You may know Phoenix, Arizona, as one of the fastest-growing big cities in America. The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area surpassed the 5 million mark sometime between 2021 and 2022 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but while the desert oasis spread out, downtown Phoenix accomplished something a lot of city centers can only wish for. It became a walkable, pedestrian-friendly beating heart for culture, history and innovation.
Visit Phoenix traces the vibrant ethos back to the Hohokam people who built a civilization in the Sonoran Desert. Today, the area is an inclusive capital city that is home to the headquarters of PetSmart, University of Phoenix and a Fintech “sandbox.” One of the largest employers, however, is hospitality. Now that Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) has been expanded, getting there is smoother than ever. I visited recently as part of Marriott International’s Exchange Association Masters customer event and loved the city-within-a-metropolis feeling. Plus, if I needed to venture out past the dining and nightlife venues, light rail was only a few blocks away.
Stay Here
Home base was the recently remodeled Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. The 1,003-guest-room property was the model for what the brand wants Sheratons to represent—a place where the world comes together. In fact, Marriott bought the property so it could control every aspect of the flagship property to show franchisees what is possible.
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A new sweeping lobby with soaring ceilings, a bar that shifts from coffee to cocktails seamlessly and a signature indoor-outdoor restaurant welcome lingering. Glass-enclosed private studios offer the option of ducking in for a meeting or Zoom call. The goal, according to a company spokesperson is to make guests feel like locals and locals feel like guests. A total of 110,000 sq. ft. of meeting space is collected on two levels with room to accommodate up to 1,850 guests. Guest rooms are also tech-enabled with adjustable standing desks and a power source for every gadget.
Nearby, in CityScape, downtown’s shopping and entertainment hub, Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix, with 242 guest rooms lures with the city’s only rooftop bar and lounge on the third-floor pool terrace. The property’s ARTLAB is a pop-up studio and gallery in the hotel’s lobby “living room.” Rotating artists in residence highlight the creativity of the community in living color.
A block away, Hyatt Regency Phoenix supports group activities with 693 guest rooms, 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and Compass Arizona Grill, the state’s only revolving rooftop restaurant. Indoor-outdoor options play up the year-round appeal of the destination.
Meet Here
Legendarily sustainable and flexible, 900,000-square-foot Phoenix Convention Center is set to host both Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four fan events when the sports teams are in the area. One of the draws for groups looking for fresh backdrops is Canyon on Third, which transforms the 80,000 sq. ft. streetscape outside Phoenix Convention Center into a canvas for open air meetings. With 325 days of sunshine each year, organizers like to say, “the weather is almost always permitting.”
Eat This
Phoenix is the ideal place to queue up Sonoran hot dogs (bacon-wrapped and refried bean anchored), prickly pear margaritas and fry bread. All of those dishes will be sweeter knowing that Phoenix Convention Center catering partner Aventura operates a Waste Not recycling program that sends any leftover food to food banks, eliminating the carbon emissions linked to throwing out wasted food.
This article appears in the July/August 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
