Hotel

The Hotel for Desert Ops is the Tempe Holiday Inn Express. Website for information, but not reservations.

The address is: 1520 W Baseline Rd, Tempe AZ 85283

It is located at the Baseline Rd. exit from I-10, just east of the freeway, and just south of the junction with the US 60 freeway. This location is close to a number of the host railroads and central to all.

Rooms feature wireless internet and widescreen TV. The hotel has an outdoor heated pool and breakfast is included. Joe’s Crab Shack is nearby for lunch or dinner.

The hotel is adjacent to the Arizona Mills Mall which includes even more places to eat, IMAX and 25-plex theaters, and lots of shopping for those who would like to bring spouses.

The room rate is available for Thursday, 20 Oct. arrivals through Monday, 24 Oct. departures. To reserve, call the hotel directly on 480-831-9800 and request the Desert Ops rate – $141 for 2 queen beds, or $149 for a single king bed. The national Holiday Inn reservation system has no connection to the special rate, so do not make reservations on-line. Reservations must be made by 15 September.

A note about the hotel’s phone number:  When the phone answers the first thing you hear is a recording that says “press 1 for reservations”.  If you follow the directions and press “1” you are transferred to HIE’s national reservations and they don’t know anything about the Desert Ops rates. If you don’t press “1” and just stay on the line the phone eventually rings to the front desk and they know about the special rates.

The Phoenix airport is 6 miles away, but part of the great price is that there is no hotel shuttle. They found that most guests have cars or a ride.