Meetings in The Valley of the Sun are as hot as its summers right now. (And if you’ve been to the desert, you know that is sizzling!)
Groups of all sizes are flocking to Greater Phoenix for programs, and the destination continues to build and improve its hotel product, making it even more attractive to planners. According to Lodging Economics’ U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report, Phoenix has the fourth-largest hotel construction pipeline in the country (trailing Dallas, Atlanta and Nashville) with 126 projects and 16,490 rooms at Q1’s close.
As of July 2025, Phoenix proper is home to 173 hotel/resort properties with over 25,000 rooms. In total, Greater Phoenix boasts more than 560 properties and 72,000-plus guest rooms.
With Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport nearby, all of these properties are incredibly easy to access from a wide variety of locations: the airport offers 1,200 daily arrivals/departures as well as nonstop service to more than 128 cities worldwide. Pair that with more than 300 days of sunshine and a continued investment in infrastructure and entertainment offerings, and the Greater Phoenix Area is poised for group success.
The hotel opening and renovation news in the area is so prolific, it can be difficult to keep straight. Following, we’ve rounded up all of the must-know property news from the past year to keep you abreast on what’s available in Phoenix and Scottsdale for your next meeting or event.
Phoenix
Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
Arizona Grand Resort & Spa is the region's only AAA Four Diamond all-suite resort and completed a $10 million renovation last year that included upgrades to 744 guest suites and villas and meeting space, which in total spans 120,000 square feet indoors and outdoors. The resort has also upgraded its pools; redesigned the lobby; and refreshed their athletic club and spa, onsite restaurant Aunt Chilada’s Tempe and the exterior of the building.
The expansive resort sits on 164 acres beside a mountain preserve. Other amenities include the seven-acre Oasis Water Park and 18-hole golf course.
Denū Hotel & Spa
More than $5 billion in developments have been invested into Phoenix’s downtown core, bringing a slew of new and renovated properties. The latest is a new Meritage Collection hotel, Denū Hotel & Spa, which recently broke ground in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Slated to open in late 2026, the 236-room, 17-floor oasis will offer views of the city skyline, 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, immersive culinary offerings and a rooftop bar and pool.
This property will also be the first downtown Phoenix hotel to offer a full-service spa with a full slate of wellness packages and treatments.
VAI Resort
Scheduled to open later this year, VAI Resort is set to be Arizona’s largest hotel and a major entertainment and culinary destination. Just 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Glendale, the property will feature four hotel towers; 1,100 rooms, suites and villas; 12 signature restaurants; Konos Island, which will be home to the 130-foot-high Konos Sky Bar; a luxury spa; nightclub venue; the world’s first Mattel Adventure Park; the VAI Amphitheater, a music and entertainment venue featuring a $50 million, 11,000-seat, state-of-the-art stage; curated retail; and art installations.
Notable for meetings and conventions, the VAI Resort Convention Center will be equipped with 150,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space that includes 34 customizable rooms designed to accommodate any number of events.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix, a 242-room boutique hotel located at CityScape, downtown Phoenix’s entertainment hub, is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation of its guest rooms, slated for completion this fall. The property is also home to 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including 11 meeting rooms and a ballroom. Events can also utilize the Eden Rooftop Bar, located on the third-floor pool terrace, for functions. Other amenities include the adjacent Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails for New American cuisine and a walkable location from some of Phoenix’s major arenas and stadiums, theaters and more.
[Related: How Phoenix Executes Large-Scale Sporting Events]
Scottsdale
Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort
The Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort debuted a $115 million transformation and rebrand last year, transitioning from Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch to the first Grand Hyatt hotel in Arizona. The fresh look aims to capture the spirit of Arizona, bringing inspiration from its surroundings into aspects of the decor, art, furniture and food.
Renovations encompassed 496 accommodations, including 18 casitas; fully renovated meeting and event spaces such as the Arizona Ballroom, which has expanded to 24,000 square feet; a refreshed Spa Avania; the debut of four new food and beverage concepts spearheaded by celebrated chef and James Beard-nominated cookbook author, Richard Blais; and an upgraded pool complex.
Hotel Valley Ho
Originally opened in 1956, Mid-Century Modern gem Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale recently debuted renovated guest rooms—an $18 million project that was the largest since the hotel’s opening—and also launched a new outdoor event space, Citrus Grove.
