HR Tempe/Sky Harbour Announced
 

Hyatt Regency hotel planned for shore of Tempe Town Lake (The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.) By Mike Branom, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News

Sep. 25--A Hyatt Regency will be opening on the shore of Tempe Town Lake in 2011, Mayor Hugh Hallman announced Wednesday during his State of the City address.

The 240-room luxury hotel will be part of the Hayden Ferry Lakeside complex, located northeast of the intersection of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.

Among the Hyatt's other planned amenities are 24 condominiums, a 4,000-square-foot spa and 13,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom.

Developer Tod Decker said the Hyatt would fill a niche in offering a hotel at a class between five-star resorts like the Phoenician and the two- and three-star lodgings scattered across the Valley. He added that the hotel has the benefit of a location close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and to a light-rail station.

Decker, president and CEO of Valhalla Development Group, has been trying to land a hotel at this site for years. A deal with Le Meridien fell through this summer due to concerns about financing, but Decker is confident of a groundbreaking in late summer or early fall of 2009.

Hyatt, a privately owned company, "is not necessarily stockand board-driven," Decker said. "They're much more understanding of the times we're in."

Hyatt representatives said they were in the final stages of negotiations, and were holding off commenting until late next week.

The master developer of Hayden Ferry, SunCor, also declined to comment.

This is interesting. What businesses are along the lake that would have travelers coming there? USAir? First Solar? Aren't the rest consulting and public accounting firms? Perhaps ASU traffic?

People flying in/out of Sky Harbor.

A lot like the former Hyatt Lake Las Vegas?

Not even close.

Please... don't leave it at that. :)

This will be built just north of downtown Tempe on a man made water front in an old river bed. So far there is a city park and a few Commercial buildings on the water front. I see this as a business/convention hotel.