Phoenix
- The 242-room Westin Phoenix Downtown (602.429.3500; www.westin.com/phoenixdowntown), located one block away from the Phoenix Convention Center, opened in March with more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space.
- A 250-room Hotel Palomar (www.kimptonhotels.com) is planned for a 2012 opening in the downtown Phoenix area within CityScape, a mixed-use project also featuring shopping and dining options.
Scottsdale
- Talking Stick Resort (480.850.7777; www.talkingstickresort.com) recently debuted with 497 guest units and more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The resort features a 13,000-square-foot, open-air spa; several restaurants, including Orange Sky, located on the 15th floor and featuring panoramic views; two golf courses; and Casino Arizona, offering 240,000 square feet of gaming space.
- The 195-room Drinkwater (800.738.7477; www.jdvhotels.com), scheduled to open this fall, will be the first Joie de Vivre Hotels property outside the state of California, complete with on-site meeting space, a spa and a restaurant.
- The Phoenician (480.941.8200; www.thephoenician.com) opened the 15,000-square-foot Camelback Ballroom last October. Encompassing a total of 45,000 square feet, including back-of-house operations and prefunction space, the $40 million structure brings the resort’s overall interior/exterior meeting and event space to more than 120,000 square feet.
- In June 2010, Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (480.624.1000; www.kierlandresort.com) began property enhancements, including the addition of 21,000 square feet of meeting space, namely the 11,000-square-foot Trailblazer Ballroom and the 4,500-square-foot lakeview terrace deck, Northern Sky, as well as a renovation of all guest rooms and corridors.
- The Clayton on the Park (480.990.7300; www.theclaytononthepark.com), a new event space, opened in February. The venue can accommodate up to 450 people in three distinct spaces: an outdoor terrace and two indoor levels with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the park, fountain and public art.
- The Venue Scottsdale (480.945.5150; www.thevenuescottsdale.com) is undergoing an 8,000-square-foot expansion and facelift this summer, including the addition of a retractable roof and a new rooftop patio. Upon completion in early 2012, the Venue Scottsdale will be able to accommodate 2,000 people.
- Scottsdale Beach Club (480.421.1004; www.scottsdalecvb.com), which will be open to the public and available for group events, will debut in summer 2012 with entertainment, music and food. Amenities include a resort-style pool with daybeds and lounges, private and VIP cabanas with private plunge pools, and a clubhouse area with video games, billiards, shuffleboard and flat-screen TVs.
Tempe
- Tempe Mission Palms (480.894.1400; www.missionpalms.com), with 303 newly renovated guest rooms and suites, is undergoing a $2 million renovation of its 30,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, including new carpeting, wall coverings and audiovisual equipment. The renovations are scheduled for completion by September.
Other Communities
- Carefree Resort and Conference Center (480.488.5300; www.carefree-resort.com) recently finished a multimillion-dollar renovation, including the transformation of the Lariat Restaurant & Lounge from a private dining space to a venue that can accommodate meetings, and the addition of The Sonoran Suites at Carefree, a 60-room complex featuring two- and three-bedroom adjoining suites.
- The Boulders, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (888.579.2631; www.theboulders.com) in Carefree completed an interior makeover in July that updated its collection of casitas and restaurants.
Sedona
- Enchantment Resort (480.264.3009; www.enchantmentresort.com) is undergoing a guest room renovation that was partially finished at press time and scheduled for completion by fall 2011.
- L’Auberge de Sedona (928.282.1661; www.lauberge.com) completed a renovation last year. This property now has 87 guest rooms, up from 56, a new indoor and outdoor wine bar and dining patio, and an expanded spa. The property is also adding a pool.
- Sedona Golf Resort (928.284.9355; www.sedonagolfresort.com) recently remodeled the Juniper Bar & Grille, which accommodates up to 150 people.