Heads up, baseball fans! If Opening Day still
feels like eons away, consider a getaway to the MLB's spring training camps in the Arizona-based Cactus League. Want to be in the thick of the action? The 331-room Wigwam
Resort, in Phoenix, is located minutes away from Goodyear Ballpark
(now the
spring-training home for the Cincinnati Reds); the new Camelback Ranch
(where the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox play); Surprise Stadium (home of the Kansas
City
Royals and Texas Rangers) and the Peoria Sports Complex (for the Seattle
Mariners
and San Diego Padres). The resort is offering several Spring Training Specials to put you behind the batter’s box. Not only might you see the players sliding into
second, but you
might also see them in the elevator; the Wigwam says the Dodgers and
White Sox
sometimes stay here, too. When you're not at the game, you can kick back and enjoy the Wigwam's three pools, tennis courts, 54 holes of golf, and spa.
For most of March and part of April, the resort is tossing out the following spring-training deals:
- Spring Training Survival: One-night package starting at $219 a night, including a $25 resort credit, plus peanuts, bottled water and a hat or banner for the game
- L.A. Dodgers or Chicago White Sox Spring Training: Two-night packages start at $399, including two tickets (worth $56) to a Dodgers or White Sox game
Impressively, these deals hit home runs. When we tested the basic Spring Training package with several travel dates, the package rate compared favorably to a low regular rate of $269. Factor in the $25 resort credit that you’ll probably use for breakfast and the package delivers a 27% savings. Note that this package does not include game tickets.
For the two-night packages, the $399 price tag averages out to $200 a night, which is already significantly lower than the lowest regular rate of $269. Once you factor in the value of the free game tickets, you're looking at a 36% savings on the room plus two tickets. Granted, a
family of four would still have to buy two more tickets.
One caveat: We noticed that the last few days of March and April were already booked up at the Wigwam, but the rest of the spring-training season still had a lot of availability at press time.
The packages are good for travel through April 15. If booking by phone, call 623/935-3811 and mention the Spring Training Specials. If booking online, use the following promo codes: 0310STSurvival for the basic Spring Training Package; 0310DodgersST for the Dodgers package; 0310WhiteSoxST for the White Sox package.
