Where to stay in Phoenix

TSI Pick for lodging: Downtown Phoenix

What’s there: Chase Field, Footprint Center (Suns, concerts), Heritage Square, Arizona Science Center, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Roosevelt Row

Distance to Chase Field: 5 to 20 minute walk, 5-minute drive or light rail ($2.00)

Distance to Sky Harbor: 15-20 minute drive ($20-25 rideshare), 20-25 minute light rail ($2.00)

If your main goal is to see the stadium and you’re not planning to explore the surrounding areas, then downtown is the place to be. All downtown hotels will be no more than a 15-20 minute walk from the stadium, and walking is easy and safe at all times of the day and at night after games. 

As far as other attractions go, downtown Phoenix doesn’t offer too much for visitors besides Chase Field and the Footprint Center where the Suns play, but there’s a couple of things to do other than hang by the pool. 

Heritage Square has a couple of 19th and 20th century homes, some of which have been converted into restaurants and bars. The most famous restaurant is Pizzeria Bianco from James Beard Award winning chef Chris Bianco. The 2005 book “Slice of Heaven” named it the best pizza in America, and it’s gotten similar hype from the Food Network and the New York Times. But if you do decide to go, expect a wait to get inside, because they don’t accept reservations.

If you’ve got kids, the Children’s Museum and the Arizona Science Center are good ways to keep them occupied and entertained for an hour or two.

Also in the area is a funky arts district known as Roosevelt Row. Here you’ll find some good cocktail bars and restaurants, local art galleries, and colorful murals adorning the sides of buildings.  

TSI Tip: If you’re in Phoenix on the first Friday of each month, downtown Phoenix transforms into a buzzing scene known as the First Friday Art Walk. The entire area turns into an outdoor party of sorts with live music and food trucks complementing local artists hawking their wares.

Picking a hotel in downtown Phoenix

Other than personal preference for brands, the biggest variables when picking a hotel downtown will probably be the walking distance to Chase Field, along with amenities like a pool, free breakfast, and perhaps the cost of parking. Here’s a quick chart of the available hotels in TSI’s “downtown hotel zone”, along with what you need to know about them.

As you can see, the only two hotels in downtown Phoenix that have both an outdoor pool and offer free breakfast are the Springhill Suites and Best Western.  Both are mid-level hotels, but both have four stars on TripAdvisor, and both are within walking distance of the ballpark. 

But it gets better: Springhill Suites also has free parking! Which means they get our official “TSI ALL-STAR HOTEL” award for downtown Phoenix. 

Where else to stay while visiting Chase Field

Tempe

What’s there: Arizona State University, Tempe Town Lake, Mill Street restaurants/bars/retail

Distance to Chase Field: 15-20 minute drive ($20-$30 rideshare), 25-30 minute light rail ($2.00, drops off one block north of Chase Field)

Distance to Sky Harbor: 10-15 minute drive ($20-$30 rideshare), 15-20 minute light rail ($2.00, plus a 10-minute indoor walk to the terminal) 

If you’re looking to get out of downtown, the area around the campus of Arizona State University also has a wide selection of hotel choices. Hotels in this area will be concentrated around Mill Avenue, just west of the college campus. Mill Avenue is very much a college hangout so it will be louder, younger, and rowdier, but there is a great variety of restaurants and bars for you to check out. 

Other things to do in Tempe include Tempe Town Lake where you can rent a paddleboard or kayak for a fun-filled day on the water. Papago Park houses the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden, as well as the popular Hole in the Rock, an unusual rock formation in the red sandstone. An easy 10-min hike will take you to the top where you can enjoy stunning views, especially at sunset.

TSI TIP: On the campus of Arizona State is a legendary hole in the wall called The Chuckbox, which has amazing burgers and is a local favorite. Seats inside are limited and the joint is cash only, but I think it’s the best burger in the Valley. Food is grilled over an open fire and includes an unlimited condiment bar so you can pack it as high as you want.

TSI TIP: Tempe has a second, separate light rail line referred to as a Streetcar. It is NOT possible to ride the streetcar all the way to Chase Field. You need to exit the Streetcar line at 3rd St./Mill and transfer to the 3rd St/Mill station on the light rail main line. To avoid confusion and lessen hassle without making a transfer, we recommend walking to either the 3rd St/Mill or Veterans Way/College Ave light rail station which will take you directly to Chase Field in 30 minutes. 

