Concierge Supervisor
The Phoenician
Scottsdale, Ariz.
What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
I provide the exceptional. It’s the jazz duo tucked away in a candle-lit oasis that awaits the anniversary couple as they follow a path of rose petals. I provide the indigenous. It’s the family adventure to the Grand Canyon complete with a Hummer ride to the bottom or the sunset trail ride through the Sonoran Desert with the blaze of an Arizona sunset as the scenic backdrop. I provide the experience. It’s the guest’s comment card that reads: “If service were a gem, then The Phoenician experience has been Five Diamonds! My wife was moved to tears….. the candles, the chocolate truffles and attentive staff were truly incredible.”
What are your group restaurant recommendations?
Mary Elaine’s offers the best in five-star dining in Phoenix. Breathtaking views, jazz entertainment and a recommendation from the Valley’s only Master Sommelier makes it a most memorable event. The Terrace Salon can please any palate with its award-winning, contemporary steak and seafood, featuring homemade pasta. Other favorites include Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn, featuring their unique wine cellar with a personalized Southwestern menu, and Fleming’s, where the private patio offers great steaks, seafood and ambience.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
E4 is a unique, multizone experience that allows club-goers to pass through the four classical elements: dance in Fire, be “cool” in Water, unwind in Earth, or enjoy the open space in Air. Myst offers 18,000 square feet of high energy and creative DJs. Kazimierz World Wine Bar is the “speakeasy” with live jazz, a comfortable atmosphere and a wine list two inches thick. For those that prefer a little “sport” in their evening, Vig comes with a bocce ball court and the best selection of gins.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
Close at hand one can enjoy a half-mile stroll through the beautiful Cactus Gardens of The Phoenician. The Desert Botanical Gardens, known for its world-renowned collection containing more than 20,000 specimens and with a cactus collection of more than 1,300, offers a full day of pleasure. Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. one can take in the creations of the Old Town Scottsdale Galleries, meet a featured artist or enjoy live entertainment and a cocktail.
If we only have an hour or two, what should we definitely check out nearby?
Unique to Arizona, Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art has continued to be the finest in Arizona since it first opened its doors in 1929. Approximately 39,000 works of cultural and fine art are housed and on display for visitors to see. Guests travel from all over the world to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, which offers daily and nightly tours of the home he built from the stones and sand found right on his property. I would recommend the Insights Tour as it offers a first-hand experience of being one of his guests.
What is an unusual request you’ve had from a group?
During football season, an in-house group requested a last-minute board meeting just before game time. Voting on issues and wanting to stay with the football theme, they requested 15 yellow penalty flags. (The ones that referees throw on the field.) After much calling around yielded no success, and having only an hour before the meeting, I finally ended up making all of them!
What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
We recently hosted a the 50th anniversary luncheon for the Arizona Humane Society’s Compassion and Fashion, which included a fashion show to please even the most discriminating pet and pet owner. The four-legged “models” strutted their stuff on the runway decked out in bejeweled collars, signature leashes and all the latest and greatest in pet fashion. Thirty pets found new, loving homes, making this day a huge success.