Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Hotel Thread
 

I figured since 44 Monroe, Summit at Copper Square, and CityScape all have their own thread, starting one for the Sheraton DT PHX Hotel seems logical. I'll start off with a few pics, and we can add everything else on here (construction photos and updates, etc).

Photos courtesy of Starwood Hotels
(http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat..._section_0Link)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...x.35251_md.jpg
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...x.35249_md.jpg
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...x.35250_md.jpg
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...1703wb1_md.jpg
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...e.35386_md.jpg
http://www.starwoodhotels.com//pub/m...e.35387_md.jpg

Height: 360 feet
Floors: 31
Opening: October 2008
Location: NWC of 3rd Street & Van Buren Street
Owner: City of Phoenix
Architect: Arquitectonica (Miami, Florida)

^ I thought we already had a thread up for this thing?

We do...

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=116733

Oops....I thought HX Guy's thread was to show pics of the two tower cranes. I didn't see the "construction updates" on the title of the thread. I always thought a thread for a new building would be called "(Building Name) Thread."

We can remove this one, or shift all updates here. I don't care. Sorry about the confusion.

-Andrew

A Missed Opportunity
 

Maybe we should stick with this thread for the Sheraton since it has a more definitive title. :shrug:

I'm glad that the thread was started with the renderings. Architectural renderings always make the project look glowing and other-wordly. These try to hide the fact that this hotel is a mediocre design at best (IMO). It already looks dated, and not in a good way! The hi-resolution photo on another thread shows the vertical walls between windows as alternating orange and gold. I think this color scheme is horrible ... something from the Michale Brady school of architecture, circa 1972. :rant:

The only thing I like about this hotel is the outward orientation of the ground floor public spaces. A couple of the interior shots show the floor to ceiling glass walls that look out to the street scene.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln?

I really hate being negative as I was very excited when this project was first announced, but the city really missed the boat here. The Phoenix tax payers are spending a lot of money for this sucker and the design could have and should have been something special. I sure hope I'm wrong and I'll actually like it when its done...we shall see.

^ I agree. This building looks dated and boring, and it's WAY too expensive for what it is.

I, too, vote we keep this thread for the sake of clarity.

I'm not sure the city got a bad deal on this hotel. This is Phoenix, and the very idea of a city-owned hotel is fairly radical. City fathers may have hedged their bets by low-balling the cost, and the end product reflects that calculation.

One of my favorite ugly hotels is the downtown Hyatt in Chicago. It looks like a public housing project on steroids. How did the owners, who endow architecture's premier award, The Pritzker Prize, allow this to happen?

At any rate, I don't think our hotel will be ugly, just bland. While it's another missed opportunity, there'll be plenty more to miss as the years roll by.

I'll move my construction update pictures here and we'll let the other one fade out.


http://www.nitnelav.com/DowntownPhoe...enix%20017.jpg

http://www.nitnelav.com/DowntownPhoe...enix%20013.jpg

http://www.nitnelav.com/DowntownPhoe...enix%20021.jpg

http://www.nitnelav.com/DowntownOct13/IMG_4053.jpg

http://www.nitnelav.com/DowntownOct13/IMG_4059.jpg


I was downtown again today and since being there just a couple days ago, even more work has been done and some actual "walls" or whatever they might be are up already. This is moving pretty fast it seems.

Here is the high resolution pictures mentioned a little earlier...

http://www.visitphoenix.com/assets/w...ton_day_hi.jpg

Again, does the outside fascade seem to be granite or limestone? Something similar to the Convention Center? It might actually look a bit nicer then originally thought since I figured it was stucco or something similar from the initial renderings.

One other question concerning hotels downtown. How well are the Hyatt and Wyndham doing? Are they usually filled to capacity? Is the Sheraton something that was needed due to demand or they just figured why not build one?

I'm pretty sure the decision was driven by the renovation of the convention center. The old one was a crap-hole. I expect Phoenix will be able to draw a lot more conventions now, and thus, require more hotel rooms.

I wasn't even aware there was even an old convention center hotel.

...and you are certainly correct about drawing a lot more conventions, there's even an article about it.

Phoenix Convention Center is already paying dividends
The Business Journal of Phoenix - October 13, 2006
by Lynn Ducey
The Business Journal

The $600 million Phoenix Convention Center expansion won't be finished until the end of 2008, but its impact already is being felt.

So far, the National Rifle Association, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are among the biggest and first private group conventions that will be held at the newly renovated downtown center.

Is it me or does it seem like the hotel is lacking a really defined entrance?

The entrance is in the middle of the base (where the tower is), which is a little weird. I'm glad to hear that there are windows all along that base and that there is an "outward orientation of the ground floor public spaces", because if the based consisted of blank inhospitable walls (like the ground floor of the Hyatt except on the east side), then it would be just another walled-in private space downtown, and would truely be as "straight out of the 70s" as the architecture suggests.

While the windows are good, I wish it had some ground floor retail or something to make the area more walkable. As is, it looks like its going to be another big footprint you'll have to walk past in downtown to get to where you are really going.

Yeah, that's true. Hotels in great downtowns always have some businesses on the ground level that cater to people other than just hotel guests (restaurants, shops; some of the hotels around Times Square in NYC are built over theaters), not just space dedicated to the hotel itself.

This building looks like it needs a nickname.

How about 'Gumby'?

http://www.bigredtoybox.com/articles/gumby.jpg

http://www.visitphoenix.com/assets/p...nder_2_180.jpg

How about "Stardust 2.0"

:yes: Vertex, I like Gumby, but you should pose him doing the splits since he's a pretty tall fella. You're dating yourself... I used to have a Gumby and a Poky when they were all the rage back in 60-something.

I was curious about other work done by the architect, Arquitectonica of Miami. I like a lot of what they've done. Here is a link to their site. Its all presented in Flash...kinda annoying.
http://www.Arquitectonica.com/

I went specifically to their Hospitality section to look at other hotels and the Phoenix Sheraton is mysteriously absent...Do you think that's an oversite or on purpose?

I did find a hotel of theirs that I really like. Its the New York Westin convention center hotel. I would trade for this in a heartbeat. It even has a color pallet that fits Phoenix to a tee. Look at all the Southwest-colored glass.

[IMG]http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/892...kwestingp5.png[/IMG]

Perhaps the Sheraton will turn out better than anticipated. Looking at the other work of Arquitectonica gives me more hope.... OK, I think I have this out of my system for now :rolleyes:

When I was living in NY my job had me visit the Westin T.S. at least once a month and I will tell you that was one of my favorite hotels that I worked with. The only thing that I did not like about it was the entrance was hard to find and very small once you found it. With my company I had visited at least 100+ hotels accross the country and that was the most unique of them all.

If you guys look closely in the high-res rendering provided by HX Guy a few posts up, you can see double-glass doors on the corner of 3rd & Van Buren, then another glass door on 3rd Street, and then the main entrance to the lobby. I believe this will be where the restaurants will be located, and I am happy to see that it will be all glass as well.

Also, you all have to remember that these are renderings, and NOT the real thing. Only time (and our own human eyes) will tell where we will be able to see the materials and color choices for this hotel (once the facade is up). So don't get your hopes up in a jiffy. Hey, at least the hotel doesn't turn its back away from the street with a massive block wall. Glass is good...it gives both the outside and inside a view of the street, which is good for security as well (Jane Jacobs - "eyes on the street").

-Andrew