$1 billion Glendale resort delays opening
Target missed for debut before NCAA Final Four
The $1 billion Glendale project that will include Arizona’s largest hotel has delayed its opening and will miss a target to open by the time the NCAA Final Four rolls into town next year.
But VAI Global Development, the resort’s developer, has released new images of what the hotel’s rooms and other features of the resort will look like.
VAI Resort will include more than 1,100 rooms across four towers and will include a large white sand beach “swimming oasis,” a $40 million outdoor concert venue, pool, 12 restaurants and a party island. A Mattel-themed amusement park is also under construction at the development.
VAI Global Development is developing the resort, led by 27-year-old Grant Fisher, president of the company.
“Construction is at an exciting point,” Fisher said, adding that about threequarters of the resort buildings have started construction, and model versions of the hotel rooms are completed.
The resort was planned to open by the time Glendale hosts the NCAA basketball championship in March 2024, but Fisher said it will open months later, in mid- to late 2024.
“We want to emphasize getting it right the first time,” he said.
Fisher said the “evolution” of the development, including changes like adding auditorium seating to the concert venue and the intricacies of the project, has led to some of the delays.
“This is probably version 300 when it comes to the concert venue,” he said.
What the VAI Resort project will bring to Glendale
The hotel will have four towers, called Muse, Rhythm, Cadence and VAI Villas. The Muse Tower, which will have 328 total rooms, will have 160 that overlook the concert venue, allowing patrons to view concerts from their hotel room. The VAI Villas will offer the largest rooms, ranging from 1,100 square feet to a 5,300-square-foot penthouse. The Villas tower also will have rooftop pools.
The concert venue will have outdoor seating for about 2,500 people, with a 10,000-square-foot pool behind the
seats. Between the hotel rooms and the audience seating, about 8,000 people can attend concerts at the venue. Fisher said no acts are booked for the concert venue, and booking will begin once an opening date is solidified.
The stage is designed to have all the equipment that artists need, so they will not have to bring additional equipment with them and instead can “plug and play,” Fisher said.
“VAI succeeds if the talent sees this as a three-day vacation, and they perform for a few hours of that,” Fisher said.
The entire development is expected to use about 5 million gallons of water, including for the pools and the “swimming oasis,” Fisher said. He is still in discussions with Glendale and Maricopa
County about the source of the water.
Fisher said the 2024 opening will come in multiple phases but said construction will not affect guest experiences.
VAI Global Development will continue to own and operate the venue once it opens.
“This is a true passion legacy project for myself and my family,” he said.
VAI took over the project after buying it from another developer in 2022, and at the time was aiming for a mid-2023 opening date. The previous developer had planned to open the resort before Glendale hosted the Super Bowl in February.