If you’re looking for a decent airport hotel near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) you may want to consider the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix.
And even if you are not needing to be close to the airport, this property just might be a great base location for visiting Phoenix and the surrounding area.
In this review, I’ll take a close look at the hotel and tell you everything you need to know to prepare for your stay.
Table of Contents
Location: PHX
The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix is located just outside of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
If you have your own vehicle it should only take you about five minutes to get to one of the parking garages at the airport. Like you would expect at a good airport hotel, there is also a 24-hour PHX airport shuttle.
The other great thing about this hotel is it is like a 10 minute straight shot on E Van Buren St into Downtown Phoenix. It’s also really close to Tempe and Arizona State University and not far from Mesa or Scottsdale. So this is definitely an airport hotel that you can use to easily explore the surrounding Phoenix metro area.
But I would be careful in the immediate surrounding area. Like some other airport hotels, there may be some sketchy parts in the immediate vicinity around the airport.
Check in
We arrived around sunset so we did not need to utilize early check in but the check in process went very smoothly.
One thing I always look forward to at DoubleTrees is the famous chocolate chip cookie. It’s almost impossible to turn this thing down!
Related: The Hilton Doubletree Cookie: The Ultimate Sweet Guide
We were assigned a room on the sixth floor which is the top level of this hotel. These are known as “Business Class suite rooms” and I believe we were upgraded to one because of our Hilton Diamond status.
There are a couple of different elevators you can use to get up and because it was a little bit dark we struggled to find one of them.
But once we made our way up on the sixth floor it was a really beautiful sight.
Watching the glow from the sunset out over the city and the mountains is one of my favorite things about the desert and we caught it just in time.
I have not seen many DoubleTree hotels with exterior hallway layouts but in this case it was nice because of the cool breeze hitting in the evening. On a hot summer day though I’m not sure I would be so happy with it.
Related: Do You Have to Check Out of Your Hotel?
From the top, we had a good look at the pool area, which for an airport hotel is actually a pretty big area complete with a hot tub. This airport hotel definitely has some resort vibes going on, which is why it is a good fit for people who don’t just need proximity to the airport.
Here’s a look at the pool area in the daytime to give you a different view.
The suite
The business class suite was pretty spacious and overall a pretty quality room. Remember, this is an all-suite hotel so everyone will be provided with a suite.
My only complaints were that there was a bad scent and some of the furniture was a little bit stained.
In terms of the scent there was a faint almost cigarette-type odor I picked up as soon as II entered.
And you’ll see what I’m talking about with the stains…. Those factors, combined with the dated appearance of the hotel, knocked it down a notch for me although it still was not that bad.
In one corner of the living area you have an L sofa with an oval coffee table.
And on the other side of the room you have a large flatscreen TV.
Near that you have a workstation with an ergonomic chair and phone.
Behind the workstation is the small kitchenette area with a small sink, microwave, coffee maker, and mini fridge. It’s kind of an odd layout to have a workstation so close to a kitchen area but I guess it works.
Related: Are Hotel Coffee Makers Safe & Clean? (YIKES!)
The bed was pretty comfy and I did not have any complaints.
On each side of the bed there will be a nightstand with two power outlets and two USB ports.
The outlets don’t really blend in with the furniture piece at all but I don’t mind that since it makes it even easier to locate the outlets. You also have standard nightstand features like an alarm clock, phone, and lamp.
Related: Should You Use USB Ports In Hotel Rooms? (Stay Away!?)
There is another pretty good size TV in the bedroom.
Here is the stained cushion I was referring to earlier. It’s not that bad considering this cushion is meant to be utilized for luggage bags but it’s still nothing you ever want to see.
And again, combined with the unpleasant scent, this just knocked my enjoyment of the stay down a peg or two.
The bathroom was quite nice and featured a large and decorative mirror. Counter space for the sink was a bit limited but still doable. Also, the quarters for the toilet were a bit cramped.
They provided EST bathroom amenities, which is a collection “created with luxurious resorts, boutiques, and high-end hotel establishments (hence, EST!) in mind.” I found them to be pretty high-quality and it was kind of a surprise that they would be used at a three-star airport hotel. But again, it makes sense given the resort style approach of this hotel.
The hotel features a very nice fitness center with a beautiful blow up of Monument Valley on the wall. You’ll find a good number of cardio stations including treadmill’s, recumbent bike, etc.
They also have a nice set up for free weights.
We decided to try out the bar and restaurant “Brix” since we had some time to kill in the evening and had worked up a bit of an appetite.
We each ordered sandwiches which were actually not bad. The service was really good as well making this a worthwhile meal.
Final word
I enjoyed our short stay at the Hilton Doubletree.
It had a much different vibe from other Doubletree hotels (which was both good and bad) but I really appreciated the views from the sixth floor, especially around sunset.
The location made arriving at the airport for an early flight the next day very easy and I would say that this could be a good property even for people who don’t need to close proximity to the airport.
The only thing is they need to work on the condition of the rooms in order to deliver an experience more in line with what you would expect at a Doubletree.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
