Choices for Accommodations

My wife and I were planning on spending a week in Sedona however, it would appear that there are no resorts available with Interval International for the end of September. We did confirm that there are several opportunites in and around Phoenix. All of our choices appear to be getting good reviews, but we are wondering which resort would be best for our needs/desires:

1. A resort that will satisfy a couple in their late 30%26#39;s looking to spend quality time away from their children for the 1st time in 7 years.

2. Shopping and Spa facilities for the wife

3. Golf for myself (looking for the best bang for your buck and beauty in a championship course).

4. A place to relax and enjoy the sun.

Our choices are:

Cibola Vista resort and Spa in Peoria

Marriott%26#39;s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge in Phoenix

Sheraton Desert Oasis in Scottsdale or

Westin Kierlan Villas in Scottsdale

Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Choices for Accommodations

The only one I don%26#39;t know much about is Cibola, but I would think the shopping would be ramked 4th compared to the other 3 choices just based on geography.

Westin Kierland and Marriot are both nice choices, close to major shopping and with great golf courses.

The Desert Oasis is situated near the TPC golf courses, so you can play where the FBR open was played. If golf is your priority, that might be the deciding factor. Also close to many shopping clusters and nice places to eat.

All seem to have lots of kids activities, so I would check TA reviews to ask how many families were there during those times. End of September is a month into school here, so there might not be many kids at any resort if other parts of the country are on the same school schedule.

Choices for Accommodations

I can%26#39;t speak for Peoria either, but the other three locations you mentioned are pretty close to each other, and there is world-class golfing at many locations. The above poster mentioned the TPC, which has the stadium course you see at the FBR Open as well as a newly-renovated Desert Course. There are many, many other nearby courses ranging from drop-dead gorgeous (and expensive) to ';dang, this is pretty nice.'; Not a dog in the bunch.

With all due respect to Peoria, the shopping in Scottsdale is vastly superior. Keirland Commons, Old Town Scottsdale, Fashion Square, etc. Take a sturdy credit card.

Thank you for your responses. It would appear that none of these places would have been a bad choice as they all look wonderful. We had a feeling about the area around Peoria for shopping and golf, so we were glad to narrow our choices down to 3. After taking everything into consideration we pretty well ended up flipping a coin....and Kierland Villas it was. As we had to book through Interval International we ended up getting a room that was a little less desirable for location within the resort. My wife is a stay at home mom who is running a day home for 6 children (including our 2) for the past 6 years. This will be her first opportunity to be away from children (in those 6 years) and she is looking forward to a quiet and relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, the room we got (2202) appears to be located outside of the children%26#39;s pool. Anyways, it would appear that once our reservation is confirmed (through Interval) in a few days the resort mentioned that they would or could move our room. In the meantime, we are definitely looking forward to 1 week in the desert at the end of September, especially since it was -25 in Calgary last week.

Our family stayed at the Kierland Villas last August. If you want to avoid the children, use the adult pool. I believe both the Villas and the hotel have adult only pools. We used them daily.

This was a nice resort and I think you and your wife will enjoy it. The restaurants at the Kierland shopping area seemed more for adults as well as the choice of stores.

Have a great time!

I visit Phoenix/Scottsdale area every year to see daughter. Staying a Sheraton Desert Oasis in Oct. on a timeshare swap. That area is very upscale with much local shopping. About 20 min from Old Town Scottsdale...interesting shops and galleries.

Sedona is a solid 2-3 hour drive on the moon. Not much to see after 30 min. Sedona is nice but after one afternoon there the thrill is gone! Rock cutouts north of Sedona are fascinating. Train trip at Verde Valley interesting.

You should not have a kid problem in late Sept. Just one more reason that I travel in Oct too. I prefer the non-smoking, non-kid sections.

Chandler, Crowne, things to do, restaurants, shopping

We are going to be at the Crowne Plaza San marcos next week. Any suggestions for affordable small restaurants, not chains, shopping areas, do we need a car, touristy sites and teen fun stuff! Is this a safe area. Thanks for your help!

Chandler, Crowne, things to do, restaurants, shopping

Right in front of your hotel there is a small shopping center with several choices for dining. I really like El Zocalo Mexican Grill. Also, across the street is Serrano%26#39;s for Mexican. It%26#39;s alright, some visits have been better than others. Both are locally owned. There are some other restaurants in that same shopping center - local, not chains - but I%26#39;ve never eaten at them. I hear they%26#39;re good.

