Downtown Phoenix is where the arts district is. There are a lot of great restaurants and venues for live music, shows, and events. I highly recommend staying at the Hotel Palomar Phoenix if that's in your budget.

Scottsdale has an Old Town Scottsdale district which is good for walking around and popping in southwest style boutiques. Again, great restaurants in this area too, but it tends to get a bit busy and congested. The Saguaro Scottsdale and The Hotel Valley Ho are two fun hotels with a midcentury feel.

Tempe is a college town, where ASU's main campus is located. A walk up Mill Avenue is good for shopping, dining, and sampling college night life. I've never stayed at a hotel in Tempe, but just heard of the Graduate Tempe which looks nice, and the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center is also good.

The remaining areas in the valley (Glendale, Mesa, Chandler, etc.) are mostly residential suburban spots.

But I have to say the best aspect of Phoenix is year-round outdoor activities. Tons of hiking, even in the summer if you catch the sunrise. And Lake Pleasant Regional Park is a 45 min drive north.

The coolest hotel I know of is The Clarendon Hotel and Spa. It's kind of in a blah area. North Scottsdale is kind of scenic once you get past the traffic, but it's also kind of overpriced. You might also think about Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, which is tucked into Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

Here are a few earlier threads that may help: http://www.trippy.com/question/Phoenix-Where-are-the-best-free-things-to-do-in-Phoenix

http://www.trippy.com/question/Phoenix-Best-restaurants-in-Phoenix

1. Downtown Phoenix - split into uptown and downtown, spread out just like everything else

Hotel: The Clarendon Hotel and Spa (cool, kinda cheap, off the grid a bit) OR Hotel Palomar Phoenix (upscale + downtown downtown)

• Phoenix Art Museum(Andy Warhol Exhibit + "the light room")
• Lux Central (food/drinks, very chill, you can basically stay here all day)
• Matt's Big Breakfast (best breakfast around)
• Desoto Central Market (good midday spot, lots to choose from)
• FilmBar (movies + beer)
• Pizzeria Bianco (bomb ass pizza, small portions, worth it)
• The Arrogant Butcher (dinner / lunch)
• Welcome Diner (neighborhood vibes, outdoorsy, dinner)
• Hanny's (swanky spot to get faded)
• Bar Smith (dance and drink, where the night goes to die)
• Crescent Ballroom + Valley Bar (two unique live music venues)
• Hotel Palomar Phoenix (great poolside bar with a view)
• Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour (ramen burger + a ton of cocktails = all great)
• The Lost Leaf(just beer)


2. Tempe - Arizona State college town

Hotel: Graduate Tempe (hipster, relatively cheap, great food at The Normal Diner attached)

Sights / Restaurants:
•  Mill Avenue(walkable bars, nightlife, stores, froyo, food)
•  "A" Mountain (quick hike right off Mill Avenue)
•  Tempe Town Lake (paddle boat, paddle board, fish, don't fall in)
•  Papago Park Center (mars looking mountains by the PHX Zoo)
•  Crêpe Bar (shitty looking on the outside, great breakfast on inside)
•  Postino (Bruschetta + Bottle deal on Monday & Tuesday for $20)
•  Casey Moore's Oyster House (great happy hour / neighborhood vibes)
•  Cartel Coffee Lab (hipster coffee joint making the best stuff around)
•  Four Peaks Brewing Company (great beer / cool brewery)
•  The Yard (restaurant + multiple bars + outdoor games + TV's)


3. Old Town Scottsdale - wannabe vegas mixed with weird old west town, people think it's "nice" though

Hotel: The Saguaro Scottsdale (cheapest), Hotel Valley Ho (fair price), or the W Scottsdale Hotel (nicest)

•  FnB Restaurant (best dinner spot, expensive, say hi to the owner Pavle)
•  Cornish Pasty Co (casual dinner spot w/ great beer)
•  Maya Day and Nightclub (pool, expensive, douchey, sometimes worth it)
•  Arizona Chop Shop Barber Shop (people that do yoga eat here)
•  Fashion Square (shop till you drop)
•  Camelback Mountain (hike our everest, drink water, don't pass out)
•  El Hefe Tempe, Bottled Blonde, The Mint, BRKFST (clubs / bars, good luck)

Arizona Biltmore, Downtown Phoenix & Old Town Scottsdale  are all fun.  

If you are coming in the summer, the off season for resorts you can find some great deals on luxury resorts that are crazy expensive in the on season. Scottsdale has many resorts with beautiful pools and wonderful restaurants close by. I would suggest you log in to Groupon for Phoenix and check out the deals. There are lots of deals to be had just takes some research. Enjoy your trip and drink lots of water and wear your sunscreen!

Hi! I went to Phoenix two times already, and I absolutely loved it! The first time, I stayed at Arizona Grand Resort & Spa in Tempe. I would highly recommend it because of their Oasis Water Park : http://www.arizonagrandresort.com/oasis-water-park/ If you have kids, they'll have a blast with the water slides and the giant wave pool!

The second time, I stayed at The Scott Resort in Scottsdale. We chose to spend a few nights in Scottsdale because it's a really nice area. Kind of like the Beverly Hills of greater Phoenix! There were expensive cars everywhere parked in front of huge villas. The Scott Resort was really nice too.