Come for the desert. Stay for the museums, fabulous food, great hiking, luxurious hotels, sensational sports, wellness retreats, local wines and more.
Arizona Tourism officials made a strategic stop in Toronto last night (March 20) to tout the benefits of Canadian visits to the Grand Canyon State.
Arizona had nearly one million Canadian visitors in 2019. The figures for last year aren’t in but they’re not expecting to reach that level for anther year or so.
In a one-on-one chat, Joanna Tejeda, Senior Travel Industry Marketing Manager, Arizona Office of Tourism, told me there are a number of great new hotels and resorts to check out, including the luxurious Global Ambassador hotel, a 141-room property in Phoenix opened last December by local restaurant mogul Sam Fox. Caesar’s earlier this month opened its first non-gaming hotel near Fashion Square in Scottsdale, called Caesar’s Republic. The massive (1,100 rooms) VAI resort in Glendale could open later this year, and features a Mattel Theme Park that includes a Beach Barbie House and a Hot Wheels go-kart attraction. It also will boast a fixed hot air balloon, live entertainment, and what’s called “the largest man-made party island in the world.”
Also new is the Sky Rock in Sedona, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel from Marriott, and the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.
Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Top existing properties include The Phoenician, The Four Seasons and Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, a personal fave that’s done up in stylish, mid-century modern style. Its sister property, Mountain Shadows, also is a beauty. In Tucson, I love the Westin La Paloma.
Tejeda said it’s not yet clear when the new Ritz-Carlton will open in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale.
Tejeda said sports is a big draw in Arizona, with fans travelling to see Cactus League spring training games, Super Bowls, PGA Tour golf tournaments, NHL hockey games, NBA basketball games, and this year’s NCAA basketball Final Four tournament. The state is home to more than 300 golf courses. Other top draws include 330 days of sunshine a year, indigenous culture opportunities, wine, food, outdoor adventure, dark sky preserves and luxury/wellness travel.
With the 100th anniversary of Route 66 coming in 2026, the Arizona portion of the famous driving route also will be highlighted over the next couple years, Tejeda said.
The culinary scene also is heating up in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson, which is home to Dan Guerra, named the best baker in the U.S. last year. Tucson was named a UNESCO creative city in 2015 and was the first U.S. city in the UNESCO gastronomy program. One of my fave things to do in Tucson is to drive out Gates Pass and see the giant saguaro cactus on the way to the fine Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Saguaro cactus in Tucson, Arizona. James Lee/Unsplash Photo
Tejeda recommends Canadians strike out from Phoenix and Tucson (a great city) and explore southern Arizona’s thriving wine area. I tried several of them a few years ago and was quite impressed. She also suggests exploring fine nature areas such as Canyon de Chelly National Monument, a vast park that sits on Navajo tribal lands, and check out smaller towns and cities such as historic Prescott.
Laura Nesteanu of Global Marketing and Sales noted that Arizona is home to world-class museums that highlight everything from modern art to native American works. It also has towering mountains in the north, should Canadians desire a touch of winter.
“You can ski in the afternoon after a morning at the spa or the pool.”
I’ve also found great craft beer and fine museums in Arizona, including the Musical Instrument Museum and the Heard Museum in Phoenix, which is dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art.
Nesteanu said Arizona was sad to lose Lynx Airlines flights to Phoenix but hopes to add more flights from Canada later this year. They still have connections via Air Canada, WestJet and Flair, she noted.
MARRIOTT BONVOY USING A.I. TO FIND YOUR PERFECTION GETAWAY RENTAL
Lake Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is now testing a search with AI tool that will match travelers with the perfect home and destination based on a natural language search describing their desired vacation. This next gen search will take travelers’ own preferences and offer a curated list of properties from the 140,000 available properties on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy platform.
Travelers can include as little or as much detail as they’d like through this easily accessible and user-friendly search functionality, alleviating the stress that selecting a vacation property might otherwise present. A few sample searches include:
- I want to travel to London, Paris or Vienna and stay in city center
- Best A-frame home in the mountains with a fireplace and stunning view
- I want to take a trip to California this summer where I can bring my dog
- I’m looking for a private villa in Asia for 6 people with a butler
- I need a beach front home in the Caribbean perfect for a bachelorette celebration
The results will suggest destinations and identify specific properties that meet the criteria entered in the search bar or close alternatives that meet as many of the descriptors as possible. In addition, the results will include useful information such as weather and things to do at the location based on the criteria, such as hiking, sightseeing, or dining. Visitors to the site will have the option to use the new or traditional search functionality.
“Using the latest technologies, our new AI search tool breaks new ground among vacation rental platforms by allowing travelers to search without a specific destination. Consumers can focus more on the experiences they are passionate about and the amenities on their ‘must-have’ list to reveal their next memorable travel adventure,” said Jennifer Hsieh, Vice President, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. “With natural-language search, we’re able to play matchmaker, helping travelers effortlessly discover the perfect but perhaps unexpected property and destination among our global collection of extraordinary homes available on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy platform.”
Whether travelers are yearning for a beach vacation or searching for an eclectic home overlooking a mountain range, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy has premium and luxury vacation rentals that can inspire more travel experiences. By booking a home with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, travelers unlock the power of the award-winning travel program, Marriott Bonvoy, to gain access to free stays at hotels and destinations around the world and incredible experiences with the people, places, and passions they love. Travelers can also take comfort that each home offered on the platform is fully vetted by Marriott, leveraging the company’s trusted travel expertise with exceptional quality, safe and reliable hospitality.
