Scottsdale & the Northeast Valley

“Watch out Los Angeles and South Beach. One of the hottest hotel towns right now seems to be Scottsdale, Ariz.” – The New York Times

Major travel publications continually bestow top awards on the city’s resorts and hotels. Scottsdale is truly nirvana for meeting planners with every conceivable style accommodation accompanied by fine dining options galore, nightlife, award-winning golf courses and spas, and activities from rock walls to race cars to horseback rides and Jeep tours.

Geographically, Scottsdale covers about 185 square miles with a population 232,929, but its power as a travel destination is belied by its size. When compared to New York City, with a population of eight million, Scottsdale trails by only one for the most AAA Five Diamond hotels and resorts, with New York at six awards and Scottsdale holding five. The abundance of award-winning properties sets the stage for extraordinary meetings and events.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a planned 36,000-acre land reserve equivalent to one-third of Scottsdale’s total land area, lies within city boundaries. The Preserve area currently exceeds 11,500 acres, which are left in as natural a state as possible for habitat and passive recreation, while protecting magnificent desert vistas.

Scottsdale Airport is the second busiest single-runway airport in the U.S. The airport records approximately 200,000 takeoffs and landings making it the busiest corporate jet facility in Arizona.

The unique character of Scottsdale, coupled with a multi award-winning Convention and Visitors Bureau, offer corporate, incentive, association and special market groups an unmatched level of service, accommodations and entertainment. Scottsdale boasts 70 hotels, 12,500 rooms, and 680,000-plus square feet of meeting space. The city enjoys the reputation as the “Resort Capital of the Southwest,” with some of the most opulent resorts, spas and award-winning golf courses in the country.

The resort and hotel industry of Scottsdale continues expansions and major renovations to support the needs of professional meeting planners. The Hotel Valley Ho, recently restored to its mid-century glory, blends the old with the new – classic mid-century modern architecture and modern conveniences. The recently opened Mondrian Scottsdale was referred to as an “Oasis of cool in the desert” by the Los Angeles Times. For meetings, the newly restored FireSky Resort and Spa (formerly Caleo Resort and Spa) offers over 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting space in 13 meeting rooms.

New brands and new properties have selected Scottsdale for major hotel investments. The W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences opens in 2008 at Camelback and Scottsdale Road. Hyatt Place – Old Town, a new brand of Select Service Hotels, combines innovation and style, while the new technologically savvy, boutique-style Hotel Indigo, launched as the newest member of the InterContinental Hotels Group family.

Scottsdale is seamlessly surrounded by communities with their own unique character. To the east lies Fountain Hills, a charming community wreathed by scenic mountains and desert terrain. The town landmark and namesake is the world’s tallest year-round operating fountain, shooting its 560-foot-high stream of water 12 times a day and is visible for miles.

Carefree is situated on Scottsdale’s northern border and proudly offers a relaxed lifestyle reflecting its name. The community includes a luxury resort spa, outstanding shopping and dining and has some sixteen of Arizona’s most challenging championship golf courses nearby.

Just west of Scottsdale, the affluent community of Paradise Valley is home to the area’s original acclaimed resort hotels. These properties have undergone major restoration programs in recent years or are in the process of massive redevelopment programs. The desert character of the community is protected by large lot sizes and dedicated open space on the back of Camelback Mountain and around the landmark mountain formation, “Praying Monk.” Intercontinental Hotel Group will be adding a luxury resort to their portfolio with the scheduled 2008 opening of the InterContinental Montelucia Resort, Spa & Residences in Paradise Valley. Marriott International Inc. is currently working on a $400 million Ritz Carlton Scottsdale, which will serve as a sister property to the Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort. 

Meeting planners enjoy the popularity of fine cuisine in Scottsdale, evidenced by a wide variety of themes in more than 600 restaurants, which includes AAA Five and Four Diamond award-winners and Mobil Travel Guide Five and Four Star award-winners. Renowned chefs are drawn to this area where influences of Native American, Latin and Western-style cooking and Asian-fusion all meld together. Entertainment options downtown include more than 60 nightspots, from haute spots in sleek and showy clubs to hip hangouts and hidden bôites, most within walking distance of each other.

Scottsdale takes pride in offering a wealth of shopping experiences from the luxurious to the unique. Fountains and skylights greet shoppers at Scottsdale Fashion Square, the largest mall in the state. A newly renovated Borgata, modeled after a 14th-century Italian town, and a host of other plazas offer an array of choices certain to please the serious or leisure shopper.  Fall 2007 saw the introduction of Southbridge, with high-fashion boutiques, independent shops, and chain-free cuisine. The Mix at Southbridge is a three-building “food and fashion fusion.” Dining options include Mexican eatery, Mexican Standoff, as well as Digestif, Estate House, Canal, and Shell Shock.  The Scottsdale Waterfront is a 1.1-million-square-foot project located in downtown Scottsdale that includes retail, office, and high-rise residential buildings. In addition to the surrounding paths and landscaping, a pedestrian-only bridge across the canal will link the Waterfront to Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale’s Fifth Avenue shopping district and Southbridge.

Scottsdale’s art scene is always an attraction for meeting planners with the Arts District near Fifth Avenue, Marshall Way and Stetson Drive a premier art buying destination featuring more than 125 art galleries and museums and more than 60 public artworks. Galleries open for Thursday Night ArtWalks and visitors enjoy galleries filled with a wide range of mediums and creative genius. Taliesin West, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s crowning architectural achievements, is an attraction for visitors as well as architecture students from around the world. Meeting planners can schedule special dinners on the terrace for spectacular sunset views. The Heard Museum North offers an unparalleled collection of Native American art and cultural materials and the Scottsdale Center for the Arts presents musical, dance and theater performances.

Scottsdale is a golfer’s paradise, boasting award-winning courses designed by the biggest names in golf. Group golf events of any size find numerous options for spectacular golf courses. Competitive tournaments, high-spirited night golf using neon balls and group lessons with resident golf professionals offer meeting planners possibilities well beyond the usual golf outing.

Luxury resorts and golf courses not withstanding, the history of the “Old West” is still a prominent draw for meeting planners. Embraced by many as “The West’s Most Western Town,” groups can taste the Old West experience by saddling up for sunrise horseback rides or taking a Jeep tour of the Sonoran Desert. Cowboy guides tell tall tales of the Old West and talk about the desert’s unique history while breathtaking scenery stimulates the vision.

Scottsdale offers professional meeting and travel planners a wealth of possibilities for entertainment and memorable experiences along with unparalleled accommodations and services.