Chandler itself is a pretty safe town. Your hotel is nice and the surrounding plaza is nice. The neighborhoods that border the hotel are transitional, but I don%26#39;t think you should feel unsafe.

You will need a car, there is some bus transit in Chandler, but not all areas. I don%26#39;t have teens, but I%26#39;ll try a few suggestions. The pool at San Marcos is nice, should be heated, and we are in the high 70s this week, so maybe your teens would like to go swimming. The Chandler Fashion Center is just about four miles west of you. It%26#39;s a nice mall with theaters. There is an Apple Store there. If they like music, there are a couple of stores that sell used/new CDs that I like - Zia Records and Bookman%26#39;s.

There is a new open-air mall that is about seven miles east of you. With the beautiful weather, that might be a fun one to walk around.

My not-quite-teen kids still like the zoo, and there is a really nice botanical garden next to the zoo. Fun to walk around, and it gives you a good feel for the Arizona desert.

I%26#39;ll keep thinking of some other ideas. Of course, golf right there at your resort.

Chandler, Crowne, things to do, restaurants, shopping

I wasn%26#39;t very clear I don%26#39;t think - Zia Records and Bookman%26#39;s aren%26#39;t at the mall, but both are not far from your hotel.

There is the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe. Not a real bad drive. It is an outlet mall with theaters, an IMAX theater and GameWorks - restaurant/arcade.

Thank you! What age group is the Science Centre for...Any comments on the Dessert Botanical Gardens. Is the Steinmart nearby! Taliesin...I heard about Takamarsu-all you can eat sushi- and Cyclo...Any comments. Thank you sooo much. First time in AZ. Really looking forward to it. Its -30 here today. What kinds of clothes should we bring.

I think the Science Center tries to appeal to all ages. There are permanent exhibits that are geared to the little ones - my kids have gone on a couple of field trips there. They have a Titantic exhibit and a Dinosaur exhibit right now that might appeal to teens. I think they are an additional cost to the regular admission. Here is the url: http://www.azscience.org/index.php

I really like the Desert Botanical Garden. I posted some of my pictures I took there in the review section. The garden is right next to the Phoenix Zoo and Papago Park. There are a lot of hiking trails through Papago Park around hills made of big, red rock. You can really appreciate the Arizona landscape there and there are really good views of the valley.

There is a Steinmart in a shopping center called Las Tiendas Village. Las Tiendas is located one mile west and three miles south of your hotel. I think it%26#39;s really easy to get around Chandler. Of course, right now, there are a lot of road repairs going on. There is a freeway loop system that makes it quite easy to get around the valley. Just stay out of rush hour.

I have never been to Taliesin, but it%26#39;s on my to-do list. If you make it there, let me know how you like it.

The seven day forecast show we%26#39;ll get down in the 60%26#39;s Thursday and Friday, but back into the 70%26#39;s by the weekend. The mornings are quite cool - 40%26#39;s, so I suggest bringing layers. You%26#39;ll want long sleeves in the morning, short sleeves in the afternoon and jackets back on when the sun goes down.

Arizona is casual, esp. in the summer when it%26#39;s 115. You%26#39;ll see lots of jeans, capris and shorts here. At the white tablecloth restaurants, my husband won%26#39;t wear a coat, but maybe a collared shirt. Dress comfortably, you%26#39;ll be alright.

I%26#39;m a desert dweller that never developed a taste for seafood. I%26#39;ll ask around for a sushi recommendation.

You are really sweet! Thanks for all the 411! we are really getting excited to go! Temp sounds better than the frigid -30C we have here today!

Glad to help. I hope you have a great trip!

As far as restaurants, I can second El Zocolo for Mexican, they have a great patio for outside dining as well. In the same area is 98 South, a wine bar with really good food but a little pricey for dinner (I try to go at lunch). Cyclo is great! But be warned, it is a very small dining room and it is BYOB... So be prepared for a possible wait and be sure to bring your own wine or beer if you want any with your meal.

Phoenix to sedona and/or grand canyon tours

Please help!!!we are planning on taking a flight out to phoenix on southwest (apparently no southwest flights to flagstaff- and i need to use my frequent flyer miles for this one)staying in arizona for 4 days probably in phoenix. is there a tour from phoenix to sedona or tours from phoenix to the grand canyon... where should we go and where%26#39;s the best place to stay for cheap.

Phoenix to sedona and/or grand canyon tours

I would highly recommend taking the Grand Canyon trip rather than Sedona. While Sedona is beautiful, the new age-iness has gotten a bit much. just my opinion. There are shuttles with lots of pick up spots. Check the nps-Grand Canyon site for some options. It shouldn%26#39;t cost more than 100 bucks round trip per person.

