What’s New in Greater Phoenix?
June 2011HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH’S EDITION• Summer promotions are being featured at several valley resort properties.
• CityScape welcomes new venues in burgeoning downtown Phoenix.
• Major League Baseball will host a series of charitable initiatives and activities leading up to the 82nd MLB All-Star Game in Phoenix July 8-12
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| RESORT NEWS |
| The all-suite Arizona Grand Resort is offering the new Summer Splash package, which provides space to stretch out this summer without stretching your budget. The package includes a Resort King Suite from $169 per night, with a $50 nightly resort credit good for dining, golf and spa. The package is valid until Sept. 5. Their luxury resort suites are generously-sized at 540 square feet. Each has a full bedroom w/ bathroom, separate living room and private balcony or patio.The Arizona Biltmore continues to keep the family fun rolling all summer long with their Hollywood Wine & Dine festival featuring dive-in movies, an imagination gripping, high-tech entertainment center for kids, Hollywood professionals exposing their creative secrets and more. For your musical enjoyment, there will be celebrity performances such as the Jeff Bridges Band playing music from his hit movie Crazy Heart on July 3, and Fab Faux, the Beatles tribute band on Sept. 3 & 4. For adults, celebrity wines will be offered in wine tastings and in the resort’s restaurants. Take advantage of the resorts lowest classic room rates of the year, starting at just $119 per night. Hollywood Wine & Dine series lasts until Labor Day weekend.Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort has made planning the ultimate vacation getaway effortless this summer with an enticing all-inclusive My Stay My Way package available June 9 through Sept. 10. The My Stay My Way package offers guests the opportunity to experience and discover all the unique and luxurious features of the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. A mountainside oasis, the My Stay My Way package, which is $319 per night, includes a standard suite, activities, and dining for up to two adults and two children 10-years-old and under. Guests can modify their accommodations from a standard suite to an Ambassador or Signature Suite for an additional $60 per night, subject to availability.The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix is nestled in the midst of the Camelback Corridor – the exclusive dining and shopping district of Phoenix all within walking distance. Get away for a weekend and enjoy their exclusiveReconnect package where you stay in deluxe accommodations for two nights and receive a $50 credit or extend to three nights and receive a $100 credit.
The Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak joins its sister property, Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, in receiving official green certifications from the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association. The lodging recognition, which was adopted this year, created a way for Arizona hotels to designate themselves as leaders in environmental practices and commit to saving energy and water in the valley. Currently, the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak is one of only 20 Arizona resorts to receive this designation.
It’s your fling, do your thing at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa with a great summer value getaway until September 6. The Family Fling & Swing package offers rates starting from $149 if booked by June 15 or from $159 starting June 16 and includes: a $50 resort credit daily; unlimited golf after 11 a.m. daily; kids 12 and under eat free at Blue Sage; free appetizer or dessert with purchase of an entrée atTuscany or Meritage Steakhouse; 10 percent off retail purchases at Marriott-managed outlets throughout the resort; free resort fee; free Internet and free parking. The fabulous summer package is a 65 percent savings at Arizona’s largest luxury resort and ideal for a summer staycation.
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa partners again with the LEGO® Store to offer a fun-filled and memorable summer family getaway. With four swimming pools, a huge waterslide, Cinema Splash, watermelon eating contests, the LEGO® exclusive mini-build weekends and family access to the amazing world of science at the Arizona Science Center, summertime is the right time to gather your family and make plans. For this distinctive program, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort is bringing out a LEGO expert from the LEGO Store at Chandler Fashion Center to lead a weekend workshop for a limited number of guests. Offered twice, June 18 -19 and again on July 22-23. This special engagement was designed specifically for resort guests to have a hands-on experience with guidance from LEGO experts. Kids will learn the best assembly techniques and walk away with a unique LEGO mini-build model, each an exclusive for this event, with the date and location engraved. In addition, the LEGO event will host an exclusive, small-scale 3-D emerging model building experience at each session.
The Wigwam is exclusively offering Arizona residents a special pricing of $109 for weekend stays and $99 for weekday stays this summer. Rates include the resort fee and access to The Wigwam’s legendary summer programming, which includes daily activities like glow night golf, poolside movies, fireside s’mores, cooking classes, wildlife animal encounters and Camp Pow Wow kids programs, as well as live weekend entertainment. Summer AZ Resident rates valid until September 30.
The Wigwam Farmer’s Market at The Wigwam will remain open on Sundays through the summer months with new, earlier hours from 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Each Sunday, the Wigwam lawn transforms to an authentic farmer’s market, featuring producer-only farm products and a variety of local artisans.
