Greater Phoenix
- Phoenix’s brand-new METRO light-rail (602.262.7433; www.valleymetro.org) began operations in January. The $1.4 billion service links Phoenix to the neighboring communities of Tempe and Mesa, and includes stops at attractions such as Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, Chase Field and US Airways Center.
- The Phoenix Convention Center (602.262.6225; www.phoenix.gov) unveiled a $650 million expansion in December. It now offers 900,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, including three ballrooms, 11 exhibit halls and 56 meeting rooms.
- Sheraton Phoenix Downtown (602.262.2500; www.sheratonphoenix downtown.com) opened in October with 1,000 guest rooms and 80,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Arizona Grand Resort (602.438.9000; www.arizonagrandresort.com) recently unveiled 100 new residential-style villas as part of a $52 million renovation that also includes upgrades to its existing 640 suites, dining venues, spa and golf course, as well as a new resort lobby with a specialty restaurant and bar.
- The W Scottsdale (480.970.2100; www.whotels.com) opened in downtown Scottsdale in September. It features 224 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of event space, a Bliss spa and the Sushi Roku restaurant.
- The InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa (480.627.3200; www.icmontelu cia.com) opened in November. Formerly La Posada Resort, the new property offers 253 guest rooms, 40 suites, two ballrooms and 14 breakout rooms.
- Construction is under way on The Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley (www.ritzcarlton.com), which will offer 225 rooms, 100 villas, 46 estate homes, 15 one-acre estate home sites, a spa and nearly 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The 150-room Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa (480.969.8200; www.hyattplace.com) is scheduled to open this year as part of a 250-acre Mesa Riverview development.
- Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa (480.948.1700; www.camelbackinn.com) recently completed a $50 million renovation. The property features a new entrance and lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows and a new 20,000-square-foot ballroom.
- Plans for the $30 million Scottsdale Museum of the West (www.scottsdaleaz.gov) are under way. The facility, slated to open in 2013, will focus on the myths and legends of the Southwest, and the building will be partially powered by solar-energy panels.
- Slated to open in August, Marriott Courtyard Flagstaff (928.774.5800; www.marriott.com) will offer 164 guest rooms.
- Springhill Suites Marriott (928.774.8042; www.marriott.com) is scheduled to open in Flagstaff in June with 114 suites and 450 square feet of meeting space.
- The View Hotel (435.727.5556; www.monumentvalleyview.com), a Navajo-owned property located in Monument Valley Tribal Park, opened in December with 96 rooms.
- The Nautical Inn and Conference Center (928.855.2141; www.nauticalinn.com) on the Lake Havasu waterfront is undergoing a $7 million renovation.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain (520.572.3000; www.ritzcarlton.com) is slated to open this fall in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains, about 20 miles northwest of Tucson. The resort will feature 250 guest rooms, a 17,000-square-foot spa and 36 holes of championship golf. Event facilities will include three ballrooms, the largest measuring 9,000 square feet, and five meeting rooms.
- Omni Tucson National Resort (520.297.2271; www.omnihotels.com) recently completed a $30 million renovation. Improvements to meeting and private dining space include the newly remodeled Ironwood Salon and Desert Willow Salon, and the all-new, 1,050-square-foot Cypress Salon.
- In February, Westward Look Resort (520.297.1151; www.westwardlook.com) completed a $10 million, property-wide renovation.