Hotel at a Glance: Tempe Mission Palms

Located in downtown Tempe near Mill Avenue, within walking distance of the city’s shops, restaurants, and theaters, Tempe Mission Palms is a luxurious Mission-style hotel. Frommer’s calls it “the perfect choice for a fun-filled weekend in Tempe.” Following an $8 million renovation, all guest rooms have a desert-inspired color scheme and a flat-screen TVs.

• Relax at the hotel’s rooftop complex, where you can chill amid towering palm trees, take a dip in the heated outdoor swimming pool or soak up in one of the hot tubs.
• Eat well: Dining options include Mission Grille, which serves spicy southwest for breakfast and lunch, and Harry’s Place, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor lounge, where small plates are created from locally sourced produce.
• Explore Arizona: The hotel is about 8 miles from Scottsdale and Phoenix, home to renowned museums, top-rated golf courses, and multilevel nightclubs.
• Make your flight: A complimentary airport shuttle service runs from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Pick-up may be arranged by calling the hotel.

Tempe, Arizona: University Town near Phoenix

If you hear Tempe natives referring to a mountain, there’s no need to ask which one. It’s the local nickname for Tempe Butte, a steep hill with a 60-foot-tall letter A emblazoned on its south face in honor of Arizona State University. The hill stands just north of the school’s campus, which is home to a student body of more than 70,000. Many of them congregate in the brewpubs, shops, and coffeehouses in the Mill Avenue District.

Only a 20-minute drive away, Phoenix offers several acclaimed museums. At the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, kids can build forts, measure vegetables in a pintsize market, and help paint a 10-foot-tall robot. The Phoenix Art Museum includes a collection of Thorne rooms—miniature dioramas of ornate interiors kept tidy by a fleet of tiny roombas.