Downtown Phoenix / CityScape

Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix

★★★★★

Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix is the pick for travelers who want to stay downtown, close to games, concerts and the city's revived urban core. Opened in June 2012 at 2 East Jefferson Street as part of the CityScape development, it occupies the upper floors of a mixed-use block in the heart of downtown, with around 240 rooms and suites decorated in a contemporary style with Southwest-inspired artwork and city or mountain views; select suites add separate dining areas, deep soaking tubs and west-facing windows for sunset. The hotel's social life revolves around its third-floor pool deck, where a pool, cabanas and the Lustre Rooftop Bar look out over the downtown towers, and which has been recognized among the country's best hotel rooftop bars by national publications. Downstairs, Blue Hound Kitchen and Cocktails serves contemporary American food and a well-regarded craft cocktail program for lunch, dinner, late-night and weekend brunch. As a Kimpton, the hotel offers the brand's signature complimentary evening social hour, coffee and tea service, a fitness center and a pet-friendly approach. The location is the reason to book: the downtown arena and the ballpark are a few minutes' walk away, the convention center is close, and Valley Metro light rail stops are a short walk away, connecting you directly to the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Art Museum, Tempe and the airport's Sky Train link without a car.

Downtown Phoenix has changed enormously over the past two decades, and the Palomar is well placed to enjoy it. Within a short walk you have Roosevelt Row's galleries and murals, historic Heritage Square, a growing number of restaurants and bars, and the sports and concert venues that fill the streets on event nights. If your trip centers on a game, a concert, a conference or the First Friday art walk, staying here saves a lot of driving and parking hassle. The light rail also makes car-free museum days genuinely practical.

Be realistic about what downtown is and is not. It is an urban, business-oriented center rather than a resort zone, and outside event nights some blocks feel quiet after dark. You will need a car or rideshares for Camelback, the Desert Botanical Garden and Scottsdale, though the garden is only about fifteen minutes away. The pool deck is a fine place to unwind, but this is a city hotel, not a resort, and travelers seeking spa days and golf should look elsewhere. Parking is valet or nearby garage and adds to the cost.

Who should stay: sports fans, concert-goers, business travelers adding leisure days, car-free visitors relying on the light rail, and anyone who prefers city energy to resort calm. Rates are generally moderate-to-upper for downtown, spiking on big event dates, so book early around major games and conventions.