Citrus Grove adds to the dynamic indoor/outdoor event space on-property. Surrounded by citrus trees, a fountain and lush greenery, the 4,080-square-foot space can host up to 200 guests. Other favorite areas for events include Sky Line Rooftop, a 3,500-square-foot space overlooking Camelback Mountain and Old Scottsdale from the eighth floor, and the standalone Sands Event Venue that can host up to 350.
Caesars Republic Scottsdale, A Hilton Hotel
Newly opened in 2024 as the first nongaming Caesars property in the U.S., Caesars Republic Scottsdale joined the Hilton umbrella at the beginning of 2025 and brings 265 rooms and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space to Scottsdale. Floor-to-ceiling windows dominate prefunction space that leads to sophisticated, tech-forward ballrooms and meeting space. Two pool decks, the eighth-floor Camelback Veranda and private dining options at Luna by Giada round out unique gathering spaces.
The 11-story property is situated by Scottsdale’s Fashion Square and is adjacent to Old Town, offering a convenient option for groups that value walkable dining, entertainment and shopping options.
The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas will soon become a new Kimpton property following a comprehensive $42.2 million transformation into a boutique lifestyle resort. The grand reopening is expected to take place in January 2026.
Upgrades include a refresh of all 224 guest rooms, the introduction of new amenity spaces and pools, reimagined food and beverage venues and the addition of a 7,200-square-foot, climate-controlled multipurpose pavilion to host local gatherings and events.
The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort
The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort by Marriott located near Old Town and at the base of Camelback Mountain, is set on 250 acres and has 645 guest rooms and more than 160,000 square feet of meeting space. The AAA Five Diamond property wrapped renovations of its meeting space in September 2024, redesigning the Camelback Ballroom with upgraded lighting, furnishings and increased layout capabilities; and revamping The Phoenician Ballroom and creating more breakout spaces and prefunction space.
Guests will also find seven restaurants, multiple pools and a championship golf course.
The Scottsdale Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Scottsdale Resort & Spa completed a $40 million property-wide renovation in 2024, unveiling revitalized guest rooms and new culinary concepts. The Stillman Building on property was also converted into a collection of two-story luxury villas.
La Fogata is the resort’s signature restaurant serving Sonoran Desert fare; Barnaby’s Café + Wine Bar is a BlueZone-inspired spot; and The Social Boardroom is a hangout space with beer, wine, cocktails and bites—and behind a bookshelf in this space is vintage speakeasy The Madam, which can be used with The Social Boardroom for events.
The resort is home to 45,000 square feet of indoor space and 40,000 square feet of beautiful outdoor space, with 18 spaces in total available for meetings and events.
[Related: Taking Off: Luxury Property Enhancements and More Elevate Events in Scottsdale, Arizona]
Plus: On the Scene in Scottsdale
In May, Senior Content Director Danielle LeBreck joined a group of meeting planners on a fam hosted by Experience Scottsdale. Here is her report:
When I visited Scottsdale this past spring, change was certainly in the air. Our home base was the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, fresh off a $115 million renovation debuting last year, and it was indicative of what was to come during our week in Scottsdale.
True to the news reported above, nearly every hotel we visited had either just wrapped a renovation or was embarking on a major refresh, reflecting the incredible growth in Greater Phoenix right now. Friendly competition seemed to abound—whose meeting space could shine brightest?—and that’s only excellent news for planners. Whatever the group size, there’s something new and refreshing for all meeting types considering the area.
Scottsdale is 36 miles long and 11 miles wide, making it extremely linear and rather easy to navigate—a surprise to me, and a major plus for groups looking to avoid road congestion. Shuttling from place to place was always easy—everything was a short ride away, including Old Scottsdale, one of the city’s biggest claims to fame, with some of the region’s best shopping, dining, art galleries, entertainment and circa 1880s historic landmarks.
The city has long been known, too, for its luxury resorts and focus on golf, wellness and Sonoran Desert beauty, and that is still in great supply. Each resort on our tour, from the intimate Hermosa Inn, once a 1930s hideaway for cowboy artist Lon Megargee, to the massive Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a 750-room sprawling resort humming with activity, leaned into its natural surroundings and rich amenities.
We saw 13 properties in Scottsdale and barely scratched the surface: The destination has 70-plus meetings-friendly properties to choose from. And being a short drive from three airports (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway and Scottsdale Airport), it’s all much easier to access than many may realize.
