Hotels in Phoenix

Phoenix sits in the Sonoran Desert at the centre of a vast, low-rise metropolitan sprawl known as the Valley of the Sun, which records around 300 clear days a year. The saguaro cactus landscape reaches right into the city, and Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak rise straight out of residential neighbourhoods for genuinely steep hikes with skyline views.

The metro area is really several cities. Downtown Phoenix has the Heard Museum, one of the finest collections of Native American art anywhere, and the Musical Instrument Museum. Scottsdale to the northeast holds the resorts, spas, golf and Old Town nightlife, plus Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. Tempe is the university town, and Mesa is quieter and cheaper.

Season matters more here than in almost any other American city. Winter and early spring are glorious and busy; summer is genuinely dangerous, with temperatures regularly above 43°C and hiking trails closed on the hottest days. Phoenix is also the natural base for Sedona's red rocks and the Grand Canyon, both a few hours north.