Although we are loyal Hilton Honors members, we chose this hotel over the local Hampton because of the TripAdvisor reviews. Although I spoke with the Hampton Sierra Vista manager about the bad reviews, who assured me that those customer experiences took place under the previous management, I had to use my instincts and go with the hotel that was rated the best for safety, friendliness and service. Sierra Vista is in the middle of "nowhere" and the most ideal place to stay close to Tombstone, which only has motels.

Although the Gateway Suites is probably the equivalent of a Comfort Inn, it has an elevator, clean indoor pool, and a very nice man who offers each guest one free drink each night, whether it be soda, wine, water or beer. The front desk hostess was always eager with local information, but there is no "delivery service" for things like extra towels or pillows - you have to get it yourself at the front desk.

The rooms were clean, but the decor could use updating. The comforters are the standard "motel" coverlets, and it was hard to get the temperature right in the room. The "suite" is a bed separated by a 2 foot knee-wall and a pullout couch, and the AC unit has a permanent deflector mounted on it. The air goes over the top of the bed and over to the couch area, so I was warm all night, and my child was cold. The bathroom area is pretty standard, no frills, the shower heads are really poor, and there isn't much room to move around the bathroom area. However, the little toiletries are nice, and we felt safe in the hotel and there were no problems.

The hotel is expensive for what it is, priced the same as some of our stays at Doubletrees or Embassy Suites, but that's because there isn't much to choose from of a "high" caliber in Sierra Vista. Even with our AAA discount, the hotel was among the highest rate we paid on the road.

However, the proximity to Tombstone was great, and we had plenty of choices for food each day. We did not eat breakfast in the hotel, so I cannot comment on that. The beds are hard, though, compared to other hotels, so I tossed and turned a lot.

The internet connection is terrible, so I can't imagine that this would bode well for a business traveler. Our family travels with no less than one computer per person, typically, so only one of us could be on the computer at one time, and even that connection was bad. You can have up to two computers on the "password" at a time, but you have a maximum of 4 GB or something of bandwidth total, so forget Facebook, blogging or watching movies.

When in Sierrra Vista, I would for sure stay here again, or I may try the Hampton to see how it goes, but the reviews are true, this place is probably one of the nicest places to stay in Sierra Vista, as the choices are rather poor, and it's best to go with a place that has been reviewed many times.

My husband had to be here for work and I was just along for the ride. I was completely amazed at the friendliness of the staff. I enjoyed my stay in an area where I wasn't used to the climate and it was dry and I hated the area, but loved the people at Gateway. They were so accommodating and courteous to us. Our room was always clean, we could do laundry on site, if we needed anything at the front desk...all we need do is ask....they went above and beyond the call of duty for us every day. We were made to feel special and we continually witnessed the same amazing treatment being given to other guests. Top notch service given by top notch people. It'd be a shame to miss out on this great hotel....small kitchenette, pool, excercise room...and not to be too repetitive, but a staff that truly is amazing and wonderful!

I was at Ft. Huachuca for four months of training and stayed at the Gateway Studio Suites during this period. The hotel staff made me feel like family. They welcomed me at my home away from home every day by my first name and with smiles on their faces. When my family came to visit the staff even helped to find me a babysitter to watch my son in my room so I could have a quiet dinner with my husband after not seeing him for nearly two months. Being away from family is always difficult, but the staff made the experience the best it could have been.

Best: the friendly, helpful staff
Least: street noise and noisy air conditioner

We adored this friendly, comfortable hotel during a stay in Sierra Vista to enjoy birding and hiking. We were placed in a room with a mountain view, as requested. We enjoyed a glass of beer or wine each evening (included in room rate) next to the comfortable fireplace. The breakfasts were good (only protein is hard-boiled eggs). The work-out facility and laundry rooms were useful. We didn't use the pool or hot tub. The location is central to SE Arizona sightseeing or nature sites (Tombstone, Bisbee, St. David, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Garden Canyon, San Pedro NCA, etc.). We felt at home in the large room with comfortable sofa, recliner, and king-sized bed. The kitchen is small, but having a counter-top stove as well as the usual microwave oven and under-counter refrigerator allowed us to cook some meals in our room, which we prefer to do. The room and entire facility were clean and well maintained, except the water in the kitchen sink would not get hot (the water in the bathroom sink and shower did).

We didn't need the air conditioner during our stay in January. We left the window open during the day to keep the room cool and closed it at night. We would be concerned about staying here in warmer months since the street noise is too loud to be able to sleep with the window open, and the air conditioner is too loud and is right by the bed.

Overall: wonderful