Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Minutes from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Gilbert Mesa Gateway Airport gives teams a clean, predictable base with quick access to the roads that feed the east Valley sports corridors. The hotel fits groups who need a reliable place to sleep, fuel up, and get back out the door on schedule, without the extra complexity that slows down arrivals when you are moving a roster of players, coaches, and families.

Coaches and team managers typically care about three things first: easy check-in, a morning routine that does not fall apart, and a parking plan that works for multiple vehicles. This property aligns well with those needs because it is built around short, efficient stays, with a consistent room setup and a limited-service operation that is easier to standardize for a group. For Arizona Athletic Grounds, you are positioned for a straightforward drive across the Mesa and Gilbert area, which helps when you have early warmups and tight turnarounds between games.

Morning flow matters more than most people think on tournament weekends. A team that can grab breakfast fast, get everyone loaded, and leave at the same time is a team that starts the day calm. With a Holiday Inn Express format, the routine is usually simple and repeatable, which is exactly what you want when you are juggling game times, curfews, and last-minute lineup changes. Planning rooms in pods also helps, assign 8 to 15 people per pod, give each pod one lead, and route small issues through that lead instead of having twenty people asking the front desk the same question.

After arrival day, billing becomes the friction point that can quietly create the biggest mess. Engine.com helps by handling the room block setup and keeping the booking organized under one process, rather than a scattered set of individual reservations. Incidental Coverage is especially useful for teams and school groups because it removes the need for travelers to use personal cards for incidental holds at check-in. That keeps the line moving, reduces exceptions, and prevents a situation where one family or one coach holds up a whole arrival wave.

Another practical benefit for sports travel is flexibility in how you place people. Some groups need quiet rooms for early starters, others need teammates grouped close together, and many need a small buffer for late adds or a player who travels separately. Building that structure into the block from the start is what keeps you from doing room swaps in the lobby. If you set two authorized onsite contacts, one primary and one backup, and keep all changes routed through them, the front desk can focus on keys and troubleshooting, instead of internal group decisions.

Key hotel features and amenities

• Complimentary breakfast setup that supports quick team mornings and early departures

• Guest rooms and suites suited to short, repeatable stays, with practical storage and sleeping layouts

• Fitness area for light workouts, stretching, and routine maintenance between game days

• Wi-Fi for team communication, schedule updates, and basic planning needs

• Front desk process that runs smoother when a roster is submitted in advance and arrivals are staged

• Parking that can support carpools and multiple vehicles when you plan unloading and driver assignments

Points of interest and attractions within a 2–3 mile radius

• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, useful for fly-in teams and coordinated pickups

• Arizona State University Polytechnic campus area, a clear local landmark and navigation reference

• Quick-service dining clusters near the airport and main road corridors for late arrivals and fast meals

• Grocery and convenience options for stocking water, snacks, and recovery items between games

• Pharmacy stops for athletic tape, basic medical needs, toiletries, and last-minute essentials

• Fuel stations and car-wash options for vans, carpools, and tournament travel logistics

Features of interest to group travelers

• Pod-based room planning for 15 to 50+ people, with one lead per 8 to 15 travelers to control questions and changes

• Staggered arrival windows grouped by vehicle, team, or shift to prevent check-in bottlenecks

• Pre-submitted rooming list using full legal names to reduce delays and name-matching problems

• Two-lead escalation model, one primary onsite contact and one backup, limiting who can request swaps or extensions

• Breakfast timing plan that keeps mornings consistent, even with early warmups and tight schedules

• Parking and unloading plan with assigned carpools and a driver list to reduce first-night confusion

• Engine.com Incidental Coverage so travelers do not need personal cards for incidental holds, improving check-in speed and consistency

• Checkout controls built around a departure roster, early extension confirmation, and issue reporting deadlines to minimize post-stay cleanup