, guest-ranch territory is 70 miles northwest in the town of Wickenburg.
Many people flee snow and ice to bask in the warmth of the Valley, so winter is high season, peaking from January through March. Summer season—mid-May through the end of September—is giveaway time, when a night at a resort often goes for half the winter price, but be forewarned: in the height of summer it can be too hot to do anything outside your air-conditioned room.
This hotel has a great location along the Scottsdale Road corridor, with trendy restaurants and shopping opportunities within easy walking distance, making it a comfortable, affordable, and family-friendly option. The three-story glass entryway is bright and welcoming. Rooms are utilitarian but moderately updated, clean, and include free parking and Wi-Fi.
Located right off the 101 freeway, this affordable hotel is a convenient base of operations; cool and modern throughout, it has clean, large, simply decorated rooms. A pool and waterfall are great for escaping the summer heat. A large shopping and dining area is less than a mile away.
The convenience of Downtown Phoenix's light rail makes this convention-center hotel an attractive destination for vacationers, too. The seven-story atrium has huge sculptures, colorful tapestries, potted plants, and comfortable seating areas. Don't miss a trip to the revolving Compass restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the entire Valley.
Intended to satisfy the needs of business travelers, there aren't many frills at this four-story hotel, though a lap pool and Jacuzzi await in the landscaped courtyard. Rooms are efficient, with clean duvets and ample space for work. A small café serves breakfast, but why stay in when you could walk to an excellent meal nearby?
Directly adjacent to the Gainey Village development, with boutique shopping, upscale dining, and a spa, this hotel is a rare find for both amenities and price. Floor plans vary from studios to two-bedroom suites that sleep eight, all with fully equipped kitchens and flat-panel wide-screen TVs.
