Any suggestions on where to stay at Spring Training?

[Kpanz20]

I'm thinking about making my first trip to Spring Training down in Phoenix this year.

 

I've heard that right near the stadium isn't the nicest area to stay. Any hotel suggestions?

 

Any other tips are welcome as well.

 

Thanks.

[Patrick425]

We have gone down there the last 7 (8?) years. This year we have decided to go to Florida.

 

Other than our first year, we have always stayed at the Legacy Resort. I have always found it to be reasonably priced and includes ammenities such as a nice pool, golf course, full kitchen, washer/dryer. It also has a lot of green space which I like as my son and I always play catch in the mornings before we head out to games. It's near the south mountain area, which is about a 20 minute drive to Maryvale. However, I have found that most of the parks in the area are not that far of a drive. Also, I really don't mind a 30-60 minute drive. I'm on vacation. I'm really not in a hurry!

 

You may not need or want all the ammenities listed above. If not, you could probably find cheaper lodging. I have always found tripadvisor.com to be a helpful place for lodging reviews.

[GAME05]

not sure exactly where to find them, but you can also do a search for houses to rent if you don't want the resort or a motel. my folks rent out their house down there for about $80/day and i believe have some baseball player renting it every March.

[Invader3K]

We stayed at the Candlewood on the north side of Phoenix this past March. It's an extended stay hotel. Nothing fancy, but we got a very reasonable rate there. Good if you're on a budget. It's in a decent area with some nice dining options relatively close by.

[lodiness]

We stayed at Cottonwood's Resort in Scottsdale. Super nice, and you can get anything from Suites to hotel rooms. The suites come with a mini bar and fridge, or a full kitchen. Really nice scenery overlooking the mountains too. Large pool, tennis courts, and close to the nightlife. Free shuttle to the bar area. It stopped service at ten, but it was only a $5 cab ride back. Would definitely go there again. It is also kind of centrally located from all the parks. Think it took us about 30 minutes to get to all the parks we went to. It is also in a pretty nice area of Scottsdale. I forget the name of the one bar, but it is one of like 6 bars in the US that has Jack Danials on tap. Have fun if you go, it's a blast.

[brewtank34]

The Candlewood looks nice. I too am going to ST for my first time. My wife and I are staying at Hospitality Suite Resort in Scottsdale. Has anyone stayed there and could provide some feedback?

[DHonks]

depends on your wants. If you're college age, I'd stay near Tempe (ASU). If you're a night owl, I'd stay in Old Town. If you're looking for something inexpensive but near food, anything in Scottsdale, Glendale, or Peoria would work. I wouldn't stay in Phoenix though...especially the Maryvale area.

[djoctagone]

a rental car is a must, but you may save some money by renting and returning your car away from the airport. phoenix has a new light rail system that appears to work in conjunction with a shuttle to get to and from sky harbor airport.

 

if you can find a car rental place along one of the light rail stops in the city and can afford the additional time to take light rail, you may save some money (especially in taxes or surcharges).

 

i can't comment on the light rail system as it was under construction when i was last in phoenix.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I would rent a car. We rented a convertible when we were down there and had a blast driving up to Sedona and seeing the other sights. I didn't really notice any convenient public transportation that would have gotten us to Maryvale or the other parks we visited.

 

We went on the Apache Trail...and I would advise not to do it unless you have a strong stomach and aren't scared of heights! A bit more of an adventure than we expected after visiting Tortilla Flat (which itself is a must see).

[bobbledude25]

Scottsdale, Glendale, or Peoria for sure

[sauveb]

The Candlewood looks nice. I too am going to ST for my first time. My wife and I are staying at Hospitality Suite Resort in Scottsdale. Has anyone stayed there and could provide some feedback?

We stayed at the Hospitality Suite Resort a few years back. I loved the place. There were a ton of baseball fans there and you are just down the road from the Scottsdale hot spots. Make sure you rent a car.

 

[brewtank34]

The Candlewood looks nice. I too am going to ST for my first time. My wife and I are staying at Hospitality Suite Resort in Scottsdale. Has anyone stayed there and could provide some feedback?

We stayed at the Hospitality Suite Resort a few years back. I loved the place. There were a ton of baseball fans there and you are just down the road from the Scottsdale hot spots. Make sure you rent a car.

Thanks sauveb! Looking forward to meeting some of you at the games/around town.

 

 

[JonnyLungs]

I've stayed in Maryvale and Tempe.

I've heard some people describe Maryvale as a slum or a rough part of town. Anybody that says that hasn't ever seen a slum. Problem is there is nothing to do there. I spent most of my time in Peoria on that trip.

Last year I stayed in Tempe and had a good time. We did a lot of bar hopping so Tempe was a decent place to go. Also found myself a cab driver that told us to call him anytime and he'd drive us with the fare off a chunk of the time (generous tips of course). He basically found good spots for us to have a couple (dozen).

[Invader3K]

Jonny, you're right that Maryvale isn't a "slum" in the true sense of the word, but it's definitely one of the rougher parts of the Phoenix area in my experience.

[DHonks]

Most in the Phoenix area would consider Maryvale a slum. It's a place where lots of the hispanic gangs (closely linked with cartels, coyotes, etc) have activity. During the day it's alright, but at night most people would rather drive elsewhere for food and entertainment.

 

I've seen worse areas in the nation, but how you can tell Maryvale is rough is that seemingly half the storefronts are pawn shops, "buy gold" shops, tattoo parlors, and liquor stores. We know that these can be found in more affluent (thereby, safer) areas, but just not with the frequency.

[JonnyLungs]

Maybe my experiences in Mexico itself has jaded my view of what a slum is. Maryvale just seemed like a working class Mexican neighborhood where there wasn't much to do. Sure you'd run into a guy outside the Waffle House rambling incoherently at nothing but I can also usually find that at my local watering hole too.

I do think we can all agree that there are better areas of Phoenix to stay.

[COBrewerfan]

We stay up by the Mariners and Padres stadium. Not the most exciting area but the group I go with is upper 20's to upper 30's. So while we don't care about clubs or anything like that, there is a Tilted Kilt up there that we frequent almost every day. As well as a hooters. Great place to watch the NCAA tourney seeing we will be there in late March. Plenty of hotels and a nice area and every stadium is within 30 minutes at the very most.

[brewtank34]

Question,
For buying tickets at Maryvale, any suggestions on either 3B side or 1B side? What's the best shaded area? Thanks!

[pitchleague]

third base and behind the plate are the shade sides.

[brewtank34]

Thanks Pitch.

[WarhawkJoe]

Not so much about where to stay (I rented a condo on the north side of the city limits), but has anyone had success (i.e. good price and service) from renting a car away from the airport in the Phoenix area? Car rental prices appear to be very high again this year, and I heard a tip that off-airport locations might be a better value (after factoring in cab rides to/from the airport). However I can't find much information on the internet regarding such locations - even finding them. Any help would be appreciated.

[chuckiehacks]

FYI - OnMilwaukee.com is pitching a deal from the Sheraton Crescent.

 

Details here.

[GormanHarvey]

Anyone ever stayed at the Ramada Tempe at Arizona Mills Mall? How was it?

[Patrick425]

Anyone ever stayed at the Ramada Tempe at Arizona Mills Mall? How was it?

Never stayed there, but if you believe in the reviews on tripadvisor, you might want to look elsewhere. Ranked 32 out of 47 hotels in Tempe.

 

Ramada Inn - Tempe reviews

[GormanHarvey]

Ouch. Thanks Patrick. Now considering the Radisson Phoenix/Chandler...