Sam Fox was five when his family moved from Chicago to Tucson in search of sunshine. At the time, the sleepy college town set against a picturesque mountain backdrop didn’t have much going for it.
But in 1992, at age 20, Fox ditched school to follow in his restaurateur parents’ footsteps, opening Gilligan’s Bar and Grill, an island-themed restaurant with money raised from friends and family, previously earmarked for school tuition. It was a decision that might have seemed foolish at the time, in the sleepy Arizona of yore — but not today.
Over the next three decades, Fox grew his little grill into a restaurant empire. In 2019, he sold his company to the Cheesecake Factory for $440 million. It was clear that Arizona was becoming a polestar destination, not just for sun-seekers, but for refugees from traffic- and crime-choked cities across the country.
Today, the Grand Canyon State is a byword for approachable luxury living.
“It’s just easy to live here,” said Fox. “You can afford a house. You don’t have to have a 2-hour commute. The schools are decent. It’s a major metropolitan city without the stress of LA. A lot of things are moving in the right direction.”
Recently, the tragic Los Angeles wildfires, as well as sky-high housing prices and a rising crime rate, have driven an unprecedented number of Californians to cross the state line.
That influx of new blood — 1 million people had already moved to the state between 2010 and 2023 — is supporting a hospitality boom.
“It’s just easy to live here. You can afford a house. You don’t have to have a 2-hour commute. The schools are decent. It’s a major metropolitan city without the stress of LA. A lot of things are moving in the right direction.”
Sam Fox
In late 2023, Fox opened his first hotel, the Global Ambassador (from $600 per night) in Phoenix — now, arguably Arizona’s finest hotel.
Designed to resemble a Parisian apartment building, it weighs in with 141 rooms, five restaurants, a 9,000-square-foot fitness center and an 18,000-square-foot rooftop lounge (the largest in the state).
For all of 2024, its members-only Global Ambassador Club, which requires a one-time initiation fee of $90,000 and monthly dues of $1,000, was the state’s most coveted reservation.
Elsewhere in town, the Hotel Valley Ho (from roughly $400 per night) has launched a host of new experiential packages aimed at leveling up guests’ options (Rock climbing in the mountains? A James Beard Award-winning supper? A Frank Lloyd Wright house tour? Just make it part of your booking).
Meanwhile, Mountain Shadows (from $500) opened a new pool, dubbed Sunset, set against views of Camelback Mountain.
Head north of the city, to wellness resort Civana (from $679), and you’ll find a new club led by all-star runners Sara Hall and Sara Slattery. And last year, the Camby hotel (from $439) underwent a complete renovation of its lobby, common spaces and 279 guest rooms and launched a new restaurant concept, Yellowbell.
But it isn’t just Phoenix that is witnessing a hotel and restaurant revolution — it’s a state-wide phenomenon.
Over in ritzy Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Resort just unveiled a new luxury offering with their Stillman Villas (from $1,450 per night). These 12- and 14-person residences comes with sweeping desert and golf course views.
After a swing, seek out the resort’s swanky speakeasy called the Madam.
In Tucson, Miraval Arizona (from $1,600; MirivalResorts.com) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the rollout an all-inclusive wellness option. It lets you test drive all the resort has to offer (like equine therapy).
An hour outside Phoenix, Castle Hot Springs (from $2,125) is launching a series of new programs, including a “Wellness Through Water” package that includes a private Watsu bodywork session, wherein a therapist works with clients while submerged in warm water.
“Phoenix used to be a destination stop for snowbirds to play tennis,” said Adam Goldberg, who owns the Creekside Inn (from $325) in Sedona, one of the areas most popular properties. “Now, a lot of people are making their homes here. A lot of celebrities left California for Arizona because it’s ‘cool’ to be rich in Phoenix and Scottsdale. There are not a lot of places where you can pull up in a Ferrari and someone doesn’t jack you.”
