Thunderbird Executive Inn

After reading that this hotel is located on a college campus, my husband and I were a little leery to book a room. However, we were extremely pleased with our stay at the Thunderbird Executive Inn (and we also learned that it is a graduate school campus, so don’t expect a lot of crazy college kids running around). We were in town for the college football national championship game, and were surprised to find such an affordable hotel so close to the University of Phoenix stadium (about a 15 minute drive). Many of the other local hotels were capitalizing on the visitors in town for the game and charging double and triple their normal room rates, which was very disappointing.
The front desk staff were extremely friendly and accommodating, especially John and Tim (who both work nights). The free snacks and drinks made available in the lounge were a nice treat (cereal, oatmeal, breakfast bars, fruit, trail mix, chips, crackers, chocolate covered pretzels, m&m’s, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, sodas, water…). The free wifi worked flawlessly. The hotel grounds were immaculate. We felt safe during our stay, even when wandering around the parking lot late at night. The only complaint we had, albeit not a big one, was the air conditioning in our room (Room #100). It never ran as cold as we would’ve liked, but instead of raising a fuss about it we just slept with less covers. This in no way affects our opinion of the Thunderbird Executive Inn. We have bragged to several friends and family members about the little gem we found in Glendale, AZ. And should our travels ever bring us back to the area, we will definitely be booking another reservation with the Thunderbird.
Tip: If you are in town for a game at the University of Phoenix stadium, this hotel is very convenient if you have your own transportation (or don’t mind paying for a cab or über). It is about a 15 minute drive to the stadium. We parked at the Westgate Entertainment District for $ 30, rather than pay $ 60 – 90 for a parking pass on the stadium grounds. The walk from Westgate to the stadium is less than 10 minutes. We found this parking recommendation while reading other reviews on the University of Phoenix stadium and wanted to pass it along.

We stayed here for several days recently and had a great experience. Very friendly staff, nice grounds, and plenty of amenities. When we pulled in from the street we were taken back as it seems quite random for a hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised over and over throughout our stay! First, the rooms are spacious enough to accommodate two adults and two babies. We were able to put our pack n play in the big closet so as to give a separate space for our babies to nap/​sleep. We have a 17 mo old and a 2 mo old. Second, the grounds are awesome! Great for a toddler to explore and not too busy with a lot of people. Third, they have a fantastic lounge! It is full of free drinks and snacks refreshed daily for guests. There is a lot of indoor space to sit down at tables and eat meals as a family or just hang out somewhere outside of the hotel room. Lastly, the staff is super friendly and pleasant. Always happy to help you and offer assistance when needed, even gave us free laundry detergent and dryer sheets to use at their on-​campus laundry mat. Overall, 5 stars for a great stay! Would recommend to anyone wanting a simple, nice place without a lot of frills, but worth every penny you spend. Would definitely stay here again!

Once you realize the Executive Inn in on the School of Global Management campus, negotiate the maze of buildings to find the inn foyer, you will be pleased with their hospitality. We came for a San Diego Padres Spring training game. We were checked in quickly, treated to complimentary water and baseball-​centric snacks — sunflower seeds, peanuts, bubble gum, & baseball-​shaped chocolate. And that was just in the lobby, there’s much more upstairs. The room was not huge but well laid out for the two of us. The bathroom has a huge walk-​in shower. The flatscreen tv was somewhat small ~30″ & wireless internet is free. It is only several minutes from Peoria Sports Complex & caters to visitors during Spring Training.

I found the Thunderbird Executive Inn through Orbitz. I was a little reluctant to book a room here since it seemed like it was in an odd location on a college campus but after seeing good reviews, I gave it a try. I have no idea how this place is getting 4 stars from people. Upon check in, I was given an old (1950’s)dorm room that was converted to a motel room. It was about 10′ x 10′ in size which was not ideal for more than one person. It is definitely not a place to choose if you wish to relax. My wife and I found a room at the Residence Inn Marriott and checked out of the Thunderbird after a half hour of checking in. The staff at the Thunderbird was friendly and emphasized on how great the free snacks were. The rooms were clean but it was just too small and couldn’t get comfortable in. Not a place to stay at if you are on vacation.

Excellent spot to stay. 24 hour snacks can’t be beat. The campus was beautiful as well for walking around. Staff were friendly and helpful.

My husband found this little gem using
. This place is amazing. It is super clean and the workers are very friendly. Like others had said, there is a snack room that is open 24 hours with really nice snacks and various juices, sodas, milk, etc.
Pros: Very clean room, great service and added bonus of the snacks/​drinks
Cons: 1) The entrance to the hotel is a little weird as you have to go through the campus itself to get to the hotel. There should be a straight entrance from the street to the front of the hotel. Hope they will consider it. 2) The shower… well, for us it wasn’t a con but for others it maybe. There isn’t a bathtub. There is only a corner shower and if you like a lot of room while showering, don’t expect to see that in your hotel room.
Would we go back?: YES, we would. We loved this place. This is our spot to stay at when we visit Arizona for now on.

