Can anyone recommend a nice hotel in Flagstaff AZ?

Question

We'll be visiting from Scotland for 3 nights (2 oldies!) and need somewhere comfortable to stay with easy access to roads to Grand Canyon and other sights. Some hints on 'essential visits' and good restaurants would be nice if you have time. Many thanks.

Answer 1

Your best bets are probably in one of the major national hotels along South Milton (the main road into town from Interstate17) or in the cluster of hotels and restaurants just as you come into town near the I-17 and I-40 intersection. These are on the major roads, away from train noise and near the downtown and other attractions.

For what you are looking for, I would recommend either the Embassy Suites on South Milton ([phone]), the Radisson Woodland on old Route 66 ([phone]) or the Fairfield Inn near the I-17 and I-40 intersection. Cheaper options would include the Econo Lodge University (near NAU) or the Motel 6 and Super 8 hotels near Little America.

Little America is one of the nicer hotels (although it is a bit pricy and could use some rennovation), but it is way on the extreme east end of town and not very close to anything - still probably worth checking out. The historic Monte Vista downtown is one of my favorites because I like historic places and it is within easy walking distance of the downtown shops and cafes. It was built in 1927 (not 1800s) and was used in the filming of Casablanca. However, the parking there can be a pain, it is a bit pricy for the size of the rooms and you can get a lot of street noise on weekends.

Places to eat:
Flagstaff has a lot of good little local restaurants for being a small town. Here are my favorites:

Charley's - Casual dining in the historic Weatherford hotel (Beaver Street north of Route 66). Often have live music on weekends.

Beaver Street Brewery - Microbrewry with excellent food and a cosy atmosphere (on Beaver Street south of the old railroad depot near downtown). My personal favorite for dinner.

Macys - A great little coffee shop with good sandwiches and snacks (across the street from Beaver Street). Late For Train is also a good coffee shop (several locations including one downtown).

Kathy's Cafe - Longtime breakfast favorite with locals (great omelettes). In downtown on San Francisco St near Route 66.

Oreganos - Great pizza place mentioned by poster above (on South Milton near Northern Arizona University).

The Cottage Place - Perhaps the finest dining in town (French) - located in old house near Beaver Street Brewery.

Black Barts Steakhouse - Ok, this is a tourist thing that most locals would not go to, but they have nightly shows with an old west theme (on eastern edge of town, kinda near Little America).

La Posada Hotel (town of Winslow) - Even though this is an hour east of Flagstaff on I-40, you should consider checking it out if you have a car. La Posada is beautifully restored grand raiload hotel built by the Santa Fe railroad in 1930 under the design of architect Mary J. Colter who designed many of the historic buildings at Grand Canyon. It is a facinating building and the hotel restuarant is one of the best on Northern Arizona.

As for things to see and do right around Flagstaff:

Lowell Observatory - Historic observatory founded in the 1890s and still active today. Most famous as the place where Pluto was discovered in 1930. Has a good musuem and many historic buildings (on Mars Hill overlooking downtown).

Museum of Northern Arizona - Excellent museum with emphasis on local Native American cultures. North edge of town on AZ180 (heading toward Grand Canyon).

Riordan Mansion - Huge log mansion built by local lumber barons. Very interesting building and still has many of the original furnishings. Along South Milton near Northern Arizona University.

Downtown Area - Downtown Flagstaff has many early 20th century buildings from the lumber and Route 66 days. Many now contain art galleries and interesting little shops and cafes. Be sure to check out the Weatherford and Monte Vista hotels, the old train depot, and the historic Babbitt Brothers store.

Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments - Excellent, but often overlooked, monuments along 89A on the way toward Page and Lake Powell about 20 minutes NE of Flagstaff. Sunset Crater is an old volcanic field with cinder cones and lava fields. Wupatki is a collection of prehistoric indian ruins. Both very interesting and accessible with minimal walking.

A Few Final Notes About Flagstaff:
The whole town is not real big (about 50,000 population) and so it is pretty quick and easy to get anywhere in town. The town is divided into 'East Flag' and 'West Flag' with Switzer Mesa and Cherry Hill separating the two. West Flag (the part you first come into from Phoenix) is the older part of town where the historic downtown is located and also most of the attractions (as well as Northern Arizona University). East Flag is newer, but is mostly residential housing and strip malls.

Answer 2

One of the best is "Little America". It's on the East side of town, away from the railroad tracks. There are about a zillion hotels in Flag, but many are near the tracks and the train goes by every 15 mins day and night. The Comfort Inn on Beulah and the Fairfield Inn on Milton are also pretty nice.

Answer 3

I stayed at the Monte Vista - its an old hotel in downtown - where you can walk to restaurants and shops. The hotel was built back in the 1800's and has a lot of character

The Radisson Woodlands is a nice property too.

For food 1 night - go to Oregano's - the have the best pizza
and very reasonably priced

Answer 4

Travel up into the canyon, it's not far and stay at the Best Western, it's cheap but not bad at all and minutes from the edge of the canyon. also travel a little south of flagstaff and find cave creek motorcycles, have a chat with Sonny in there, he is the grandaddy of the Hells Angels.

Answer 5

There are some grest tips here.

There's also a directory of hotel options available in Flagstaff here - you can have a look through the various descriptions and photographs, as well as sort the prices and locations.

Flagstaff:http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-States/Flagstaff/

Answer 6

a cardboard box on the street