Arizona is the kind of place groups could visit again and again and each time take away something different. There are new offerings in and around every corner of the Grand Canyon State, in addition to greater values than ever for groups, whether they want to explore desert flora and fauna, tour cliff dwellings, get pampered at a spa, chill on a houseboat or play in a wintry wonderland.
Greater Phoenix
Phoenix, in the heart of the Valley of the Sun, is coming off of a $1 billion investment in its expanded Phoenix Convention Center and the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. And a lot of changes are still taking shape.
Some of the changes include transforming the Wyndham Downtown Phoenix into a Marriott Renaissance hotel. The hotel’s majority owner plans to make $10 million in upgrades. Plus, a Westin Suites property is expected to come on-line downtown sometime in 2011, says Douglas MacKenzie, director of communications for the Greater Phoenix CVB.
"Several hotels are going forward with plans to upgrade, which makes us hopeful," MacKenzie says. "Many hotels are offering great rates."
Other hotel options include the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, Arizona Biltmore, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.
With its new light-rail system connecting the city to Tempe, Mesa and the airport, some 59,000 hotel rooms and the 900,000-square-foot convention center, Phoenix continues to be a meetings powerhouse.
One of MacKenzie’s top off-site picks is the Heard Museum, which boasts an extensive collection of American Indian art. The museum can accommodate meetings of up to 300 people.
The CVB launched a completely redesigned website at www.visitphoenix.com, which includes a custom itinerary builder, Google maps, user-generated reviews, social media content and a new mobile site.
The smaller cities in the Valley of the Sun include Carefree, Litchfield Park, Fountain Hills, Glendale and Chandler. They also offer groups plenty of spa experiences, golf and interesting attractions.
Popular meetings properties include The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa, Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa and Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa.
Fountain Hills boasts Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino, Inn at Eagle Mountain and CopperWynd Resort and Club, as well as golf galore, including SunRidge Canyon Golf Club and the Golf Club at Eagle Mountain.
Rawhide Western Town in Chandler offers groups as large as 10,000 a chance to visit an 1880s boomtown, complete with stunt shows, theater acts and other activities. Ocotillo Golf Resort welcomes groups of up to 250 people.
Tempe offers midsize meetings plenty of affordability, a friendly college town vibe and an easy way to get to many attractions, thanks to the light rail system.
Meetings-ready properties here include The Buttes, a Marriott Resort; Fiesta Resort Conference Center; and Four Points by Sheraton Tempe.
Among the top off-site options are the Arizona Historical Society Museum and Arizona State University’s Memorial Union.
The big news in rapidly growing Mesa is Gaylord Entertainment’s plans to build a large convention center and what would be the largest hotel in Arizona. A 2008 development agreement requires Gaylord to break ground no later than Dec. 31, 2011. Mayor Scott Smith has said he thinks Gaylord will monitor industry trends through this year before making a final decision on the project.
The Mesa Convention Center offers a total of 38,000 square feet of exhibit and event space. Hotel options include Arizona Golf Resort Hotel and Conference Center; Phoenix Marriott Mesa; Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa; and Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa.
One of the destination’s top off-site venue options is the Mesa Art Center, which has theaters, galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden, and it also offers art classes on topics such as ceramics.
During downtime, attendees can enjoy recreational activities such as golfing, with dozens of courses in and around Mesa, Jeep touring and river rafting.
Scottsdale
Scottsdale is an upscale destination that offers high-end resorts, legendary golf, art galleries, vibrant nightlife and a pedestrian-friendly downtown, and like neighboring Phoenix, it continues to move forward with a number of projects.
The Phoenician, a group-ready luxury resort, plans to begin upgrades soon. Talking Stick Resort is slated to open sometime this year with more than 100,000 square feet of space and a posh spa.
Other upcoming developments include The Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley and the Edition, a new high-end boutique hotel brand by Marriott International and Ian Schrager that is scheduled to open in 2011.
Meetings-friendly hotels include InterContinental MonteLucia Resort & Spa, W Scottsdale, Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Xona Resort Suites (formerly Resort Suites Scottsdale) and Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Taliesin West just outside the city is available for groups, and a number of outfits put together memorable team-building activities in the surrounding desert.
Northern Arizona
The northern part of Arizona includes the spectacular natural attraction that gives the state its claim to fame as the Grand Canyon State.
Flagstaff is truly a year-round destination, thanks to a high of about 82 degrees on average in the summer and plenty of snow experiences come wintertime.
"It’s all about the outdoors," says Gail Jackson, meetings and events specialist for the Flagstaff CVB. "In the summer, there’s the hiking and in the winter you can hike with snowshoes."
Group favorites include the Little America Hotel Flagstaff and the Radisson Woodlands Hotel Flagstaff. And two hotels, a Courtyard Suites by Marriott and a SpringHill Suites, recently opened.
There are many off-site choices here, but Jackson’s top two picks are Thornager’s on Kittie Lane and the Historic Colton House Historic Center.
