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Edition hotel coming to Scottsdale
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Two hotel industry heavyweights plan to launch a new global hotel brand, and Scottsdale, along with such prime destinations as Paris, Madrid, Costa Rica, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., will get the first versions.
Studio 54 and Morgans Hotel Group co-founder Ian Schrager and Marriott International Chairman Bill Marriott announced plans Tuesday for a new lifestyle boutique hotel brand dubbed Edition.
The Scottsdale Edition is pegged for the 20-acre property west of Scottsdale Road and south of Indian Bend Road, adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley Resort and residential complex.
Each Edition hotel will include 150 to 200 rooms and will have a design and character befitting its social and cultural surroundings, similar to the concept of Morgans hotels, which include the Mondrian in Scottsdale.
But all Edition hotels will be designed to be “the most aesthetically pleasing in their markets” and “the most environmentally responsible,” according to the announcement.
The Schrager-Marriott partnership has nine signed development agreements, including one with Scottsdale-based Five Star Development Group, which will create the local version as part of its 123-acre Ritz-Carlton project, said Jerry Ayoub, Five Star president.
Ayoub said the Scottsdale Edition is “slotted for 2010,” but it could be built sooner or later.
“The timing hasn’t been determined because Schrager is still working on the designs for each city,” he said.
But Ayoub said the property is already zoned for resort use, and he’s confident that once the design is done, it will make a swift path through red tape.
Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross said a quick approval is likely, especially since Scottsdale’s small chunk of the Ritz-Carlton property was at one time pegged for time-share condos, a prospect the city disliked.
“I think it’s another indication that we are becoming known internationally,” Manross said of landing one of the first Edition hotels. “We’ve been concerned about that property, and we wanted to make sure something first-class (is built) that represents Scottsdale well. I’m pretty sure the council and the community will see the value of this.”
The Edition and Ritz-Carlton can exist side by side because while both will attract high-end guests, the Edition crowd is likely to be “younger, hipper,” Ayoub said.
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