Are you going to have a car? Then you could stay just about anywhere (Tempe, Scottsdale, central Phx). might look into a car if you really want to do both Grand Canyon and Sedona. It is doable in a day, but a long day.

Hotels in PHX central (but watch for lite rail construction on Central or Camelback roads) or near the Phoenix Mountain preserve. Tempe near the university (for the nightlife and cheap eats) or Scottsdale near the mall/downtown Scottsdale. there are buses if no car.

Phoenix to sedona and/or grand canyon tours

Hi and welcome to the forum

You might check these tours:

www.graylinearizona.com

www.buyphoenixtours.com

www.openroadtours.com

www.southwesttours.com

Good luck!

Tet

Brace yourself...the drive from Phoenix to the canyon is a solid 3 hours with not too much to see after the first 20 minutes. Rocks and sand go on endlessly. Canyon is worth doing if you have never been...it is awesome. Likewise with Sedona.

Take the plunge and go on a van tour with small group. Worth the expense the first time. Cheap is quite relative in Phoenix...price seems to be tied to the temperature. The hotter it is the cheaper the whole area gets! However, 115 degrees in July is just too cheap for me. Once in July and never again.

Flagstaff airport is only a 2x4 operation. Only planes carrying 4 to 6 people land there. Flagstaff is kind of aneat old railroad town but nothing to do their. It is a skiing hotel area for nearby moutain slope. Semi-large university there also. It is only about 1 hour from canyon. Nice day trip from there.

You must have been away for a long time Tiller-Tom

Flagstaff has some 60.000 inh. a university, a great museum (Museum of Northern Arizona) and a lively down town area and is the hub for the area. Also Phoenix to Grand Canyon Village is not a 3 hours but a 4 hours drive and Flagstaff-GC is at least 1.5 hours.

Tet

Last time I drove from PHX to the Canyon was four hours. But, I enjoyed it. I like going on my own as opposed to a group. I like to stop when I want to and veer off the route to see something. It%26#39;s not a bad drive at all.

sunrise/sunset at the north rim

Any advice as to where to take in a sunrise and sunset at the Grand Canyon North rim in May? Thanks!

sunrise/sunset at the north rim

We really liked watching the sunset from the area behind the dinning room. It can get crowded and cold though so beware!

What part of May are you visiting? The NR usually doesn%26#39;t open until mid May.

Enjoy

SJG

sunrise/sunset at the north rim

Hi and thanks. I arrive May 15, which is basically the first day of the season up there. I was wondering if the views further out (Cape Royal, say) had any special sunrise or sunset attributes. Thanks for reminder about the cold...I%26#39;ll bundle up!

I would not drive back from Cape Royal in the dark and would take SJG%26#39;s advice. Better take that scenic drive in daylight imo. If I remember correctly it took us 1 hour.

Try this sight, it gives the sun rise/sun set for many places around the world. Las vegas looks like the nearest.

timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html鈥?/a>

Good idea Smudge. Here%26#39;s another one with GCNP

www.sunrisesunset.com/usa/

Please help me plan my Arizona trip

We are planning to fly into/out of Phoenix mid June. We have been to the Grand Canyon before so that is not a necessary visit. We are 2 adults, one 13 year old. We do not like large cities, shopping, congestion. We prefer natural areas, history, Native American culture. Suggestions for a 7 day trip?

Please help me plan my Arizona trip

I would recommend splitting your time between Tucson and Sedona. Tucson has beautiful mountains and hiking trails and the Kartchner Caverns outside of Tucson are definitely worth a visit. Search the Sedona forum and I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll find lots of trip ideas.

Please help me plan my Arizona trip

I would venture to northern Arizona....given that you want to be outdoors in June. head up through Sedona to Flagstaff and perhaps try some of the smaller towns and cities. Outdoors in Tucson in June is not a lot of fun.

I also suggest going north in June. My suggestions include Sedona, Flagstaff, Page/Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest.

You could spend a whole week just in Sedona/Flagstaff area. Or if you want to see more and do alot more driving, go to any of the other places I mentioned.

how to makeup

database

Travel Ideas? Only going for 3-4 days

Hi,

I%26#39;m thinking of heading to Arizona for a break from our cold, snowy weather in Ontario. I%26#39;m actually thinking early February (from the 6th on) but my dates are flexible. I know it%26#39;s not really hot in Arizona at this time of year, but it looks like its about 65 degrees or so, which sounds quite nice. I%26#39;m sorry if someone has already asked this question, but there are a lot of posts to go through so I may have missed this already.

