Shake off the winter weather woes and start the new year off right in Scottsdale. Grand resort openings, sensational art and cultural events, and divine dining are offered in spades this season under sunny skies.
RESORT ROUNDUP
THE BIG NEWS: Caesars Entertainment Corporation will launch Caesars Republic Scottsdale, its first non-gaming hotel in the United States, in March. The 11-story glass structure will house 265 rooms, two pools, two signature restaurants from Chef Giada De Laurentiis, and a modern fitness center. SEVEN – the seventh-floor rooftop pool deck, restaurant and bar – will be set to stun, with premium views of Camelback Mountain. Guests will also find themselves just steps away from the Luxury Wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, a mecca for high-end shopping and restaurants.
- The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch is now The Scottsdale Resort and Spa, as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, and will complete its massive $40-million property-wide renovation this month. Part of the resort’s transformation are a new signature restaurant, a hidden speakeasy, and a new lounge with a pool table and indoor golf simulator featuring several interactive games.
- Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale, with its own organic garden, welcomes the new year with the Citrus Skin Smoother, a body polish with citrus and jasmine, followed by a Vichy shower and application of warm oil that softens and nourishes the skin. 2024 also marks the 40th anniversary of the Boulders North golf course; one of the area’s most celebrated golf courses.
- As part of its recent refresh, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa opened its new restaurant, Faro & Brag. It offers guests an elevated dining experience with a focus on modern cuisine, courtesy of Executive Chef Chris Masco, and an eclectic selection of cocktails. Agave, The Arizona Spa is also now reopened, unveiling a new luxury service menu including Comfort Touch Therapy and a Calm Awakening Ritual.
- The global destination wedding market grew from $21.31 billion in 2022 to $28.31 billion in 20231 and 18% of couples hosted a destination wedding last year2 (1 Axios, 2 The Knot). Capitalizing on this growing market, The Hermosa Inn has added The Garden at The Hermosa. The intimate outdoor venue features three unique areas accented with two fire pits, a trickling fountain, and a waterfall feature surrounded by lush desert landscaping.
ART + ATTRACTIONS
THE BIG NEWS: The 2024 Cactus League Spring Training season marks the 70th anniversary of the league’s operation, and there is no better way to celebrate than in the Scottsdale sunshine at the city’s two MLB facilities. Starting Feb. 22 and running through March 26, catch the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium, and the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
- Jan. 20-28: The legendary Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction comes racing in with hundreds of classic and one-of-a-kind exotic and muscle cars on display. Car enthusiasts can witness the thrilling auction along with off-roading adventures, fine art, and gourmet cuisine.
- Jan. 27-Feb. 4: The city of Scottsdale’s annual Western Week returns to Old Town with the Hashknife Pony Express’ arrival (Feb. 2), 70th annual Scottsdale Parada Del Sol Parade (Feb. 3), Arizona Indian Festival (Feb. 3-4), and cultural exhibits at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West and Old Town Scottsdale Rodeo Museum.
- Feb. 5-11: The WM Phoenix Open, also known as, “The People’s Open,” welcomes back hundreds of thousands of fans starting off with a performance from Post Malone (Feb. 3). The historic PGA Tour stop will also host several charity events including the San Tan Ford Special Olympics Putting Challenge and the PGA TOUR Wives Association Golf Classic (Feb. 6). In 2023, the zero-waste tournament raised a record $14.5 million for Arizona charities, adding to the $190 million raised over its 88-year history.
- Feb. 10: Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art kicks off its 25th Anniversary with the opening of “Oleaje,” featuring new large-scale installation works by San Francisco-based, Bolivian-born artist Carolina Aranibar-Fernández. Through extensive research and the use of labor-intensive handmaking processes such as etching, sewing, cutting and printing, Aranibar-Fernández showcases the hidden ripples of the global mining and trade industry that relies on forced access to natural resources and the human labor supplied by marginalized communities.
- March 1-31: As part of the Thursday tradition of Scottsdale ArtWalk, Wilde Meyer Gallery will be highlighting the work of oil painters Brenda K. Bredvik and Cathy Carey. Bredvik’s colorful, layered, and textured paintings are inspired by her time in nature and the wonder of life’s exploration, while Carey’s contemporary color expressionist style tells stories of exhilarating joy using gestural brush strokes, vivid color and rhythmic compositions.
- Art enthusiasts can now add Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West to their Scottsdale ArtWalk evening, as it is now open for extended hours on Thursdays. The Smithsonian Affiliate Museum will soon break ground on a project to add nearly 12,000 square feet for two new galleries, after receiving a $12 million charitable gift from Louis “Buzz” Sands IV.
- Select dates through May 23: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West facilitates discussions exploring the connections between architecture, art, and nature in its “In Conversation” series. Speakers include author and photographer Mark Borthwick, founding director of Arizona State University’s Center for Philosophical Technologies Adam Nocek, author Christine Madrid French, and more.
SIP + SAVOR
- Austin-based Japanese concept, Uchi is opening its very first Arizona restaurant in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale in February. Uchi will be brought to the desert by James Beard Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole, who delivers a modern twist on Japanese cuisine.
- The locally renowned Maggiore Group has recently introduced The Rosticceria, serving Abruzzo-style cuisine. Continuing the group’s legacy of larger-than-life concepts, the menu features authentic Neapolitan fried pizza, paninis, Italian s’mores, and a build-your-own soft serve gelato shake bar with over 40 toppings for guests’ choosing.
- Visitors can get a taste of nearby Mexico and learn a new skill with Royal Palms Resort & Spa’s “Cocina Latina” The resort’s chef guides students through each step of an authentic tamale-making experience in a fun and social setting.
- Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen at Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows welcomes its new Executive Chef, Sammy DeMarco. Bringing 29 years of global food, beverage, and hospitality expertise, the chef plans to add his own flare to Weft & Warp’s Mediterranean concept.
UP NEXT
- The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie – a 215-room, 20-acre new-build opening this year – will have it all; exemplary service, views of Camelback Mountain, modern and sleek interiors, and a 16,000-square-foot spa.
- Slated to open in August, the Maya Old Town Scottsdale, Autograph by Marriott hotel is planned to be a seven-story, 164-room property with three dining spaces and a rooftop pool, located in Scottsdale’s buzzy, pedestrian-friendly Entertainment District.
- Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch has begun a $110-million renovation and will be rebranded as Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa in late 2024, which will mark the first Grand Hyatt hotel in Arizona.
