PHOENIX
The Luhrs City Center Marriott is under construction in downtown Phoenix. The 19-story, 320-room hotel is scheduled for completion in 2016 and will house both a Courtyard by Marriott and a Residence Inn by Marriott, which will share a lobby and other amenities. The facility is being designed to blend in with nearby historic buildings and marks the completion of a revitalization effort by Hansji Corporation.
The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, closed its doors in July for extensive renovations and will re-emerge as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, operated and managed by Destinations Hotels. The property is scheduled to reopen in December or early next year. The first phase of the renovation will include a new restaurant and bar, pool updates and guest room enhancements, at a total cost of $9 million. The 281-room property contained 20,000 square feet of meeting space in its time as the Ritz-Carlton.
The 180-room Sheraton Mesa Hotel opened for business earlier this year, offering 35,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor function space, three restaurants, a full-service salon and a courtyard offering four pools and two hot tubs, among other amenities. The hotel is located eight miles from Sky Harbor Airport, 14 miles from downtown Phoenix and five miles from Scottsdale’s arts district and shopping mall.
SCOTTSDALE
The Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, A Destination Hotel began work on a $9 million renovation in July that will transform the resort. In September 2015, the property will open as The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch, A Destination Hotel, with a new restaurant and bar, a complete renovation of the main pool, the addition of meeting and event space, and enhancing guest rooms.
The Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale is the newest walking tour in the area, where groups can explore Scottsdale’s Arts, Fifth Avenue, Southbridge and Waterfront districts, sampling an assortment of treats such as brownies, ice cream, Belgian chocolates, cannolis and churros at nine stops. Tours take place each Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 3 p.m., October through April.
SEDONA
Chef Lisa Dahl is opening a fine-dining restaurant, The Mariposa, located between Uptown and West Sedona and offering incredible views. The restaurant will feature steak and seafood. Meanwhile Dahl’s Village of Oak Creek Cucina Rustica will continue to be the primary venue for group events.