Though the COVID-19 pandemic made this a rough year for everyone in the hotel and tourism industry, some Arizona hotels and resorts have used the pause in travel as an opportunity.
Several new resorts and hotels opened for business in metro Phoenix in 2020. Others used their temporary closures to update rooms and amenities without disturbing guests.
The CDC still recommends against nonessential travel. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t spend your time researching where you want to go once you do feel comfortable traveling.
If you need some inspiration for your future wanderlust, here are some of the resorts and hotels in the Valley that opened or renovated in 2020.
Adero Scottsdale
Formerly the Copperwynd, the Adero Scottsdale underwent a two-year renovation and will open to the public on Oct. 15. Located in Fountain Hills, a certified Dark Sky Community, the 177-room resort has a new tower of rooms which includes 16 luxury suites. It offers sweeping views of the Four Peaks and McDowell Mountains and will be part of Marriott’s Autograph collection.
GAZE UP: This new restaurant is designed to offer stellar views of the night sky
Arrive
Over Labor Day weekend, Arrive Phoenix, a $25 million “low-key luxury” neighborhood hotel, opened at 400 W. Camelback Road in uptown Phoenix. The boutique property spans two renovated midcentury modern towers. The open-air concept has 79 guest rooms, a rooftop cocktail lounge called Don Woods’ Say When, a coffee shop by Tempe-based Cartel Coffee Lab and Lylo Swim Club, with a pool, patio and food service.
DIVE IN: Say hello to Lylo, Phoenix’s new poolside bar from the mastermind behind Bitter & Twisted
Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown
The Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown opened on June 16. At University Drive east of Mill Avenue, the hotel is near the Arizona State University campus and offers a restaurant called Alter Ego as well as a full-service rooftop pool and bar on the 14th floor. The design of the 198-room hotel offers “a modern aesthetic inspired by the spirit of the Southwest, highlighting the neighborhood’s cultural roots mixed with the emerging city scene.” This is the first of Hilton’s Canopy hotels in the Southwest.
KEEP THE PARTY GOING: Here’s what to expect at Alter Ego and Alibi in Tempe
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
The downtown Hyatt Regency Phoenix launched a massive renovation of everything from its lobby and meeting rooms to the guest rooms, third-floor pool deck and rooftop in December 2019. It marked the 44-year-old hotel’s first renovation in 10 years and included updating the 693 guest rooms and suites with new lighting, flooring and digital artwork along with decor the hotel staff described as a “bold and colorful Southwest look, feel and vibe.” The hotel closed temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic but it is accepting reservations for dates after Oct. 29.
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale
A renovated casita at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale in 2020. (Photo: Hyatt Regency Scottsdale)
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn
A renovated king guest room at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn. (Photo: JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn)
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown
The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown started renovations in November 2019 in an effort to make it a “jewel box” of the Sheraton brand. The hotel temporarily closed on March 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the state’s largest hotel continued the construction, updating everything from rooms to the restaurants and lobby. The hotel will reopen to the public on Nov. 1.
You can connect with Arizona Republic Consumer Travel Reporter Melissa Yeager through email at [email protected]. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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