Would it be much warmer if I wait to go early March instead? I%26#39;d prefer to go sooner (I can%26#39;t go the last 2 weeks of Feb but its spring break season anyway so $$$), I just don%26#39;t know what to expect.

Also, I haven%26#39;t selected a place yet...I%26#39;m thinking either Pheonix or Tuscon, but I%26#39;d prefer less big-city so I%26#39;m not sure. I was in Sedona once before for a day, it%26#39;s beautiful there and not as big, but what%26#39;s the weather like since itsa bit further North? That would be my ultimate destination I think. I LOVE the red rock country and have wanted to go back since I was there a few years ago. I was at the Grand Cayon already and I may not have more than a couple days, so I%26#39;ll likely skip that this time around.

I would love to stay at a ranch or a resort type place, as opposed to a big city hotel or downtown anywhere but I can%26#39;t afford anything too pricey. Are the resorts and such really expensive at this time of year?

Any help/advice/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

:) The Roadtripper

Travel Ideas? Only going for 3-4 days

Unfortunately Sedona won%26#39;t be reliably warm until later in the spring. If you want warm waether in Feb or March I would stay in PHX or Tucson. The downside of your request is about pricing. It%26#39;s the season in AZ. This is the time of year when EVERYONE wants to do what you%26#39;re thinking about doing. So expect the prices to be at their highest, especially at resorts.

Travel Ideas? Only going for 3-4 days

Hello Redrox,

Thanks so much for your reply. I didn%26#39;t realize even Southern Arizona wasn%26#39;t as warm at this year as I had previously thought. But thanks for the info, I have changed my plans and going elsewhere for Feb but I am excited to be going to back to beautiful Arizona late May. I know that will be very hot and likely full of tourists then but still looking forward to going back after 5 years.

Thats so nice of you to help others out and provide info/your opinion etc on here, it%26#39;s very helpful and very much appreciated. You (and others on here who answer questions on here, there%26#39;s so much to read!) make trip planning much easier and have encouraged me to get onto my own city%26#39;s page and answer questions there too (I%26#39;m very new to tripadvisor so just reading lots right now).

Thanks again,

theRoadtrippergal

On behalf of RedRox, thank you. He%26#39;s in Australia now and is enjoying real hot weather escaping the Sedona cold-lol-

Tet

When you come in late May, the weather in Sedona will be gorgeous! Phoenix, however, will probably be pushing 100 degrees! Most of the tourists as well as snowbirds will be gone from Phoenix by then. As a loose rule of thumb, the weather in Sedona is generally 10 degrees fahrenheit cooler than it is in Phoenix. Tucson is usually a couple of degrees cooler, but when you get up into the 100%26#39;s in doesn%26#39;t really make much difference IMO! Of course if you%26#39;ve been here before you know all about the ';but it%26#39;s a dry heat'; thing as well :)

Remember Tet, dont send folks to Tucson in the middle of feb.. The Gem show fills every hotel and resturaunt in town for at least 3 weeks !!!

Thanks guys your info on the weather etc and regions, much appreciated. I%26#39;ve been to Sedona, but it was mid summer so I wasn%26#39;t sure about early/mid Spring weather. I%26#39;ve never been further south than Sedona/Flagstaff so I wasn%26#39;t sure how much hotter it was compared to these areas. I figured Pheonix/Tuscon was quite a bit warmer. I%26#39;m likely going to tour the entire southern region and maybe head to nevada/California from there (I';m renting a car from Las vegas and doing a roadtrip of the area). I thought if I go to Arizona in May it%26#39;ll be good camping weather too, but not as busy as tourist season in the summer. Originally I was looking at going around now, mid Feb, but I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;d be much too cold at night to sleep outside ;)

Best hotel in Page

I have spent a couple of hours searching and reading revies and haven%26#39;t found a hotel in Page that seems to be adequate. I am not being snobbish! I was leaning toward the Courtyard until I read a review about bedbugs. We usually look for 4 star motels but I guess they don%26#39;t exist in this area. We have stayed at some 3 star which were perfectly fine but I see quite a few complaints about these. Any ideas?

Thanks

Best hotel in Page

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Best hotel in Page

Page has no 4/5 star accomodation. We have stayed at Courtyard and it was fine. No bedbugs at all. Take those reviews with a grain of salt. Good restaurant and we prefered a groundfloor room with sliding doors to the small patio and garden. Ask for a west facing room with the best views.

Tet