my opinion
Okay I have done my training three ways.
1.) Civil Air Patrol---- For private pilot
2.) Embry Riddle---- For Instrument, Commercial and now a multi student
3.) Phoenix---- For my CFII initial, unsure if I will be back for my CFI-A
I have rented from several FBOs as well
I can offer the following input. Coming to Phoenix east from the maintanance mecca that is Riddle is a shock. Things that would normally ground an aircraft at Riddle is not grounded at phoenix east. Couple examples; non functional dg, non functional aux fuel pump, missing teathers that link the elevator to the horiz stab. Also the Frasca 141 there broke down like 4 or 5 times in one session, that was really annoying. There is a real lack of space to conduct adaquate ground instruction. It is really distracting to have about 10-15 people in the same room. So to summarize, its cheaper, its less anal and thats good and bad. At Riddle you have to follow so many innane safety rules, can't wear pants in the dead of summer and well if you want an idea I can send you a copy of the flight operations manual thats about 200 pages long.
My instructor was fine, she was proficient although promises of a lot of individual attention dwindled as she took on additional students. Also her safety conscience took a dive just becuase of where she worked.
Phoenix east has its plusses and its minuses, obviously if money is no factor I would check some other place out. And the whole glass cockpit trainign simulator is really stupid, I walked in thinking it was going to look real professional and its pretty much a generic non type specific cockpit hooked up to MS flight sim 2002.
My best advice to you is to go there, tour it, and tour a bunch of other places, don't let anyone hook you with promises of jobs etc, remember that the admissions people are salespeople selling a product and that half of what they say is probably complete bs. The best thing you can do is go on other boards and ask these same types of questions.