The state of great comfort and extravagant living, or luxury, can look different for everyone. Sometimes luxury looks like an afternoon spa trip at an Arizona staycation hotspot. Or it looks like a wine tasting dinner with the cinematic backdrop of a lightning storm at dusk. Or it’s a trip to the mall for an indulgent treat.
From shopping to hospitality, Arizona adds a touch of luxury to every journey. Modern consumers value experiences above all and businesses are embracing both men and women as equal drivers of this trend.
Staples of the luxury market, like Scottsdale Fashion Square, are redefining the shopping experience. The old box-store model is giving way to spaces where dining is central, men are targeted as key shoppers, and everyday luxuries hold equal weight to signature splurges.
A vacation, or staycation, at Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotel, ADERO Scottsdale Resort, is more than just a place to lay-back and relax. Star gazing, wine tasting and guided hiking add to the grandeur of the hilltop resort in Fountain Hills. It’s not just a place to find a bed, WiFi and an omelet, it’s experiential luxury to take home.
Spas, designer brands and high-end resorts have always shaped the luxury vision, but today that vision is evolving. Social media influences shoppers, and spa-goers want innovation with their relaxation, and memories — more than purchases — have become the ultimate currency of indulgence.
DEEPER DIVE: Top 10 Arizona ZIP codes people are moving to in 2025
LOCAL NEWS: 100 best places to work and live in Arizona for 2025
Fashion, fragrance and food
“If we want to talk about luxury, lifestyle and shopping trends, there’s nowhere else to go besides Fashion Square. We can own that. We have that corner, we like it,” says Kim Choukalas, senior vice president of leasing for Macerich, parent company of Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Central to the luxury lifestyle conversation in Arizona is Scottsdale Fashion Square. Since 1961, Fashion Square has been delivering the highest-end demands of patrons. Gucci, Balenciaga, Cartier — the list goes on of all the most prestigious of retailers that have given Fashion Square its reputation.
For decades, men’s role in luxury shopping was limited to fashion consultant, bag holder or gift giver. Today, that is changing. More and more, the “boyfriend bench” outside of dressing rooms is often empty. Instead, the stalls are filled with suits, slacks and tee’s.
“Historically, maybe the wife or girlfriend made those purchases for their partner,” notes Choukalas. “What we’ve seen now is that men want to be involved. They want to come to the stores, try it on, get a custom fit.”
That shift in men’s shopping patterns isn’t just changing what’s on the racks, it’s reshaping entire categories of luxury. Fragrance, once seen as a gift purchase, is now becoming a signature accessory for male shoppers.
At The House of Creed, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Integrated Communications Gino Luci has watched a new generation discover artisanal scent for the first time, many through TikTok’s viral #FragranceTok community. What was once the finishing touch chosen by someone else has become a bold statement of individuality for men embracing luxury on their own terms.
“The House of Creed has seen a significant rise in younger male clients, many of whom are discovering luxury fragrance for the first time,” Luci says. “It’s exciting to see a new generation embracing Creed’s scents, not only as a fragrance, but as a modern expression of individuality.”
In addition to adding key storefronts for men like The House of Creed, Scottsdale Fashion Square is also delivering new dining and drink spots. This fall, Valley restaurateur Sam Fox is opening Society Swan, an American Brasserie. Society Swan joins Fox’s legacy of hotspots, which include Culinary Dropout, Doughbird, Blanco and Flower Child.
“We know shopping and dining go hand in hand, and so we’ve been really laser-focused on making sure we’re delivering the best of that,” says Choukalas. With the opening of Society Swan, Scottsdale Fashion Square continues its culinary expansion, now boasting a collection that includes Din Tai Fung, Catch Steakhouse and Élephante.
Scottsdale Fashion Square embodies the evolution of Arizona’s luxury market. Where high fashion meets fine dining and where fragrance counters and flagship boutiques cater to both longtime patrons and a rising wave of younger, experience-driven shoppers. It’s a reminder that today’s luxury is as much about discovery as it is about tradition, blending the established prestige of Cartier or Gucci with the fresh allure of a first Creed scent or a table at Society Swan.
But luxury in Arizona extends far beyond the mall concourse. Just a short drive from the bustle of Scottsdale, resorts like ADERO in Fountain Hills are rewriting the definition of indulgence in their own way.
Here, luxury isn’t measured in shopping bags but in sunsets, stargazing and culinary moments that linger long after checkout. Where Fashion Square is about energy and variety, ADERO offers immersion and escape, two sides of the same evolving story of luxury in the desert.
Wine, stars and experiential Arizona luxury
While the Valley can often feel like a sea of concrete and asphalt, a short drive to Fountain Hills opens up sweeping views of the Sonoran Desert’s natural beauty. ADERO leans into that sense of escape, offering luxurious experiences tailored to every type of visitor.
Too often, resorts like ADERO are seen only as vacation destinations, a trip that requires a long drive or a plane ticket. ADERO wants to change that. Luxury doesn’t have to be far away. A staycation can be just as rejuvenating, with all the indulgence and far less stress.
“Finding your way means something different for every guest,” says Adam Stanchina, general manager at ADERO. “For some, it’s wellness and fitness; for others, it’s food, wine or simply the chance to sit under the stars. Our goal is to create luxury experiences that speak to every kind of traveler.”
Adding experiential luxury to the platter of grand offerings at ADERO means launching new experiences. This fall, the resort opened the door to some of California’s most prestigious vineyards, bringing the upscale wine scene to Fountain Hills.
“We want it to be something that a week from now, a month from now, three months from now, they reflect on and go, you know what, that was phenomenal. We have to go back,” explains Stanchina.
A five-course meal on a perfectly manicured lawn under the stars, culminates into the vision of experiential luxury at ADERO. A plethora of aromatic wines pair with a unique, seasonal, chef-curated menu. An evening of pampering can end the work week or start a weekend get away.
That same spirit of pampering extends beyond the resort lawn. For many, true indulgence is found in the spa, where luxury takes the form of stillness, healing and renewal.
At JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn, wellness is redefined through technology, immersion, and personalization, turning a simple treatment into an experience as memorable as any fine meal or desert sunset.
Shelley Narath, director of spa at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, notes, “In today’s luxury spa landscape, we’re seeing three standout trends: technology, immersion and personalization. Guests are increasingly drawn to wellness technologies and are eager to explore the latest innovations, no hesitation, just curiosity and excitement.”
Today’s spa guests want more than the traditional. They want fully immersive experiences that connect them to the spa’s ethos, natural surroundings and locally sourced ingredients. Innovative therapies like contrast bathing are drawing interest as people look for ways to pair wellness with science.
Luxury evolving: From indulgence to experience
Across the board, the message to businesses in the luxury landscape is clear: Deliver more — more experiences, more innovation, more choice. And the industry is responding by embracing the demand with open arms and delivering it with a smile. As luxury continues to evolve, the horizons only broaden for vacationers and shoppers alike.
Luxury in Arizona is no longer a static idea defined by a price tag or an exclusive brand name. It has become a living, evolving concept shaped by the ways people want to spend their time.
At Scottsdale Fashion Square, luxury means fashion and fragrance alongside world-class dining, where men and women alike are stepping into the experience as equal participants. At ADERO, it’s the glow of a desert sunset, a glass of wine from a famed California vineyard, or a stargazing session that turns a night into a memory.
What once may have been reserved for special occasions has become a new standard of living, where shoppers, travelers and spa-goers are eager for experiences that make them feel connected, cared for and inspired. Arizona’s luxury landscape reflects this shift, embracing the demand not just to deliver indulgence, but to create lasting memories.
