Scottsdale has a whole new attitude these days. While long celebrated for its array of deluxe resorts, Scottsdale also is increasingly known for its hip hotels, pedestrian-friendly downtown, galleries, hot nightspots and eclectic dining scene.
More than $3.3 billion worth of development is now coming to fruition in downtown Scottsdale. Two of the most prominent features—the SouthBridge and Scottsdale Waterfront complexes—have recently opened and are offering visitors quality shopping and dining experiences along the Arizona Canal. A new pedestrian bridge spans the canal, linking Scottsdale Waterfront with SouthBridge, Scottsdale’s Fifth Avenue shopping district and Old Scottsdale, a historic area of art galleries, funky Western bars and cafes.
Also new to downtown are a growing assortment of hotels with a chic urban vibe, including the W Scottsdale, which debuted in September with 224 guest rooms and a smashing 21,000-square-foot roof deck with a sandy beach, open-air bars and an azure pool with glass portholes on the bottom looking down into the lobby below. Others include the Mondrian and the Hotel Valley Ho, a superb example of midcentury modern architecture given new life from a massive restoration.
So it’s little wonder that event planners are increasingly using downtown Scottsdale as the backdrop for activities, dine-arounds and receptions. Local DMCs like PRA Arizona are livening up agendas with everything from geocache treasure hunts to artful evenings planned around gallery visits and dining.
“Geocache events work really well downtown—we can hire a trolley and also have people hunt for clues on foot,” says Angela Hofford, director of sales for PRA Arizona. “They will need to drop into places like the Sugar Bowl, an old soda fountain that’s on the National Register of Historic Places, or an old Western bar. Then the group ends up at a reception to celebrate having solved the puzzle.”
Restaurants with great food and private dining areas are proliferating in downtown Scottsdale, says Hofford, whose favorite group dining choices include Olive & Ivy, Bloom and Morton’s The Steakhouse.
“There’s a wide assortment of new restaurants—some are chains, but a lot are individual and unique places,” Hofford says. “Great fresh produce is grown in Arizona, so the chefs have a lot to work with.”
PRA Arizona is about to introduce a pedicab tour for groups, which will highlight the Scottsdale Public Art Program, which presents over 50 artworks displayed through the downtown area. The DMC also likes to take advantage of Art Walk, a free Thursday night event during which galleries stay open late and offer food and wine.
“Thursday nights have a real buzz and a friendly atmosphere, which gives people a chance to experience the city the way locals do,” Hofford says.
