Spring Training in the Desert — Book Before Pitchers and Catchers Report

Every March, half the Midwest relocates to the Phoenix metro for spring training — fifteen big-league teams, ten ballparks, day games in 75-degree sunshine, and a hotel market that knows it. March is already Scottsdale's peak season; add baseball and the resorts within striking distance of Old Town and the ballparks fill months in advance, at the highest rates of the year. The strategy: book as soon as your dates firm up, and don't fixate on Scottsdale proper. Tempe, Mesa, and north Phoenix put you fifteen minutes from multiple ballparks at meaningfully softer prices, and member rates widen that gap further. If you want the full experience — resort pool in the morning, day game in the afternoon, Old Town at night — lock the room early and let everyone else fight over what's left in February.

— Our Travel Editor