West Valley resort could be first of its kind in Arizona

Once built out, guests at the new $1 billion VAI Resort in Glendale will have the option to watch a concert while they dine from an eighth floor steakhouse in the hotel, from their own room or while attending a private party on a hotel balcony.

If they’re not one of about 8,000 people watching a concert surrounded by Caribbean-blue water or white sand, they can also explore the resort’s Konos Island, a 52,000-square-foot “party island” that will feature a DJ booth, cabanas, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine or an aerial bar that can take guests 130 feet in the air.

Behind the scenes, the expected 1,800 resort workers will be navigating through an underground system of tunnels that will be out of sight from guests and used for logistics, as well as for moving concert performers in and out of the venue.

What’s more, anyone will be able to enter the resort property and visit the new restaurants and retail at no cost, while the resort also features a wedding venue, conference and meeting space and a two-story, boutique night club all located just south of the State Farm Stadium and Westgate along the Loop 101.

The new resort, which is being developed by VAI Global Development and has 1,200 rooms, is expected to be the largest in Arizona once built and comprise a variety of entertainment, dining and retail attractions for both day and night-time activities. Howard Weiss, the vice president of entertainment for VAI, said Thursday that they expect to host two to three concerts a week and about 100 big shows annually in addition to festivals.

VAI Global Development has made significant progress on construction for its new resort with a 360-degree concert stage, 1,200 hotel suites and a 6-acre water feature. The resort, which is expected to be the largest in the state, is set to open at the end of 2023.

On non-event days, the owners of the project say rooms rates could be around $500 to $800 per night but said these numbers haven’t been finalized. While the concert hotel and stage are expected to be completed by late 2023, the resort, featuring buildings ranging from two to nine stories, will continue to be developed and built out through 2024.

Project will eventually include 3 hotels

VAI Global Development, the owner of both VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park, has continued to make progress on its new $1 billion resort in Glendale and has released new details about what the project will comprise. Mattel Adventure Park will be managed and operated by Epic Resort Destinations.

VAI Global Development is co-owned by Tommy Fisher and Grant Fisher, a father and son-team that also leads North Dakota and Tempe-based Fisher Industries, a construction firm that is also the general contractor for VAI. Construction of the resort is about 30% completed, according to VAI Global Development.

At full build-out, the 60-acre resort will comprise three separate hotels; a conference, ballroom, meeting and wedding venue, an indoor theme park with roller coasters and attractions, a sprawling water feature and a variety of restaurants and retail options.

The full property will include:

  • $40 million, 360-degree multi-level concert stage and venue with viewing from hotel balconies, VIP skyboxes and a massive pool deck that can fit 8,000 people. It will also feature 40-foot mobile screens.
  • Hotel with 342 rooms facing the concert stage, a steakhouse on the eighth floor and more
  • Konos Island, a 52,000-square-foot man-made party island featuring a restaurant, private cabanas, DJ booth and 16-person aerial bar with views from 130 feet high
  • 5-star luxury hotel with 700 rooms with rooftop amenities
  • A family and group hotel with 311 rooms located between the conference building and Mattel park
  • 6-acre man-made lake with temperature-controlled water and white sand that VAI says will never reach an ambient temperature of 95 degrees
  • The 150,000-square-foot indoor Mattel Adventure Park
  • Tethered hot-air balloon that floats 400 feet
  • 12 upscale restaurants, 10 exclusive bars and lounges and 100,000-square-feet of retail
  • 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 20,000 square feet luxury spa and fitness center, a 2,500-square-foot wedding venue and 4D interactive theater

“It’s going to be the largest hotel in Arizona, it’s in my city,” said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers. “It’s going to affect everybody. Glendale will become a destination that people will want to go to. The way I look at it, there’ll be a lot of people that have been spending money to go to California, go to Florida, that are going to decide, ‘Let’s just stay in Arizona.’ We have everything everybody else does but we don’t have the high prices, the high taxes and you don’t have to ride on an airplane.”

You may also like

The Melvins Release “Allergic to Food”; New Album, Tarantula Heart, Arrives April 19th

The Melvins share a second song from their