Vertical Relief Climbing Center features more than 6,500 square feet of climbing terrain to suit all abilities. The facility includes an indoor climbing center and takes groups out to La Petit Verdon and Jack’s Canyon.
In nearby Williams, train excursions on the Grand Canyon Railway are available. And the town of Page is a home base for hiking to picturesque canyons.
Meanwhile, the stunning red rock scenery of Sedona sets the destination apart.
"Sedona is one of the most beautiful and distinctive places in the world," says Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO at the Sedona COC. "It’s a place where people can get back in touch with nature. You can just meditate and appreciate the sunset or go on Jeep tours to see the amazing landscape."
Sedona is promoting two things in particular for 2010: its burgeoning wine county and distinctive culinary offerings.
"The Verde Valley, which is about 15 or 20 minutes from Sedona, has excellent climate and soil for growing grapes," Wesselhoff notes. "The wineries are nice options for off-site events."
Sedona also offers fare to please the most die-hard locavore: goat cheese, fudge made from goat’s milk (known as goat fudge), figs, grilled cactus and prickly pear margaritas.
Sedona’s spa resorts are the stuff of legend. Some group-ready options include Radisson Poco Diablo Resort, Hilton Sedona Hotel and Spa, Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa, Amara Resort and Spa and Enchantment Resort and its celebrated Mii Amo Spa.
L’Auberge de Sedona recently completed a $25 million expansion, and Enchantment Resort is set to begin upgrades soon to its dining room and many other components, Wesselhoff says.
She says the destination contends with the idea that Sedona’s temperatures match those of the central and southern part of the state, which are well over the 100-degree mark in summer. Average annual temperatures are a high of 75 degrees and a low of 46 degrees. In June, it usually heats up to only about 93 degrees.
In the western part of the state next to the California border, Lake Havasu offers 400 miles of coastline and is a water sports paradise. Lake Havasu City is the home of the London Bridge, which was purchased from the city of London in 1968.
Group-ready venues include the C.V. Wood Complex, the London Bridge Resort, the Ramada Inn and the Nautical Inn Resort and Conference Center.
Just south of the city, the Havasu Springs Resort boasts parasailing, houseboat receptions and sightseeing cruises. Water activities are plentiful here, as are golfing and excursions around the surrounding desert.
Southern Arizona
Because of its unique location in Southern Arizona, Tucson is highly influenced by both Native American and Hispanic cultures. The area also boasts high-end resorts and a modern convention center and offers plenty of diversions such as hiking, mountain biking, tours of petroglyphs and so much more.
"Tucson is bordered on two sides by national park lands," says Graeme Hughes, director of convention sales for the Metropolitan Tucson CVB. "Bird watching, photography tours—all things nature-oriented continue to be very popular. The outdoors has been a big part of who we are as a destination. We were doing the ecotourism thing before it was cool."
He points out that many resorts in Tucson are situated amid the area’s stunning saguaro forests and mountain peaks. And attendees can hit the trails just steps from several of them, which happen to be group-friendly, including the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa and Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.
Many other resorts are nestled in the red rock hills above the city, including The Westin La Paloma, Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa and the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort.
Tucson offers an astounding number of choices—whether it’s Tanque Verde Ranch Resort for the cowboy experience, Miraval for all things Zen and resorts that delight golfers with desert views and championship fairways.
"Tucson hotels are refusing to participate in the recession," Hughes notes. "We keep moving full steam ahead."
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain was completed at the end of last year. The luxury resort is situated against the Tortolita Mountains, about 21 miles northwest of Tucson. It offers three ballrooms, horseback riding and the newest Jack Nicklaus course to open in the area in 25 years.
Lodge on the Desert, a hacienda-style boutique hotel that was originally built as a residence, recently increased its guest rooms from 60 to 115, Hughes says. It also added new meeting spaces.
The Westward Look Resort recently wrapped up an extensive renovation that updated the main lobby, guest rooms, meeting spaces, fitness center, outdoor areas and more. Plus, the aforementioned Omni recently renovated its casita rooms and meeting space.
Hughes recommends the Pima Air & Space Museum for off-site events. The facility is one of the largest air and space museums in the world. And it’s planning to debut a new restaurant this May or June, Hughes notes.
The Tucson area features a colorful tableau of heritage and culture: Native American archaeological sites, Tubac (Arizona’s first European settlement) and hiking through the Dragoon Mountains, the homeland of the Apache Indians and former hideout of Chief Cochise. The historical towns of Tombstone and Frisbee were the home of Wild West shootouts and copper mining, respectively.
Tubac offers upscale resorts, golf and the Geronimo Conference Center. Heading south, Esplendor Resort at Rio Rico boasts golfing and 11,000 square feet of meeting space.
Yuma is situated at the state’s southwest border close to California and along the banks of the Colorado River. Golfing, bird watching and hiking are popular. Yuma is close to California’s Imperial Sand Dunes, which is a favorite with off-road enthusiasts, campers and photographers.
The area has about 4,000 guest rooms. The main meeting venue is the Pivot Point Conference Center.
