Spring training came to Phoenix, AZ a few weeks ago, and it was almost impossible to find a hotel within biking distance of my client. Apparently, people travel from far and wide to watch other people practice baseball. You heard me correctly, practice; these are not even real games.
Usually, I stay at a more reasonably priced hotel, but Marriott told me that I had luckily booked the last room in the area, and it just so happened to cost an arm-and-a-leg. In my defense, it would have cost more to stay in a cheaper hotel within driving distance, as the cost of the rental car would have outweighed the benefit of the cheap hotel.
So here we were, unexpectedly, in the lap of luxury at this Marriott hotel in possibly the swankiest part of Scottsdale.
In my usual location, I had seen my fare share of palm trees, but the presentation of those at this hotel was simply spectacular. If I compared the commute from this hotel to those of other two hotels I had tried, this commute had the best of both worlds.
In addition to the breathtaking view of the mountains, about half of the distance conveniently consisted of a bike lane. The commute also contained the only real hill I had ever encountered during my time in Phoenix.
The other half was along a sidewalk spotted with cacti and car dealerships.
Commute aside–the interior made Clarice and I feel like royalty. It was certainly an upgrade from the budget-conscious location to which we have grown accustomed. In fact, instead of sharing a studio, she had the entire living room space of the suite to herself. It is a shame that spring training doesn’t come more frequently–we could use another upgrade!