We traveled from California to visit family. The staff was super friendly, I don’t know where they hire them but they are truly nice and caring. The room was so clean and beds were so comfortable I can’t say enough about this place. The free snack room was super awesome, my sister and I were surprised of the variety and quality of the items offered. Keep up the good job! You met our expectations !!!

I’m not sure how to rate this hotel with stars, I have always likes this place. I found it on a fluke and it was perfect. Since then I’ve stayed here maybe four or five times but the last time I stayed here I found two big bed bugs and called the front desk before I could find more, the guy at the front desk didn’t seem to care and I don’t even think he apologized just switched my room. I was very surprised at his lack to mend things. Pretty upset.

Quiet, clean, professional place to stay. Big comfy beds. Their ²⁴⁄₇ snack lounge is super indulgent. Free canned soda and juices, fruit, granola, m&m’s, trail mix, bars, coffee and tea and it’s available ²⁴⁄₇ for your munching needs.

Great value for a great hotel! The other reviewers were right about the 2^nd floor lounge — what a unique treat to have complimentary access to a wide variety of food and drinks! Spent part of the afternoon of one day in my room working while my kid played and watched a movie on TV and never did we feel stifled. The room and furnishings are very comfortable. The entire hotel looks and smells CLEAN. The free in-​room WiFi is fast and reliable. Our trip to the pool had a couple of hiccups at the start — be sure to ask for the key to the pool, some pool towels, and directions to the pool at the Front Desk, since it’s a little ways from the lobby because it’s shared with the students at the school (in summer, we had the pool all to ourselves) — but we made it and had a good time when we finally got there to take a dip. At other hotels, we’ve spent double for the same or lesser quality and service. Every time we stay in Glendale, we will definitely be staying at Thunderbird Executive Inn.

I too had a hard time finding this hidden gem. I thought my GPS had let me down. But once inside the staff and cleanliness were FANTASTIC! The 24 hour FREE snack bar is simply unbelievable. This place goes in my book as the best deal I have ever found!

$ 75/​night (
), excellent amenities, and can’t beat the quiet campus setting. Ask for room 101.

5 stars for value. Nice clean room, huge shower and nice bathroom. The staff is helpful and friendly as well.
I would dock this hotel a star for access because when I entered I thought I was back in college. The hotel is located on a management school campus and it was confusing as hell when I arrived, but I won’t dock it a star because…
THE SNACK BAR!!!
Forreal, this place is clutch. It has tons of snacks and a fridge packed with sodas, juices, waters, powerades, etc. They also have coffee and tea ²⁴⁄₇.

I use the Inn for weekends in conjunction with the EMBA program and in that regard, it delivers a great product. The rooms, frankly, remind me of the BOQs from the Army — small, plain rooms for officers who were in transit. Clean and modern, they offer the added bonus of access to the study rooms upstairs which are critical to collaborating with your classmates. The price is reasonable and the staff is very accommodating — if you have any reason to spend the night in the area, especially for Thunderbird business, you would be hard-​pressed to find a better location.

My family stayed here for a week and found it to be a very comfortable and very inexpensive ($ 53 per night with a AAA discount) place to stay while a loved one was in the hospital down the street.
The folks here couldn’t have been more friendly and the coffee ²⁴⁄₇ was a huge plus along with free New York Times and WSJs everyday. We ate at the pub on campus a few times and the food was fine.
If you are looking for a 4-​star hotel, this is not it but it is a great place to stay if you are on a budget and want someplace clean, friendly and quiet.

The staff has to be the friendliest of any hotel staff on the planet! They were excellent.
This is on a campus and is very safe and clean. The kitchen is stocked with lots of free snacks, coffee, etc.
4 computers available to use at no charge.
Will visit again!

Nice clean spacious room with window that could actually be opened :) ²⁴⁄₇ access to free snacks (coffee, pop, granola bars, fruit, juice, milk, candy…) in a card key accessed large nook over lobby. Free wifi, handy desktops and printer in snack nook.
Kind of difficult to find if you don’t realize it is on the campus of the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Felt very safe. Security is good. Staff is friendly. Guests are normal people (sometimes, this is not a given). Great value for price. If I ever have to stay in a crappy suburb of Phoenix again, this would be my first choice.

This place is a sureshot value for money. The multiple number of pubs around it that you can hang out in adds to the value of my time spent here. If you are in town, go for the thunderbird inn, for it’s spotless comfy rooms, amazing staff and amazing value for money.

I disagree with the previous review, although to be fair, I was assigned a room in the facility’s primary (two-​story) building.
My family and I stayed in the Executive Inn during a long-​weekend Spring Training trip. I was pleased with a great many things about the facility, including its wonderfully friendly staff, spotless accommodations and campus, and availability of free snacks and sodas, 24 hours a day.
Staying in the Executive Inn and Conference Center was a terrific value, and I’d recommend the facility to anyone!