jan_az

Originally Posted by Canarsie
My only “complaint” is that it is not located near any major highway, so its location may be slightly inconvenient for some guests.


Major highway? Tucson? I think that is an oxymoron. There is only one major highway in Tucson - the I-10 and personally I would not want to stay near it

sammy343

Sounds like the Hilton Tucson East is the way to go! And at $59/night. Hopefully I can get a nice upgrade. Does it help getting upgraded if you contact the GM of the hotel beforehand, or is a mention in the "comments" section of the reservation sufficient?

If I want to play golf that weekend and don't want to lug my clubs, do I have any options? What time of day is it under 100 degrees?

coachigdon

Heat aside, the course where they play the LPGA Welch's/Lady Ping(although I think the name changed) tournament was a nice cheap course. It was carts when I played it though, not caddies.

dmanphoenix

If you are a diamond or gold you don't need to do anything. I never have and they have always taken care of me. Whether you put it in the notes or not I am not sure if that matters. I always put it in the notes for the Doubletree @ Reid Park and it never get's me anywhere. I never did notes for the Hilton East because I have always been treated well.

What time of day is it under 100 degrees? lol 6AM-7AM possibly or during the night so you better have a floodlight attached to your golf bag.

fredmartens

I'll toss in another vote for the Hilton Tucson East; at $59, that's a steal, especially if you get upgraded to the 7th floor "summit" level. If you get a chance to meet Linda (at check-in, the blonde), she's an absolute gem and one of my top 3 favorite Hilton people, period (she actually "bows" to Diamonds...sorta corny but cute). This property repeatedly treats me very well w/ service, upgrades, etc. There's a nice turndown service in the evening on the summit level as well. The location (way out east on Broadway) is a solid 20-25 minutes to TUS in traffic; there are plenty of great places to eat around the Hilton, one of my favorites being Casa Molina (nice tequila menu as well). If your business or pleasure is more in the northeast of Tucson, this is your place. Great location for the north and northeast side golf courses and resorts; 3 blocks east of Kolb Rd. on the south side of the street.

When I need to be closer to the airport, I like the ES TUS property; very good breakfast (way above average in comparison with other ES's), and Carlos (behind the bar) is a funny guy...ask to see some of his magic tricks.
While the "Embassy Touch" is pretty much a thing of the past, I usually get an "executive" suite, which is a little nicer than the standard ones. The pool and hot tub at this property are decent, and it seems to attract less families with kids than the ES on East Broadway Ave. if you're more interested in a place to spread out with some peace and quiet, even on the weekends.

The ES TUS Airport is also closer to TEP (Tucson Electric Park), where the Diamondback's AAA baseball team, the Sidewinders, play; it's good entertainment IMHO at $6-$10 a seat, evenings at 7:00PM. 45 minutes to Nogales; 10 minutes from the Pima Air & Space Museum and the Davis-Monthan aircraft boneyard; well worth the price of admission. For outdoor museums, there's the Sonoran Desert Museum out by Old Tucson Studios in Saguaro National Park on the west side of town; worth a half day IMHO. Never stayed at the DT Reid Park, but it really doesn't look too appealing to me, and I find the rates are never near as low there as they are at the ES or Hilton.

That is, if you have any time left for this stuff after a round or two of golf!

paulnagy

Have you considered the Hilto El Conquistador? It's a gorgeous resort about fifteen(ish) minutes from downtown.

isogyre

If you're there for business in town or downtown, I would recommend the Hilton Tucson East. At $59 per night, it is a steal, and you will be well taken care of as a Gold member.

If you're there for vacation, then check out the El Conquistador. It is about a half hour or so north of town, and is a self-contained resort with golf, a pool, etc. As Diamond, I was upgraded to a stand-alone casita (nice, but a long walk uphill every morning to the hotel for breakfast). It is expensive, but worth it.

Why don't you spend a few nights at each place and get some additional stay credits?

sammy343

I had looked at the El Conquistador too, but it shows only a two bed room for when I'm there and at a rate of $144/night.

I would love to get the extra stay credits, but $59/night seems too good to pass up. I am going to book the Hilton Tucson East for my stay.

How often is it that the AAA rate ($59) is so far below even the Net Direct non-changeable or refundable rate ($88)? When I look at rates, the AAA never seems to be below the Net Direct rate, nevermind by that much.

Thanks for all of the good insight and suggestions.

Travel2003

Any opinions on Hilton brand in Tucson would be greatly appreciated. It appears that Tucson Conquistador or DT Reid Park are the two best?

BamaVol

Hey Travel2003,

There's a recent thread in here somewhere that discusses Hilton properties in Tucson. My personal fave is the Hilton Tucson East, although it's the only Hilton property I've sampled in the area. Some of us have gotten very reasonable rates there, especially out of season (like now) and it's a top-notch Hilton. The only issue anyone has raised is location and whether it is inconveniently located depends on where you need to be. I believe the Conquistador is highly thought of but can be pricey.

Dig back over the last 3 weeks or so and I think you'll come across the thread or maybe someone else has the inclination.

jan_az

a qujick search of this forum using the keyword Tucson will bring up this thread from last week as well as many more

I thought you might be interested in reading this web page:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...eferrerid=6554

hatchman50

^ I'll be staying in both of these properties in a couple of weeks. Anybody with stay experiences...good...bad....ugly?? Also any suggestions on restaurants....SouthWestern....Steaks....TexMex. Thanks in advance for your help.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi hatchman50,

Hilton Sedona:

I did not stay here but passed thorugh it last year after spending an afternoon in Sedona ( drove up from the Tapatio Cliffs in PHX) and grabbed a coffee in the bar.

The hotel is not in Sedona itself but the village just to the south ( oak Creek?)

External landscaping is very good with the car parking to the front of the hotel ( low three story main building)
Internally the hotel looks nice nad the swimming pool area looked nice.

Bar service was fine.

Also had a WH smith gift shop ( there was a sign saying you colud only room charge purchases over $5).

Overal looked a good hotel for a few days.

I saw quite a few restaurants in the OAk Creek Village ( possilbe to walk to some of them from the hotel).

Nice views of the Sedona scenery from the hotel.

Regards

TBS

travelnurse

We stayed at Hilton Sedona 2 weeks ago and had a wonderful stay. The resort is about 6 miles from Sedona, but is not isolated. The property is beautiful and well cared for. As Hhonors Diamond we received an upgrade with a view of the red rocks, free access to the spa facilities and fitness classes. The restaurant at the resort gives excellent service with an outside dining option. We enjoyed a tasty meal and watched the sunset. Outdoor misters helped cool the dining patio. For breakfast we traded our vouchers for made to order breakfast in the same restaurant.
For lunch try some of the restaurants in Sedona. We ate at Oxaca. The restaurant was a bit crowded and service could have been better but the food was very good southwest fare with complimentary never empty chips and salsa.
We also stayed at the Squaw Peak Hilton, Scottsdale Hilton and Tapatio Clifts Hilton in an effort to boost stay credit. All are great properties. the Tapatio and Squaw Peak resorts cater to families with young children because of the onsite water resorts. If you are sensitive to noise ask for a suite away from the pool areas. Rates are fantastic and we received upgrades and free use of the fitness center at each property.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit to Sedona.

kmandrew

My wife just set up a campus visit in Feb. at ASU, there will be 2 women and 2 17 year olds. It looks to me like Embassy Suites in Tempe is the best choice, got a rate of 159. The two women in the bedroom and the two boys in the front room. I have no idea of the condition of the property, anybody have any other ideas where 4 guests would be comfortable?