Spring 2023

RESORT ROUNDUP

• Following an extensive property-wide renovation, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch will become the first Grand Hyatt Hotel in Arizona. Renovation of the resort will begin in June 2023, and will include refurbishments to all guest rooms, a brand-new 22,000-square-foot ballroom with rooftop reception space, two new hospitality suites and updates to the pool areas and Spa Avania. The resort will remain open during renovation and will debut in late 2024 under its new name, Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa.
• From July through Sept. 2023, The Phoenician will undertake a complete renovation of its Camelback Ballroom (including the foyer and registration areas), Grand Ballroom South and East Foyers, and 13 first-floor breakout rooms. Updates will include new lighting, carpet, wall treatments and furniture. The new décor draws its inspiration from the textures, shapes and rich, natural color palette of the Sonoran Desert. Additional renovations to the Grand Ballroom itself and second-floor breakout rooms are planned for summer 2024.
• The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess recently opened a new boutique hotel within a hotel, the Privado Villas. The Villas are made up of 119 luxe, residential-style suites set apart from the 65-acre main property along with a private entrance and reception area. Amenities include a dedicated Privado concierge, breakfast delivery, complimentary access to Well & Being Spa, and chauffeur service with transportation to and from Scottsdale Municipal Airport.
• In Feb. 2023, the W Scottsdale Hotel unveiled a new collection of penthouse suites. The five new rooms, which bring the property’s total number of penthouse suites to 17, range in size from 1,000 to 2,700 square feet. The suites are accessible via a private elevator and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, full kitchens with stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors and laundries. The W Scottsdale Hotel is located in Old Town Scottsdale and boasts nearly 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The new Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley, slated to open in early 2024, will offer a sophisticated luxury experience for leisure and business travelers. In addition to 215 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the resort will offer a full-service spa, multiple dining outlets, onsite culinary gardens and citrus groves, and a grand 400-foot-long swimming pool.

SPA & WELLNESS

• When energy flows, skin glows! That’s the motto at Elevate MindSkinSoul, an Old Town Scottsdale day spa dedicated to helping clients heal their skin from the inside out. Founder and Owner Elizabeth Mackenzie, a seasoned aesthetician with more than 10 years’ experience, offers a full range of treatments and services, including skincare consultations, facials, dermaplaning, microneedling and LED light therapy.
• New spa treatments soothe and restore the skin at The Spa at Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale. The Ultimate Oxygen Infusion Facial uses Therapeutic Oxygen under hyperbaric pressure infused with minerals and vitamins to stimulate collagen and elastin production. The Clarifying + Detox Wrap includes an application of custom-blended herbs infused with essential oils, along with a warm wrap and a calming scalp massage.
• VH Spa for Vitality + Health inside Old Town’s iconic Hotel Valley Holaunched the ultimate spa package with The Royal Treatment. This relaxing journey consists of a 45-minute moisturizing wrap, a 90-minute Classic Massage, and a 90-minute Lux Facial. Round out the perfect spa day with lunch and a glass of bubbly or an ice-cold beer – all included.

DOWNTIME DIVERSIONS

• Nothing is quite as it seems at Scottsdale’s new Museum of Illusions, which debuted in mid-March at the Arizona Boardwalk. More than 60 visual and educational exhibits feature holograms, optical illusions, Insta-worth installations and immersive rooms designed to tease the senses and trick the mind. Groups up to 35+ are welcome.
• Rainbow Adventures Sedona is a collaboration of six local tour companies that offers private-only off-road tours of the region’s amazing red-rock landscape. From history and geology to spiritual and vortex tours, each experience can be customized to meet your group’s interests. Winery excursions, Sedona highlights and trolley tours also are available.
• As travelers seek more places to catch a glimpse of the night sky, ADERO Scottsdale Resort is a stargazer’s dream come true, perched 2,500 feet above the rugged Sonoran Desert. The Signature Dark Sky Corner Suite’s or Celestial Suite’s wrap-around balconies take full advantage of the resort’s location in a certified Dark Sky Community. Guests also receive access to Star Walk 2, an app that helps to identify and locate stars in the night sky.

SIP & SAVOR

• Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale welcomes spring with new menus inspired by its organic garden. Resort chefs forage daily for fresh ingredients for everyday meals as well as special events such as the Casa Amigos Tequila Dinner (March 24), Spring Equinox Garden Wine Dinner (March 31), and the “Under the Stars” Chef’s Table Dinner (April 21).
• Area resorts continue to attract top culinary talent. Yulissa Acosta is the new chef de cuisine at Mountain Shadows’ Hearth ’61, creating bold new dishes in the restaurant’s modern American style. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North has named Jesus Figueroa as chef de cuisine and Michael Elortegui as General Manager to oversee the property’s signature Spanish steakhouse, Talavera.
• A new collection of Exceptionally Scottsdale experiences introduce new flavors to visitors. “Bourbon, Boots and Belle’s” at Belle’s Nashville Kitchen encapsulates a Nashville Honky-Tonk with homemade signature infusions, craft cocktails, and unique culinary creations. The Westin Kierland Resort & SpaScotch Ambassadors guide guests through a curated tasting of three unique scotches from one of the rarest and most comprehensive Scotch collections in North America, paired with individual presentations of chef-curated canapes, in “An Evening of Scotches.”
• Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa pays homage to Scottsdale’s past Nirvana Food & Wine Festival during the Nirvana Dinner Series in April. The first dinner of the series entitled Wood, Wine & Wagyu will focus on the decadent pairing of the finest wines and steaks.

EVENTS

• Cactus League Spring Training swings into Scottsdale from late Feb. through March annually, with the San Francisco Giants at Old Town’s Scottsdale Stadium and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. In all, 15 MLB teams call the Valley of the Sun home for spring training – it’s baseball action at its finest!
• Enjoy happy hour while browsing Frank Lloyd Wright’s Scottsdale masterpiece, Taliesin West during Sunsets & Sips. This exciting event takes place twice each month and offers guests the opportunity to walk the serene pathways of Taliesin West and explore select indoor spaces at their own pace. The cost of admission includes one drink ticket for beer, wine or non-alcoholic beverages.
• Arizona Bike Week rolls into WestWorld of Scottsdale March 29 – April 2, 2023. Motorcycle enthusiasts will enjoy bike and stunt shows, charity rides, the Vendor Village and nightly concerts at The RockYard.
• The Scottsdale Jazz Festival is coming to the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center performance lawn April 29-30, 2023. Taking the stage will be national and international performers, including Incognito, Carlos Rivas & Mexsal Latin Explosion, Azar Lawrence Experience and Jazz, Funk, Soul.
• Every March through May, Friday evenings at the Desert Botanical Garden come alive with the sounds of talented local musicians. This season’s Music in the Garden concert series lineup includes The Sugar Thieves, R. Carolos Nakai (with William Eaton and Will Clipman), and the Pete Pancrazi Quartet.
• A long-standing weekly tradition, the free Scottsdale ArtWalk takes place every Thursday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Old Town Arts District. Galleries stay open late and offer special exhibitions, artist demonstrations and live entertainment. Gold Palette ArtWalks take place throughout the year offering extended hours and individual themes like Old World Meets New World (April 13, 2023) and Earth + Arbor Day (April 27, 2023).
• Grab a cup of coffee and spend Saturday morning browsing the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market. More than 100 local growers and specialty food producers are on hand to sell delights like organic produce, seasonal flowers, artisan breads, local honey, jams, tamales and much more. The market takes place from October through April annually.

Click here to view Scottsdale’s complete calendar of events!