This year saw the opening of many significant event and meeting venues in Phoenix/Scottsdale. Here's a look at the best restaurants, party rooms, hotels, corporate event venues, conference centers, and private rooms to open in 2013. These new and renovated Phoenix/Scottsdale venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
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.
The Chicago Cubs are opening an $84 million spring training facility in Mesa set to open by the end of the year. Built on the site of the the old Riverview Golf Course, the complex will include a 15,000-seat stadium with six suites, six restroom and concession areas around the concourse, and a 65,000-square-foot clubhouse and training center. Several areas are being built for groups including a left field rooftop party area, party decks along third and first bases, a right field party tent, and a kids area. Other features include a 120-person theater in the clubhouse, a picnic area, and a site for food trucks. Design touches include a cantilever roof, and light towers recall Chicago's Wrigley Field.
Vig Fillmore opened its third location in September. Featuring the historic William Edward Cavness House's brick interior and 100-year-old wood flooring, the 2,000-square-foot tavern is a combination of old and new. Guests can enjoy their meal by the outdoor fireplace, or play a game in the Vig's boccie ball court. Buyouts are available.
Centro Lounge, a new restaurant at Montelucia Resort & Spa, offers 1,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor space with couches and fire pits. With views of Camelback Mountain, Centro has a capacity of 151 guests and is available for dinner or a poolside reception with a menu of shareable plates, sides, and flatbreads. The space, designed by Allen & Philp Architects, features white furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a centerpiece nine-panel media wall of 60-inch LCD screens.
In downtown Scottsdale, BeSpoke Inn, Café & Bicycles is a bed-and-breakfast that can host small meetings and events. Opened in January, the property includes Virtù Honest Craft café, with seating for 25 indoors and 26 in a courtyard among olive trees. The four guest rooms include a private residence with communal space for events. Buyouts of the entire property are encouraged to guarantee access to the event space.
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain hotel expanded its Jade Bar into an indoor-outdoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a bar made of actual jade. The renovation doubled the seating space to 61 seats indoors and another 40 on the patio. For outdoor events, design elements include a retractable fabric shade, heaters, and a fireplace.
The Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains, an all-suite hotel overlooking the TPC Scottsdale Champions Golf Course, recently finished a $5.9 million renovation that added 4,300 square feet of meeting and event space and a new restaurant concept, as well as updated the lobby and fitness room. The hotel now has 20 meeting rooms, including the centerpiece Barcelona Junior Ballroom, among its 14,391 square feet of total meeting space. Its boardrooms feature ergonomic executive chairs and 60-inch LCD flat-screen TVs.
Also new to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge is Twenty6 Lounge, which also opened in September. The airy lounge features charcuterie, flatbreads, and a gelato bar. The space has a modern Southwestern design with weathered woods, exposed brick, and sandstone. It seats 162 and overlooks a 100-seat patio that is studded with fire pits. A trellis has a built-in cooling system in warmer weather.
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.
Tempe's Front Porch is a separate restaurant concept on the patio of Monti's La Casa Vieja. The outdoor spot offers seating for 130 and three fire pits. Opened in early April, the space is available for buyouts.
