Where to stay in Phoenix: the best areas and hotels

Downtown is the one part of Phoenix that behaves like a conventional city centre. Glass towers, the Convention Center, the Diamondbacks' ballpark at Chase Field and the Suns' basketball arena all sit within a few blocks of each other, and the CityScape complex fills the gaps with shops, restaurants and bars.

Come for a game, a concert or a short city stay and you can do most of it on foot, which is a rare treat in this valley. The hotels are big, polished and mostly four-star, many with outdoor pools, and Sky Harbor airport is only about four miles away. What you will not get is the desert-resort experience; for cactus gardens and mountain views, head north or east.

North-east of downtown, the city turns leafy and well-heeled. The Biltmore district takes its name from the Arizona Biltmore, the 'Jewel of the Desert', a resort of gardens, palm trees and Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced architecture that has been hosting the great and the good for nearly a century.

Further east, towards Scottsdale, Camelback Mountain fills the skyline and resorts hide behind walls of citrus trees and bougainvillea, with the feel of a Spanish villa. It is a superb base for couples: romantic, central and within easy reach of both downtown Phoenix and Old Town Scottsdale. There are simpler hotels in the Camelback East neighbourhood too, if you want the address without the bill.

Scottsdale is officially a separate city, but everyone treats it as Phoenix's most entertaining neighbourhood. Old Town is the heart of it: a compact grid of Western-fronted shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars, with the luxury stores of Scottsdale Fashion Square at one end and the Arizona Canal trail running through.

This is the best base in the valley if you want to walk to dinner and stay out afterwards. Hotels lean stylish rather than sprawling, with rooftop pools looking towards Camelback Mountain and, in one case, a mid-century modern landmark that first opened in the 1950s. During spring training the baseball is a short stroll away. Light sleepers should check how close they are to the Entertainment District.

Between Phoenix and Scottsdale lies Paradise Valley, a quiet, wealthy town of low buildings and very little street lighting, so the desert sky stays dark and the stars stay bright. Camelback Mountain and Mummy Mountain rise on either side, and the resorts are arranged to make the most of them.

This is where the valley's classic hideaways are: spa resorts tucked into the mountainside, adobe-style casitas, pools with views straight up the red rock, and one resort modelled on an Andalusian village, fountains and all. Old Town Scottsdale and Fashion Square are a short drive away. Come here to switch off rather than to go out.

North Scottsdale is where the suburbs thin out and the Sonoran Desert takes over. Giant granite boulders, forests of saguaro and the McDowell Mountains set the scene, and some of the most celebrated golf courses in Arizona are laid out among them, including TPC Scottsdale.

The resorts here are destinations in themselves, with multiple pools, spas, several restaurants and their own fairways. A few sit a long way out, among dramatic rock formations in the high desert, and are all the better for it. You will need a car and you will not be popping into town for a quick drink, but for a golf trip or a few days of doing nothing in beautiful surroundings, it is hard to top.

North Phoenix is resort country for people travelling with children. The hotels here are big, all-suite or close to it, and built around water: lazy rivers, slides and pool after pool. One has a whole water park of its own, another has five outdoor pools and a golf course.

The setting helps. The Phoenix North Mountains and their desert preserves are on the doorstep for early-morning hikes before the heat builds, and the shops and restaurants of Desert Ridge and Kierland are a short drive away. Downtown and the airport are about 20 minutes south by freeway.

Tempe is home to Arizona State University, and it shows. Mill Avenue, the main drag, is lined with restaurants, bars and shops, Tempe Town Lake offers a waterside walk, and the whole place has more energy per square mile than anywhere else in the valley.

It is also very practical. Sky Harbor airport is only a few miles away and the light rail runs from here into downtown Phoenix, so you can manage without a car more easily than elsewhere. Newer hotels in the centre have rooftop pools and lounges; older ones further out offer good value. It suits younger travellers and anyone watching the budget.

South-east of Phoenix, Chandler and Mesa are big suburban cities with a few good reasons to stay. Downtown Chandler is a pleasant surprise, with microbreweries, local restaurants and live music a short walk from a historic golf resort. Out at Wild Horse Pass, a large spa and golf resort sits in open desert.

Mesa, to the north, is a spring-training favourite, home of the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Both make sense if you want resort facilities at friendlier prices and do not mind a drive to the sights. The airport is roughly 10 to 15 minutes away.

Glendale is where you stay when you have tickets. State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, and Desert Diamond Arena sit side by side in the Sports and Entertainment District, with the bars, restaurants and outlet shops of Westgate between them. Several hotels are within walking distance, which saves a great deal of post-match traffic.

The rest of the West Valley, including Peoria, Surprise and Goodyear, comes alive in spring, when baseball teams train at ballparks dotted across the suburbs. Hotels are mostly dependable three-star suites with pools. For sightseeing, though, it is a long way from Scottsdale and the big resorts.