Looking for a affordable family vacation and some sunny weather? Phoenix Arizona might be the place for you. My Husband and I and our two girls, aged 9 and 13 wanted a relaxing vacation with some good pool time, shopping and decent restaurants.
more +We booked for nine nights in February at the Best Western Tempe by the Mall.
Arriving at the hotel from the airport was very easy with our map-quest directions in hand. The hotel was clean on the outside and quite a inviting lobby with a Mexican flare to it. The front desk staff was very helpful and welcoming, but put us on a ground floor room away from the pool, as these rooms were the only ones that would accommodate all four of us. There are smaller rooms that open to the pool area but do not accomodate four people. Our room had two queen beds and was not nearly as updated as they looked on the website, in fact once you left the lobby, the hallways seemed a bit dreary and dated. Since we were on ground level and facing the parking lot, I checked the window to make sure that we could safely leave it open a crack for fresh air. The window opened but had no way of keeping it safely ajar. I called for maintenance and a very charming fellow came promptly, but he informed me that there was no need for any lock on the window as there was nothing to worry about in this area of Tempe. Upon our arrival we drove through the town of Guadalupe and it seemed a bit rough of a neighborhood, so i really wanted a lock on the window of some kind. He put in a temporary lock that was really not very useful, so we were sure to keep the window entirely closed at nighttime or when we were out of the room. The pool was clean but extremely small, and it did not look anything like the beautiful website photos. There was a small Jacuzzi, lawn chairs and noodles for the kids to use. Since the pool was virtually empty the whole time we were there, my daughters had a blast and the small size didn't bother them. The hotel offers quite a decent breakfast with make your own Belgian waffles that the kids loved, pastries, cereals, yogurt and coffee. The breakfast area did get quite crowded so i would recommend going early.
The main thing we found to do in Tempe was shop. There seemed to be a shopping mall every few blocks and that thrilled my thirteen year old. There is also some nice hiking trails and horse riding tours as well as museums and even an indoor sky diving facility. Due to the time of year that we were there the pitch and putt and water slide parks were closed. If you are a shopper, don't miss going to Last Chance, a division of Nordstroms that sells very discounted items like designer shoes, handbags and clothing. The store gets crowded, but if you like designer labels and want rock bottom prices, Last Chance is your place. The Restaurants around the Tempe/Mesa area were pretty good. We went to Tia Rosa's for Mexican food, it had a great decor, fabulous outdoor patio and the food was pretty good. Olive garden is great value and the kids loved it. In and out burger was also really good for fast food. All in all i would recommend Arizona for a sun filled shopping trip, but I would definitely choose a hotel with a much better pool and upgraded rooms.
Date of Stay: 02/18/2010
Children in Party: 2
Accommodations Dining Kids Play Area Money Value Pool & Water Fun Staff
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Best Western Tempe by the Mall 
