I was attending a business meeting in Phoenix and the hotels near the convention center were full. The travel agent suggested I try this hotel as it is in the same zip code and was a three/four star property.

On the location: Although this hotel is in the same zipcode as the convention center it is actually 1.1 miles north. The light rail public transportation system is still under construction (and thus was not a transporation option during my stay) and I didn't try to figure out the local bus system. I walked to and from the convention center during the day (it wasn't too hot) and I felt perfectly safe. I don't think I would walk the same route after dark though. The hotel does have a free shuttle to take you back and forth to the convention center if you like.

Near the property: The hotel is in a fairly under-developed area of downtown Phoenix. Current maps of Phoenix show the hotel as being immediately adjacent to I-10 but those are misleading as the highway is underground in this part of the city (this meant there was less traffic noise and pollution than I expected). The hotel has a restaurant on the property (the Capital Grille) and there is a Fair-Trade coffee shop and Portland's Restaurant in the building next to the hotel. About 2 blocks further north is Cheuvront's Wine Bar. I ate at all three of these places during my time at the hotel and was happy with all three of them (note these restaurants are more fancy 'wine bar' types of places than family friendly chain restaurants).

My stay: I was given a room on the 3rd floor (I think it was 313)with 2 double beds and work area/desk. I thought the room was fairly spacious (ex it could have fit a rollaway bed into the work area without too much trouble). The housekeeping was fine, the cable tv worked, the bathroom was clean. The towels were thin and worn. My biggest issue with the room is that the air conditioning didn't work. No matter what temp I set the ac to, or how high I turned the fan, it blew warm air. I went down to the front desk to ask about it and was told that 'we haven't switched over the a/c yet'....this had a major impact on my comfort level during my stay. Fortunately the room has a window that you can open to allow for some air circulation otherwise I would not have been able to sleep comfortably.
This room had a view over the outdoors pool. I did not use the pool or the exercise room so I cannot comment on these facilities.

The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast each morning, served in the Capital Grille Restaurant. This consists of a selection of cold cereals and instant oatmeal, fruit, some pastries and 'make your own waffles', along with the standard tea and coffee.

This hotel also offers free wireless. This worked just fine for me, acceptable speeds and no problems with signal strength.

Overall it was an acceptable hotel for 2 nights but I wouldn't recommend it unless you need to stay there (for example the hotels near the convention center are full). It think it was a bit overpriced (my corporate rate was ~$150/night) and for that I would expect a better variety of foods at breakfast, better towels and working ac.

Also, the hotel was full when I stayed and I noticed the front desk staff seemed a bit inexperienced. They were having problems with doubly occupied rooms (giving out room keys to new guests who were finding the rooms already occupied). They were also unsure how to handle my enquiries about the ac. They weren't rude, just a bit unsure of what to say.

So in summary a two/three star hotel, definately not four.

My coworker and I were booked into the BW Central Phoenix for 2 nights. I would describe the experience as fair or average. Features I liked included the continental breakfast, efficient check-in, humble but useful work-out room, and an average room with a good bed. The free high-speed internet was great for email and small productions but slow for graphics-intensive work. It is still a great perk.

Because we were on a business trip, I was very leery of giving my credit card for "incidentals." Twice before at other places the front desk has billed my card instead of our purchase order. I spoke to two front desk clerks at check-in and check-out and both of them gave me the evil eye (in my opinion) when I brought this up. They were brief, bordering on rude, but they did ensure that the PO was billed appropriately. I could have done without the attitude.

One of the desk clerks, a dark-haired woman with an eastern European accent was very nice to my coworker and knew all about the PO situation with our business. She deserves special recognition.

The building appears to be on permanent lock-down, as the only way in is through the front door, away from the main parking area. I respect the need for more security, but what about card readers at the outside doors for guests?

Some things future guests here should be aware of: there is construction all along Central Avenue right by the hotel and they are ripping up the road to build a light-rail. This is not the BW's fault, and of course I support the project but it makes it very difficult to actually find your way into the hotel. To get in, find your way to 3rd Ave, which is west of central ave. Then go north about two blocks to Portland street, turn right on Portland, then travel down a street of residential condos. go around the semi-circle at the end of Portland (next to Central) and look for the entrance for the hotel. Consult a street map before you go!

At $222 for two nights, I would say that this BW is only a fair value for the price. I would not stay here again at this price on personal business.

We arrived late in the evening due to a delayed flight, and finding this hotel in a car in the dark was not the easiest bit of navigation I have done - I ended up wishing that I had hired the sat-nav with the car. We only stayed 2 nights, but we had a clean and comfy standard room at a good rate, and the staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. Ellie, behind the front desk, made several phone calls and drew lots of maps to help us get to some specific areas of town. The restaurant won't win any michelin stars, but it was convenient. The location is not the best, but we never felt remotely at risk, and I would stay here again without hesitation.

1. This place is in a fairly tough part of town, which I knew going in.
2. It was the cheapest "nice" hotel close to the convention center which is why I stayed.
3. I got a upgrade to a "suite" because of my GCC status so I don't know how good/bad the "regular" rooms are. My room was fine, nothing fancy and certainly not equal to any Marriott or Hilton property.
4. I paid $136 vs the $199 special rate at the Hyatt for the convention and I though (before getting there) the difference was worth it.
5. One of my fellow conventioneers had their car broken into as well as one other car. He found out that just a few days earlier another car was broken into as well.
6. The parking is outside with no gate or security.
7. When I checked out early I told the front desk I was leaving because of the security and they said "we can't control that WE ARE DOWNTOWN".
8. I think for that high a price for a lowly BW they could afford to have someone watching the lot at night especially in light of the frequent break-ins.
9. The "free" breakfast is nothing more than bagels, juice and waffles.
10. The shuttle to the convention center was $4 and to the airport it was $9. Both are minutes away. I can't remember the last time I paid to use the hotel shuttle and I found it very cheap on the hotels part.
11. Next time I will spend the extra money to keep my car safe.