The Phoenician is offering Summer Splendors which includes guestroom accommodations, daily breakfast provided at the resort’s AAA Four Diamond II Terrazzo restaurant (up to $65 value), $100 spa credit at The Centre for Well-Being (per stay; not per person). Rates start from $379 per night; available until September 10.
Summer at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North promises poolside relaxation, sunrise hikes to Pinnacle Peak, starry nights, and – above all – indulgent getaways with superb value. While staying at the resort, families can enjoy the complimentary Kids for All Seasons program, open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., for guests 5-12 years old. Additionally, the resort extends complimentary meals in the restaurants to children under 5 and surprises the youngest travelers with an age-specific welcome amenity. Families also can choose from a weekly calendar of events at the resort, including offerings such as stargazing, family hikes and “Pajama Jam,” where children enjoy pizza and a movie and parents can enjoy a night out inTalavera or Crescent Moon.
Offering environmentally aware travelers a new way to escape to the Arizona desert, W Scottsdale invites guest to experience a truly eco-chic getaway with the Green is Glam package. Green is Glam at W Scottsdale combines glamorous sustainable amenities and adventures with the opportunity to take part in a local, socially conscious activity, desert awareness excursions and enjoy green transportation and locally-sourced breakfast offerings. Wake up each morning to an in-room breakfast featuring the freshest in locally sourced, organic and/or fair trade ingredients. Getting around while in town is also effortless and environmentally-sound with roundtrip airport transportation provided in a Tahoe Hybrid and your choice of a green rental vehicle complements of the Hertz’s Green Collection for the duration of your stay.
The perfect summer getaway with the SunSational Value package at Radisson Fort McDowell Resortincludes a $75 per room, per night Resort credit that may be used at the Resort’s Ahnala Mesquite Room & Lounge, Poolside Café; in-room dining or spa and salon services at Amethyst Spa, check-ins on Friday receive two complimentary BBQ vouchers to be used during their stay; dive-in movies on Friday and Saturday evenings; kids 12 and under eat 99 cent breakfast, lunch or dinner with paid adult; complimentary membership in Fort McDowell Casino’s Fortune Club which includes $10 per person in casino slot play for new members, plus $5 additional for each day of your stay; reserved guests receive discounted championship golf at We Ko Pa Golf Club; 20 percent off spa and salon services; and deluxe accommodations featuring our exclusive Sleep Number® bed guest room.
Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa is offering three exclusive package deals this summer. Drinks are on the house and include a round of brew as well as deluxe accommodations at $102 per night. For a relaxing and fun step outside of the classroom, FireSky is bringing back the Time out for Teachers package which offers educators a special $75 per night room rate. For those road warriors out there, don’t let the cost of gas put a drain on your vacation fun. This FireSky Gas-Food-Lodging package offers a bundle of savings for those putting the peddle-to- the-meddle to find the perfect getaway, including a $50 Shell gas card, continental breakfast for two, overnight parking, road snacks, a daily wine reception and more.
KSL Resorts, the independent luxury resort management company,has announced that it has taken over management of Montelucia Resort & Spa from InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. KSL Capital Partners acquired the resort from a syndicate of banks that had foreclosed on the property. The 293-room Montelucia Resort & Spa opened in 2008 and set on 35 acres in the foothills of Camelback Mountain. The stunning Andalusian-inspired design, extensive leisure, event and meetings facilities, coupled with the expansive Joya Spa and award winning Prado restaurant, makes this a perfect addition to the KSL Resorts portfolio.
Join in on the summer fun at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch with the Summer Family Values rate made available through September 10. This package includes a marvel of family-friendly activities from speed slide races, big ball aqua volleyball, water basketball, and dive-in movies all on their expansive “water playground”, stretching over more than 2 acres. Guests will also receive a deluxe guest room (50 percent off second room) for only $135 per night.
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| ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT |
| The Phoenix Fire Department and Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak have joined forces for the annual Water Safety Day as a reminder to watch children around water. The event will take place on Friday, June 17, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak’s Hole-in-the-Wall River Ranch, a 4 acre oasis of waterfalls, pools, Lazy River and a 130 ft waterslide. The event is a free Safety Event featuring swimming, water rescue demonstrations, CPR demonstrations & DVDs and water safety gift bags as well as Fire Trucks, Ambulances and Rescue Boats on display.The Arizona Science Center is proud to participate in the Blue Star Museums program, offering free general admission to active military personnel and their families this summer until Labor Day weekend. They are joining more than 1,324 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa in this effort to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans and their families.If you haven’t heard the cries of laughter yet, you will soon as Stand Up Live Comedy Theater bringsCityScape to life with upcoming acts by Pablo Francisco, Bobby Lee, Christopher Titus, Kevin Pollak, Norm MacDonald and more. This new 600 seat theater is accommodating, yet intimate, and features the biggest and brightest comedy stars all year round.