Picking a hotel in Tempe

Our suggestion is to stay in the area concentrated around Mill Avenue between Rio Salado Parkway to the north and 10th St. to the south. This will keep you within a 10 minute walk to the light rail, and close to the restaurants and bars that will keep you entertained when not at the ballpark.  

We consider all of these hotels to be in a safe walking zone.

Tempe Hotels

Scottsdale

What’s there:  Nightlife, golf courses, Camelback Mountain (for hiking), Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, Topgolf

Distance to Chase Field:

From Old Town: 25-30 minute drive ($25-$35 rideshare)
From North Scottsdale: 35-45 minute drive, depending on location ($35-$50 rideshare)

Distance to Sky Harbor:

From Old Town: 15-20 minute drive
From North Scottsdale: 30-40 minute drive, depending on location ($50-$60 rideshare)

Scottsdale is one of America’s premier vacation destinations, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s full of toney resorts, amazing golf courses, great food, popular nightlife, ritzy shopping, and even a spring training venue that’s home to the San Francisco Giants. So it’s no surprise that it’s a popular destination for people coming to Phoenix – even if they’re looking to attend sporting events in other parts of town.

Scottsdale is also a very large area, covering about 185 square miles. We’ll break Scottsdale down into two relevant sections – Downtown Scottsdale (better known as Old Town) and North Scottsdale.

Downtown / Old Town Scottsdale

Old Town Scottsdale is where you’ll find nightlife, boutique galleries, and great restaurants. Excellent golf courses in the area include Gainey Ranch, the Phoenician, the Biltmore, and Talking Stick Resort. Talking Stick is also a casino if you’re so inclined to try your luck at the tables or slots. 

The Entertainment District has a bunch of nightclubs where partygoers revel ‘til the wee hours, while the Fifth Avenue Shops are a great collection of art boutiques, jewelry stores, crafts shops, and other places for local knick-knacks. Fashion Square is the largest mall in the state and a good place to get out of the heat in the summer months. 

Also in the area is Camelback Mountain, a very popular (and moderate) 1.5 mile hike to the top if you want to get your blood pumping and take in some of the desert landscape. You’ll want to do this early in the morning when it’s a little cooler, because hiking a mountain in the middle of a summer Phoenix day isn’t something you’ll likely enjoy.

Old Town is the hip, trendy part of Scottsdale, and it’s where the party always is. So if that’s what you’re looking for, this is your place.

North Scottsdale

North Scottsdale is quieter but offers much of the same. The Westin Kierland, Grayhawk, Troon North and TPC Scottsdale (where the famous … or infamous … Waste Management Open is held) are some of the top golf courses here. Postino Wine Bar in Kierland does a fantastic happy hour with drink specials and innovative takes on bruschetta. 

Scottsdale Quarter is another popular North Scottsdale hangout right across the street from Kierland. If you go there, definitely check out Puttshack, the mini-golf experience equivalent of playing inside a nightclub.  

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is the area in North Scottsdale to head to for outdoor recreation. Miles of beautiful hiking and biking trails wind through the desert, but much like before, don’t head out in the middle of the day as summer temperatures can approach dangerous ranges.

All in all, you’ll find a lot of things to do in Scottsdale, whether in Old Town or farther north. Keep in mind though that the further north you go, the further you get from Chase Field. Old Town to Chase Field will be a 25-30 minute car ride, but coming from North Scottsdale can take 45-60 minutes depending on where you’re located.

Picking a hotel in Scottsdale

We think that for logistical reasons, staying in or near Old Town is probably the right call in terms of commuting back and forth to Chase Field. Aside from being a great area with all of its shopping and restaurants, it’s just closer and easier to get to from Chase Field, and it also puts you within easy travel distance of North Scottsdale if you want to check things out there. 

If you’re going to stay in North Scottsdale, you will likely be better off renting a car so you’re not paying outrageous rideshare prices. Plus, the things to do in North Scottsdale are less walkable to each other than in Old Town, so the rental car will help you there too.  

There are too many hotels in Scottsdale for us to list, but we did a little homework and found a handful of hotels that have free breakfast, free parking, and an outdoor pool.