Here's a look at the best new and renovated venues in Phoenix and Scottsdale such as corporate event venues, party rooms, conference centers, restaurants with private rooms, unique venues, and more. These event and meeting spaces can accommodate groups large or small for fall entertaining including business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, and private and corporate events.
In downtown Chandler, SoHo63 took over the former Inspirador space in August, offering nearly 7,800 square feet of meeting and event space. It has four spaces: The largest, Gramercy Ballroom, seats 225 banquet-style or holds 475 for receptions. The Tribeca Terrace is an open-air courtyard designed like a New York rooftop garden and holds 225 for receptions. The Plaza seats 125 or holds 260 for receptions, and Brix on Boston seats 80 for banquets or holds 250 for receptions.
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain hotel is expanding its Jade Bar into an indoor-outdoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a bar made of actual jade. The renovation, expected to finish in October, will double the seating space to 61 seats indoors and another 40 seats on the patio. For outdoor events, design elements include a retractable fabric shade, heaters, and a fireplace.
Located in Old Town Scottsdale's entertainment district, the live country music venue Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row opened in May and features a 400-square-foot stage with 360-degree views, a 24-foot flat-screen TV, and occasional performances from its namesake country music star. The 5,200-square-foot space is available for private events, and several booths each seat 10 people. The restaurant serves American gastropub fare and 40 varieties of whiskey. Audiovisual equipment includes an HDMI video system managed by iPad technology that controls the venue's video and sound.
The final stages of the outdoor enhancement of Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak were completed in late spring. Located at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the contemporary steak house's terrace seats 40 on banquette-style couches and offers swaged sun shades and a large central fire pit.
Little Cleo's, Fox Restaurant Concepts' fish house and oyster bar, serves Pacific Coast-inspired cuisine from executive chef Clint Woods. Located in the Yard, the 1,800-square-foot restaurant opened in mid-May and is available for buyouts. It has 20 marble-topped tables and a view of the kitchen's in-house shucking process.
Virtù Honest Craft, Bespoke Inn's new indoor-outdoor restaurant, features Mediterranean-style dishes and house-made pastas from chef Gio Osso. Located in Scottsdale's arts district, the café seats 25 inside and 26 on the courtyard patio.
At the lively Renegade by MOD, the graffiti from a local street muralist adorns the walls and the bar area has a stage with its own sound system and lighting. The cuisine from executive chef Michael O'Dowd is eclectic—venison lollipops dusted with dry mole, twisted ramen noodles scented with lobster miso, and moon pies with RC Cola anglaise. The restaurant, which opened in May, has a private dining room for events of as many as 45 guests. Buyouts also are available.
Soon-to-open from the team behind Renegade by MOD is Wicked Six Bar & Grill by MOD, the on-site restaurant at SunRidge Canyon Golf Club. As the name suggests, the concept from chef Michael O'Dowd is not a typical stuffy golf course restaurant and will feature live entertainment. Its location has mountain views, an indoor-outdoor bar, and three spaces for private events: The pavilion has the capacity for 120 seated banquet-style or 210 for receptions. Lakeside events are available for as many as 80. A private boardroom seats eight at a round hardwood table. The restaurant is slated to open in October.
The latest Gila River casino, Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino opened in July and offers 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. The largest space, the Vee Quiva Event Center, holds as many as 500 people, while the smallest private dining room seats 12. For outdoor events, the Vee Quiva Event Center's retractable door allows for indoor-outdoor gatherings, adding 250 guests to the capacity. The casino bar's patio seats 50 guests and offers views of the Estrella Mountains.
The Arizona Biltmore has recreated its "Mystery Room," a speakeasy that operated there during Prohibition. Today guests still need a password to enter—albeit one readily found on Twitter—and can imbibe signature bourbon and gin-based cocktails served by costumed waitstaff. Historic photos decorate the walls, and the hotel restored the gold-leaf ceiling and walls. The space is available for private events of 25 guests.
