Phoenix Hotel Roundup

Hyatt Regency, Sheraton and Others Build Up

by Scott Blair

Hotel construction activity has picked up dramatically in the Phoenix area. New projects by Sheraton, W and Renaissance are upping the ante for luxury resorts and mixed-use developments, requiring older properties to upgrade. Some properties have been remodeled, such as the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale. Others will be completely demolished and redeveloped, as with La Posada Resort.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort

To compete with the ever-increasing level of design and amenities in resort properties in the Phoenix area, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort at Gainey Ranch underwent a complete renovation of >> the main entryway and lobby, as well as the construction of a new, 21,000-sq.-ft. spa.

While the intention was to give the resort an updated appearance, Scottsdale-based design architect Swaback Partners and general contractor The Renaissance Companies, Phoenix, labored to keep the style consistent with existing structures.

"To match the original style, the spa's masonry structure has a lay-up pattern in the brick that is very unique to that hotel to integrate with the existing architecture," said David Tilson, vice president of business development for The Renaissance Companies. M.A.G. Construction, Inc. of Gilbert, Ariz. was the masonry contractor.

The $9 million spa was wedged into a site just 50-ft. from existing guest rooms, replacing some of the resort's tennis courts. "We were really surgically implanting a spa into that hotel, where we had the constraints that we couldn't make noise, we couldn't work on weekends and we couldn't work at night," Tilson said. "It was like working in a hospital in some respects, because you have people there 24 hours a day."

The project required just-in-time delivery to prevent having a laydown yard visible to guests.

The spa was built on a slope, requiring a multi-level structure but offering designers to take advantage of the secluded nooks created by the elevation separations. In addition, several spa and massage rooms open up to outdoor spaces, pools and showers which are screened from the hotel through landscaping.

"We used fully mature palm trees and landscaping to give it a very mature look when it opened," Tilson said.

The lobby construction also presented some interesting constraints, as it was the hotel's main entrance and central point. "We did a complete seal-off because we tore the interior structure down, including columns and floors, and rebuilt them into a new configuration," Tilson said. The lobby was closed for five months, while construction could only occur between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"We had to be very creative with how to get rid of all the concrete that we were demolishing," Tilson said. "One of our superintendents had the idea of cutting it into smaller pieces and using it as backfill for a raised stage area, rather than hauling all this rubble out of the hotel while guests were there."

Both the lobby and the spa were completed by the end of 2005. The new lobby converted the existing multi-terraced space into one with a grand staircase design. One striking feature is a three-story bar with glass shelves and uplighting, creating a glowing, 50-ft. tall tower of liquor bottles.

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ELEVATION chandler

Developers of the mixed-use project ELEVATION chandler aim to create an urban fitness resort lifestyle for both guests and permanent residents. The 10-story property is located on the southwest corner of Frye Road and the Loop 101 across from the Chandler Fashion Center. The Weitz Company is the general contractor on the project.

The 10-acre property incorporates a Renaissance hotel with meeting spaces, a ClubSport fitness and social club, a day spa and dining venues.

In addition, the ninth and tenth levels of the hotel tower will be devoted to the Cielo Sky-Rise Residences, featuring 27 one- to three-bedroom condominiums.

"Developing this project was appealing because hotel, mid-rise residential condos and office space naturally complement each other as part of a quality mixed-use development," said Jeff Cline, Chairman of Signature Properties West, LLC, the Chandler-based developer. "This combination provides a true 'live-work-play' environment."

The hotel tower is post-tensioned concrete, while the fitness club will be concrete tilt-up panels. "The auxiliary hotel buildings, such as the ballroom, meeting rooms and administrative offices will all be housed in the structural steel component," said Joshua Smith, project manager with Weitz.

"The permitting and approval process for a mixed-use development is more challenging than a single-use structure because a condo plat has to be applied to allow different segments of financing for the project," Cline said. "Central mechanical and utility systems are required, as well. The amount of time required to complete design, engineering and the permitting process is typically doubled."

In fact, the pace of construction has gotten slightly ahead of the permitting process, which has led to a temporary standstill at the site, according to reports. However, the anticipated completion date of December 2007 has not been affected.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel

The 1,000-room Sheraton will be located in downtown Phoenix adjacent to the Civic Plaza. The 33-story hotel tower is cast-in-place, post-tensioned concrete, approximately 300-ft. long and 60-ft. wide. The exterior skin of the tower will be EIFS panels with punched windows in the guest rooms.

The $200 million hotel will feature many amenities within a four-story podium, including a 2,000-sq.-ft. outdoor pool and sundeck, over 80,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and dining venues, all sitting above a two-story parking structure.

Los Angeles-based Architectonica and RSP Architects of Tempe designed the project.

"It's an extremely tight site, especially with this same crew coming off the Glendale Arena [project], a four-acre structure in the middle of a 240-acre field," said Ken Schacherbauer, project executive with Phoenix-based general contractor Perini Building Company. "Now it's just the opposite: a four-acre building on a four-acre site."

The contractor acquired remote lay-down yards nearby since there is no room for storage or trailers on the site.

"Vertical transportation is also going to be a challenge due to the schedule, so we've allocated two tower cranes and two man and material hoists," Schacherbauer said. "There is a lot of construction activity going on downtown, so coordination is key." Nearby projects include the Phoenix Convention Center, Light Rail, 44 Monroe and the ASU downtown campus.

"This project really has its roots in 10 years of the city trying to attract a privately financed hotel," said Jay DeWitt, project manager with the city of Phoenix, which is funding the project. "It will meet a vital need for additional hotel rooms in the downtown area to address existing demand and provide for future growth." >>

Montelucia Resort, Spa & Residences

Crown Realty & Development of Irvine, Calif. is redeveloping the former La Posada Resort into the Villas at Montelucia, a Solis Resort & Spa. The existing structures were completely demolished to make room for the modern, high-end resort.

Located on 28 acres at the foot of Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, the new development is geared towards high-end travelers and homebuyers. "There is a tremendous amount of interest in truly maintenance free living," said Robert Flaxman, president of Crown Realty & Development.

The resort will incorporate nearly 300 hotel rooms, suites, casitas and villas. The property will include a restaurant and a 30,000-sq.-ft. resort spa. The facility will also include 70,000 sq. ft. of outdoor meeting and event space, 31,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting and banquet space, a 5,000-sq.-ft. boutique shopping area, a ballroom and five pools. Montelucia also features 34 detached, single-family villas, ranging from 3,800 to 4,700 sq.-ft.

California-based architectural firms Backen & Gillam and Sheurer Architects, along with Scottsdale, Ariz. firm Allen + Philip Architects, are performing design work on the project, which is set to open late 2007. VCC Contractors of Irvine, Calif. will be the general contractor for the resort.

W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences

Triyar Hospitality Scottsdale, LLC of Los Angeles, Calif. is currently building the first W Hotel in Arizona. The seven-story hotel and residential building will contain 225 guest rooms and 18 luxury condominiums, situated on Camelback Road just east of Scottsdale Road. The 300,000-sq.-ft. boutique hotel property will also feature ballrooms, a spa, pool, a restaurant and two bars.

Hornberger + Worstell, San Francisco, is the architect and the Phoenix office of Hunt Construction Group is the general contractor. Construction on the $57 million project is expected to be completed by July 2007.

Another W property located in downtown Phoenix is now in the planning and design stages.