Regular readers of HotelChatter know how much we obsess over hotel openings and their introductory hotel opening rates. And today is no different.
The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel will open on September 30th adjacent to the Phoenix Convention Center and it's going to be huge. Like a thousand rooms huge.
You would think with so many rooms they would probably be a little competitive on their pricing right? Not quite. Opening rates are set at $249 a night and that's the pre-paid internet rate.
However, if you can sit tight until the end of October that rate will drop to about $171 a night. We still think it's pricey for a Sheraton near a convention center but maybe we can find it for less on a blind booking site like Hotwire or Priceline. We'll let you know if we do.
Have a hotel deal you think we should consider? Or have a destination and date where you want us to check for hotel rooms and rates for you? No guarantees on either, but you can try your luck by hitting us here: tips@hotelchatter.com. Please include "For Reader Deals" in the subject heading.
When you live in Arizona in the summertime, the nighttime becomes your best friend. That's because the sun goes to sleep and you get a bit of relief from the 100+ degree heat. But not much. People would probably still prefer to kick it somewhere with AC than outside during the summer nights.
Yet, there's a sign that cooler weather is on the way.
We've written about the amazing pool area, called the Oasis, at the Clarendon Hotel before (and it's bikini check-in) and now the hotel has opened it's Rooftop Lounge in anticipation for cooler nights in Phoenix.
The lounge will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, with additional hours added as temperatures drop. The rooftop features a full bar and seating with views across the midtown landscape.
Stop. You had us at full bar. We just hope you have a lot of ice.
Aside from the full bar we are kinda giddy about the $149 Sweet Suite Summer Special which includes a $75 dining credit. While it probably sucks to live in Phoenix in the summer, it's a cheap getaway for us hotel guests.
We don't know about you, but the only time you'll catch us in a bathing suit is when there is a large body of water around. Otherwise, it's cover-up city. Matthew McConaughey we are not.
Evilly, the Clarendon Hotel and Suites Phoenix seems to be playing on this weakness with another of our weaknesses: free stuff. Through the end of the summer, the hotel is offering Bikini Check-In, where guests who check in wearing a bikini, swim trunks or a Speedo receive a $20 credit for poolside service, room service or use at the hotel's Mexican restaurant.
One look at The Oasis, the Clarendon's swimming pool with underwater speakers, massaging water jets, 50-person Jacuzzi, sun beds and free poolside Wi-Fi and suddenly we don't feel so shy. Excuse us while we slip into something a little more revealing, head to the pool and finish the workday with our laptop and a mai tai by our side.
Here's a bit of hotel trivia for you: The term "presidential suite" came from the European tradition of "royal suites," but, as we don't have royals (no, the Kennedy's don't count), we termed the best room in the house the Presidential Suite.
In other words, it has nothing to do with whether a president has stayed there or not. Yet, while most hotels use the term as misnomer, not proof of political pedigree, the Presidential Suite at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa can use the title quite literally. Every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has stayed in the Suite while in office.
Many Super Bowl-goers have already forked out thousands for tickets and travel -- so what's a few grand more?
Ebay has several high-priced options for those with fat wallets. For example, one can have 4 nights at the "beautiful Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Phoenix" for a mere $2499. Empassy Suites is only a few miles from downtown and about 10 miles from the stadium. And sold out. But hurry -- this deal expires in a little over 2 days.
Over at Craigslist, there's more pricey options galore. For about 15 grand, you can spend Super Bowl week in "Castle Mansion". This castle boasts 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a theatre room, pool with Jacuzzi spa and waterfall.
And finally...(drumroll)... Located in the newly constructed Summit at Copper Square high-rise in downtown Phoenix, this million-dollar luxury rental defies comparison. Of course, it has the price tag to prove it.
Yesterday, we had some last-minute round-ups on Super Bowl XLII accommodations including a stay in a monastery. Here we have more details.
Big screen TVs, wireless internet, and free continental breakfast. Sounds like a 3- or 4-star hotel, right? Guess again. It's the Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in Phoenix, where the Benedictine nuns are renting out rooms for Super Bowl week.
Rooms are going for $250 a night, plus $50 extra for each additional person.
But for a room right next to the action (3.5 miles to be precise), it isn't half bad.
"We've never opened the monastery for an event like the Super Bowl," said Sister Linda of the Benedictine Sisters of Phoenix. "It's just a different clientele than we're accustomed to."
The Monastery rooms are normally rented out for Church retreats and individuals who feel their lives could benefit from the peace and isolation Our Lady of Guadalupe offers. The property includes a common area, cafe, Chapel and Meditation Grounds.
And though the sisters won't impose a curfew, they do have a few rules: no smoking, no rowdy behavior, and most importantly -- no alcohol.
The best of the offerings seems to be the three-star Park Plaza Phoenix North. Featuring a lap pool & Jacuzzi, 24-hour fitness center, a café, complimentary wireless Internet, and free shuttle service within a five mile radius. The big drawback here is the location -- far North Phoenix.
All-in-all this seems like a better option than sleeping in the stadium parking lot (which we don't advocate, by-the-way). But here's another hiccup: When we tried to make reservation a moment ago, no check in was allowed on Friday Jan. 1st, which means you'd need to come in a day early. Rates were however significantly lower then, at only $123/night.
Red Roof Inn Phoenix Westis much closer to the action (seven miles from US Airways Center and Chase Field, with easy access to Interstate 10), but may require a little more faith on your part to stay there.
Amenities include heated outdoor pool and free coffee and newspapers in the lobby. There is no restaurant onsite and Internet access is extra. TripAdvisor members seem to agree, the hotel is a clean, basic place to lay your head -- and that's about it. $300/night average rate.
Know of a Super Bowl Hotel with vacancies? Let us know!
It looks like the dilemma facing any Super Bowl attendee or party-goer who hasn't yet secured hotel reservations is this: Either fork over several hundred dollars for a room worth about one-forth of that, or pay a reasonable (although still inflated) rate and put up with noisy air conditioners and vagrants in the lobby.
For example, a quick check of availability shows places like Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt & Hilton are all full. A few mid-tier properties such as the La Quinta are available, but at mind-blowing $424 to $652 nightly rates!
On the other hand, you can still get a room at the bottom-basement bargain of $119 per night at Motel 6 Phoenix West. But (Big But), you might want to consider what a few TripAdvisor members had to say about the place first:
"Where's the soap? Nothing to wash your hands with, no shampoo, no lotion, no tissues, no shower cap, no alarm clock...nothing.
Horribly loud air conditioner. Scary people are hanging out in the parking lot. Was surprised to find no damage to our vehicle in the morning.
"Besides being in what seemed to be in a bad location, the staff was rude, the hotel room smelled of something rotting, and the sheets and floor were stained."
"This is a dungeon. Nothing works properly and towels are thread bear. They should just close the damned thing!"
So, there you have it. Either take out a second mortgage or get used to dirty sheets and no soap. Choices, choices....
1.21.08 Update Reports are coming in that there are plenty of hotel rooms left in and around Phoenix for the Super Bowl. See comments below.
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by juliana
Know somewhere with open hotel rooms for Super Bowl weekend in Phoenix? 
