Arizona: Strong Support From CVBs Has the State on an Upswing

When Sharon E. Gates, a Boston-based global account director for ConferenceDirect was doing Arizona site selections for her client, a Connecticut-based technology company, she didn't know quite where to start. But that's where Erika Pumphrey, a national sales manager with the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, stepped in.

"I'm located in Massachusetts, so having someone to be the eyes and ears on the ground there in Scottsdale was so invaluable," Gates says. "She set up the site inspections and really helped us out, and assisted me so I could make an educated decision."

Her advice to fellow planners thinking of bringing a meeting to Arizona? "Engage your CVBs, and use them as the resource they are."

Gates' group wound up meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia and she says the convenient location, coupled with the Spanish- and Mediterranean-inspired setting, was a big success with the group, which consisted of almost 150 attendees from around the world.

"Phoenix and Scottsdale are so popular for meeting groups because the hotels they have are very nice properties, but also it's easy to fly into that area and once you get there, arriving at your hotel is also very easy," she adds.

Greater Phoenix Rising
In the Greater Phoenix area, which includes Scottsdale and Mesa, there are also plenty of new developments taking place that are attracting more meeting business.

In November, Phoenix launched its first bicycle-sharing program, Grid Bike Share, with 100 bikes spread out over 27 stations in the central city core. In December, the free PHX Sky Train's service was extended to all terminals at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

In March, Mesa welcomed the debut of the 180-room Sheraton Mesa in the heart of Mesa's newest multimillion-dollar development, Mesa Riverview and Wrigleyville West.  

The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its guest rooms, public space, and meeting spaces. The revamp also included a rebuild and redesign of the resort's 15 cabanas at the Paradise Pool.

This month, the highly anticipated reopening of the 326-room Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, A Destination Hotel, is scheduled, following a $9 million investment (see sidebar on p. 42). Updates include a new restaurant and bar, a renovated main pool, guest-room enhancements, and more outdoor event space.

In July, the 281-room The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, was closed and is scheduled to reopen later this year following an extensive renovation. When it does reopen as a rebranded property, it will be a part of Marriott's Autograph Collection of independent hotels, and will be operated and managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts. The first phase of renovations, priced at $9 million, will include a new restaurant and bar, main-pool renovations, and guest-room enhancements.

The Boulders Resort & Spa, celebrating its 30th birthday this year, is expected to complete a major $8 million renovation by the end of this year, which includes updates of its 160 casitas. A refreshed Latilla Ballroom is also set to open in December, with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the Sonoran Desert, as well as an outdoor patio with an adobe wood-burning fireplace.

In 2016, Marriott plans to open the new 320-room Luhrs City Center in downtown Phoenix in a landmarked city block. The 19-story building will house two Marriott brands -- a Courtyard by Marriott and a Residence Inn by Marriott. The two hotels will share a lobby and amenities that include a fourth-floor pool.

Also in 2016, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa's new Spa House will be open for wellness-oriented corporate retreats. Part of the resort's $10 million renovation, Spa House has a private workout studio, pool, sauna, and tennis court, and will host Sanctuary's Satori Meditation Retreats that combine yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices with spa treatments. This fall, the resort is scheduled to debut new Camelback Casitas and Suites as well.

By next summer, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess plans to add 102 guest rooms, including three luxury suites, for a total of 750 rooms. The project, which broke ground in June, brought back the property's original architects for the endeavor, and also includes an all-new Sunset Beach, which will be the resort's largest pool, at 6,900 square feet. Both the 35,000-square-foot Great Lawn and the resort's 1880s-style Western Town, to be renamed Copper Canyon, will be updated.

The Phoenician was recently sold to Host Hotels & Resorts, which also owns The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, and plans are in the works to update the property in the next two years.

Looking ahead, Westroc Hospitality, which also owns Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa and the Hotel Valley Ho, plans to open a new resort in Paradise Valley -- the 175-room Hotel at Mountain Shadow -- in early 2017. It will replace the former Marriott Mountain Shadows Resort. The project also includes a redesign of the nearby Mountain Shadows Golf Club.

Tons in Tucson
Tucson, located within a two-hour drive southeast of Phoenix, is also seeing a number of new developments.

In October 2014, SMG was appointed as the new facility management company of the Tucson Convention Center, which also includes the 8,920-seat Tucson Arena. The arena recently completed an $8.8 million renovation.

Tucson's hotel properties are also undergoing updates. The 398-room Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, which has been managed by Loews Hotels & Resorts since its opening in 1984, was recently purchased by Loews from the Estes family, and is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation.

The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is also embarking on a major renovation that will begin with updates to all 40 of its one-bedroom suites, followed by the property's dining areas, pool and Jacuzzi, spa, and expanded Golf House and Golf Academy. The property's common areas were recently renovated.

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This article appears in the September 2015 issue of Successful Meetings.