Construction is slated to begin this month on a 157-room hotel that will provide critical support for the more than 50 businesses that now call Scottsdale’s SkySong home as well as the surrounding Scottsdale community.
An Element hotel, a high-end, boutique addition to the Marriott family of hotels, will soon occupy the southwestern corner of SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center complex near Scottsdale Road and Enterprise Drive.
Developed by Jackson-Shaw, one of the nation’s most notable names in hospitality development, Element covers an expansive, 99,345 square feet of space and provides a highly sustainable, health-focused environment for guests. Boasting 2,170 square feet of communal and meeting space and a 7,572 square-foot open-air courtyard, Element offers a wide variety of amenities for guests, ranging from a natural saline swimming pool to an oversize gym and bike rental opportunities.
“Element hotels rely on green building, sustainable designs and eco-friendly practices, and we’re honored to play a role in bringing a smarter, more environmentally conscious and wellness-focused place to stay in the Scottsdale area,” said Michele Wheeler, President and Chief Operating Officer for Jackson-Shaw. “It offers the elegant, luxurious nature many leisure travelers associate with Scottsdale, but it also serves as a tremendous asset for business and group travelers that will help SkySong and the city draw even more businesses and job opportunities to the area.”
A fixture in the national hospitality and real estate development scene for more than 45 years, Jackson-Shaw has had a hand in the development of 21 hotels and the operations of more than 100 since its inception. The new Element hotel offers evidence of the company’s continued reliance on spaces that emphasize not only comfort and convenience, but also whole living and health.
Jackson-Shaw engaged Cooper Carry, a nationally lauded architectural firm, for the innovative design and Layton Construction Company will build the hotel. UMB Bank is providing construction financing.
Sharon Harper, president and chief executive officer of SkySong’s master developer, Plaza Companies, noted the need for this type of infrastructure in the area.
“Hotels, restaurants and other amenities are crucial when it comes to attracting new businesses and catering to existing ones,” Harper said, noting that a substantial percentage of current SkySong tenants utilize local hotels on a weekly basis. “A high-end hotel that bears the Marriott name will undoubtedly help SkySong attract even more regional and national corporate tenants looking to set up shop in the Southwest.”
Plaza Companies is the construction manager and master developer of the overall SkySong development. Plaza, University Realty LLC and Holualoa Companies are investors in SkySong, which is built in partnership with the City of Scottsdale.
SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, is home to a global business community that links technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and education to position the university and Greater Phoenix as global leaders of enterprise and innovation. SkySong-based companies also benefit from a special relationship with ASU and enjoy a single point of contact at the university they can turn to for introductions to researchers or faculty members, or to find out more about programs relevant to their needs.
Expect Element Hotel to open its doors sometime next spring. For more about Jackson-Shaw, visit JacksonShaw.com. For more about SkySong, visit www.skysong.com or stay connected socially at www.facebook.com/skysongcenter.