Two businesses made their grand openings in CityScape this past Memorial Day weekend, one of which wasStand Up Live’s sister venue, Copper Blues. With over 60 beers on tap and a menu inspired by local celebrity chef Aaron May, you know this place is going to rock, especially with a live music stage behind the bar. Specialty-food store and local supporter Oakville Grocery also had its grand opening of their 9,300 square foot store on Memorial Day weekend. The gourmet food and catering company offers a unique blend of gourmet and locally produced items.
Music in Motion brings two great North Phoenix music spots together for one unforgettable evening of food, fun, libations, and some of the hottest local sounds around. And it happens one Thursday every month, through October. The fun starts at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Phoenix’s new world-class music showplace. Dance and groove while enjoying specialty drinks from the Music in Motion cash bar. At 9 p.m., the party moves up Mayo Boulevard where your MIM admission ticket and $5 gets you into the Compound Grill, North Phoenix’s most talked-about new nightspot.
Pueblo Grande Museum, a section of the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, is offering its children’s summer programs for ages 3-12. Classes will focus on Stone Age crafts, art, survival tools, archaeology and American Indian peoples. Participants will learn how to make tools from stones, gourds and natural materials found in the desert as well as make arts and crafts from natural desert materials. During their archaeology week, participants will learn how to survey a site and techniques in archaeology. Become the real Indiana Jones or Lara Croft and learn what Hollywood doesn’t know about the field of archaeology. Programs begin July 5, 2011 and run through July 29, 2011.
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is once again offering the Native American Family Exploration Camp, an educational and fun-filled retreat that leads its guests through an authentic and respectful journey of the ancient cultures of Pima and Maricopa People. Following an in-depth exploration on ancient ways of life, there will be an arts and crafts session where young guests will have the opportunity to make beaded lanyards, arrowheads using ancient flint-knapping methods and practice feather wrapping. Offered two weekends this summer, June 10-12 and July 29-31, this package is suggested for children 5-12 years old and is on a first-come, first serve basis. For $119 per night, families receive a luxurious guestroom, access for two children into the culture-tracking workshop and two “tracker pack” welcome amenities.
Hold on to your hats and glasses as Arizona Territorial Adventures (ATA), a Valley desert jeep tour operator, fastens guests to the “dark side” again this summer with High Moon jeep tours that showcase the beauty of the Sonoran desert west of Phoenix in a new and spectacular way. ATA passengers will have a front-row seat to a sensory experience that begins with the desert’s unusual shapes, shadows and scents, and continues with the coolness of the night air and an opportunity to view nocturnal wildlife.
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| SPORTS/GOLF |
| Major League Baseball will host a series of charitable initiatives and activities leading up to the 82nd MLB All-Star Game that will leave a lasting legacy in the communities of Greater Phoenix and beyond. This MLB All-Star Summer community effort will complement the midsummer celebration of Baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks; support children, cancer research and awareness organizations, veterans, opportunities for young people to play baseball and softball; and will highlight the importance of environmental consciousness. MLB and the D-backs will donate more than $4 million through MLB Charities and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation to MLB All-Star projects in the Greater Phoenix area. The funds, raised from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 11, will be donated to a variety of local and national charities.The first-ever All-Star Charity Dance-A-Thon will take place on Saturday, July 9, at the Phoenix Convention Center. Participants in the All-Star Charity Dance-A-Thon will be dancing to an eclectic mix of music throughout the nine hour event which will take place from 3 p.m. to Midnight. Glee’s very own acclaimed choreographer, Zach Woodlee, will lead the crowd in coordinated and spontaneous dance moves. He and other VIP guests will also serve as judges for a soon-to-be announced contest that will be open to Dance-A-Thon attendees. Attendees will have the chance to win an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity on the set of Glee. All event-related net proceeds will be donated equally to three charities supporting the fight against cancer — Stand Up To Cancer, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.This summer The Boulders Golf Academy offers instruction for every type of golfer—from the scratch player to the die-hard golfer. Taught by Donald Crawley, awarded “Best Instructor in the Valley” and LPGA instructor Jean Crawford. Also offered is Summer Quick Fix –Ideal for couples, families and friends–is a two day golf program that includes two-hour golf instruction; nine-hole of golf following instruction each day including cart; and Nike rental clubs, if needed.
