text: I am a huge fan of this place.  Our group had a conference at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge and all of the staff (that's me!) stayed at the Residence Inn.  We were the first group to stay in the hotel.  Where do I start?  I kinda feel like I'm about to write a report for school, so here goes:\n\nWhy I love the Residence Inn Desert View\nBy Andrea H.\n\n1)  The staff.  Everyday when we came back from work, it was like coming home.  Kind of like seeing your family after a long day.  They all got to know us so we felt like friends.\n2)  The rooms.  My room was so cozy, I felt like I was in my own apartment (well kind of).  I loved the swivel flat screen tv that could go from bedroom to living room in a turn.  They have free wifi and wired internet and I could actually bring leftovers home and put them in my fridge.  You can also buy frozen dinners, etc. at the front desk and microwave them in your room.  And the best part, free microwave popcorn replenished daily.\n3)  Free shuttle service within 5 miles.  I swear, the poor shuttle guy never saw the outside of his van, but he was really great about driving our rowdy group all over the place.\n4)  The pool/BBQ area.  I didn't swim, but the pool is really nice, with cabanas and a BBQ area.  We christened the grill with some burgers & dogs and hung out by the fire pits with some cold beers. Awesome.\n5)  Breakfast included.  A full hot breakfast is served every morning and it is goooood.  Lots of options.  I think they do happy hour some nights too, but that was still in the works when we were there.\n6)  Fitness room.  I wasn't expecting much from a \"fitness room\", but it wasn't the old rusty rowing machine and bike that I was expecting.  They have several machines with tv screens on them and some free weights.  It's not Equinox, but pretty nice for a Residence Inn.\n7)  Location (well, relatively speaking).  If you're around for business, there are lots of places to eat nearby at the Desert Ridge Mall and City North.  There are also two movie theaters.  It's about a 20 minute walk,   which isn't too bad.  The shuttle stops at 9, but we refused to pay an $8 cab to take us a mile.  It was kind of a nice stroll, although my friend was convinced the javelinas were going to get us.  The shuttle driver told us not to worry, they are blind and if they come running, we should just step aside and watch them run by.  Yeah.  I'll keep that in mind.\n\nAs with any new hotel, they have a few kinks to work out, but I'm willing to overlook them since they opened early for us and whenever something went wrong, they were literally there in 1 minute.  Since I basically live in hotels, it is nice to have the opportunity to stay at a place like this.