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| SPA |
| Get ready for summer from head-to-toe at Agave, located at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa with the Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes therapy special. Agave spa guests can book three out of the five featured spa therapies including an ultra-hydrating facial, rejuvenating massage, summer-ready foot therapy, scalp therapy and foot reflexology. These three mini-pampering sessions are well worth the buck lasting 25 minutes each for $169.The Spa at Camelback Inn recently made the Condé Nast Traveler magazine reader’s poll list for “Top 100 Resort Spa’s in the U.S.” In celebration, they have released a June summer special to enjoy $50 off any one-hour massage, facial or body treatment. With each one-hour treatment, you’ll receive access to their Spa and its amenities for the entire day; including the outdoor lap pool, whirlpools, Turkish Steam Bath, solariums, Finnish saunas, relaxation lounges, fitness center, exercise classes and more. This promotion is valid only Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain offers the Summer Awakening package exclusively for the summer. This package is designed to slough off the social hibernation that we all experience during the cold months, getting the body, and in turn the spirit, ready for Summer. This three-hour package begins with Sanctuary’s sixty-minute Signature Detox Body Treatment designed to expel stored up toxins in the system leaving the body refreshed. This is followed by the Astara Purifying Facial and then concludes with an Express Manicure and Pedicure to ensure that guests are ready for bathing suit weather from top to bottom.
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler have once again voted Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain among the country’s best. The Sanctuary Spa was also named one of the “Top 100 Resort Spas in the U.S.” by the magazine’s June 2011 Readers’ Poll. In addition, it also received the highest rating of any Phoenix/Scottsdale retreat.
The legendary Golden Door® Spa at The Boulders Resort has added a new summer workshop to its menu: The Golden Door Summer Wellness series which includes: (2) Fitness Classes, Lunch in the Golden Door Spa Café, including tax and gratuity, Lecture (Workshop), and a 25 percent discount on spa services on the day of the workshop (does not include salon services.) The cost is $99/session. Afternoon Workshops, taught by certified Nutritionist Karen include themes like Weight Management Strategies, Taming the Drama in Your Life and Beyond Memory Enhancement.
Keep your cool this summer with refreshing specials in the Spa and Salon at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. Enjoy a Tantalizing Tangerine treatment for the ultimate summer refresher. This treatment combines the scents of tangerine and pomegranate for an invigorating, perfect-for-summer massage and scrub combination. This 80-minute service is offered for the price of a regular 50-minute service, or $165.
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| DINING |
| Hole-in-the-Wall, one of Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort’s longstanding restaurants, has unveiled a new menu that aligns with its smokehouse atmosphere. Located in an old 1940s ranch house, the historic building now serves up a hearty selection of traditional barbecue fare. Hole-in-the-Wall uses its vintage outdoor smoker and barbecue pit to prepare the mouthwatering new dishes like the “Old Kettle” Smoked Beef Brisket, 3-Chili Marinated & Grilled Tri Tip or Big Beef BBQ Ribs.Arizona’s only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, Kai at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa ushers in the summer season with an offer that means significant savings for local supporters. At only $59 per person, come indulge in a three-course “HOT NIGHTS” prix fixe menu that features the restaurants most popular signature items: macerated local vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes on a Fossil Creek goat cheese and mascarpone tart, grilled tenderloin of a Tribal buffalo and for dessert, traditional fry bread. This special menu will be valid through August 1. Additionally, every Wednesday until July 1, the first bottle of wine (valued at $100 or less) from the ‘New World’ (any wine not from Europe) will be offered at half-price.Chef Jeremy Pacheco heats up the summer season with special menus and events at LON’s and Last Drop Bar, a culinary destination for guests and locals alike. LON’s authentic Arizona flavors, straight from the Chef’s Garden or local purveyors, takes center stage in the Father’s Day Brunch and BBQ, Summer Tastings Menu, Kick-it Up Menu, Sunday Smoke and Suds and daily offerings in the Last Drop Bar.
From the moment you walk in the door of Perk Eatery the smells of the famous rosemary potatoes waft through the air. The restaurant is like walking back in time to the neighborhood family restaurants we all remember. From the 50’s style charm with swivel black and stainless steel counter stools, to the French style chef’s hats darting about feverishly in the kitchen as plate after plate are turned out at warp speed. Diners wait to awaken your taste buds with specially roasted coffee, coffee that is specially roasted for Perk locally and takes a full three days before the perfect cup can be brewed. You won’t want to miss the huge greeting you receive from Pauline and Carmen, where service is center stage
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For more information on any of these events or updates, please contact the
Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau Media Department.
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