Sam Fox, one of Phoenix’s most well-known restaurateurs, has released more information on his proposed hotel in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood.
Fox, along with master developer RED Development, received approval from Phoenix City Council to build the hotel back in November 2019, but until now there hasn’t been much word on the project.
In 2020, the existing office park where Fox’s hotel is being built was leveled and construction started. Fox’s hotel is part of a bigger 17-acre, $300 million mixed-use project called 44|Camelback located on the northwest corner of the Camelback Road and 44th Street in Phoenix.
The 141-luxury hotel, which has been named The Global Ambassador, is slated to open in 2023, according to its website.
Fox designed the hotel himself after studying luxury hotel and hospitality venues all over the world, according to a press release.
“The Global Ambassador is a deeply personal, legacy project for me that furthers my pursuit of combining unmatched hospitality with culinary excellence,” Fox said in a statement. “This is so much more than a hotel – it’s a luxury lifestyle brand that we hope will inspire and draw travelers from all over the world to explore Phoenix in a new way.”
Not only did Fox design it, he will manage, operate and co-develop the hotel under his newly formed Author & Edit Hospitality company.
The Global Ambassador will be home to five original food-and-beverage offerings, with cuisine influenced by the Mediterranean region including Greece, Italy and Morocco. The main hotel restaurant will be on the rooftop. At 18,000 square feet, it will be the largest rooftop restaurant in the state.
Brian Frakes of Common Bond Development Group, a longtime friend and collaborator of Fox’s, is co-developing the project Fox. They have brought on Nelsen Partners Architects to be the lead architect, Berghoff Design Group as the landscape architects, and the interiors will be done by Judi Testani of Testani Design Troupe. Testani has designed the majority of Fox’s personal and professional projects.
“With The Global Ambassador, we are evolving luxury hospitality at every level and from every perspective in order to deliver something truly remarkable for the well-traveled set who is looking to be inspired and intrigued in an authentic and unexpected way,” Fox said in the statement. “This is a convergence of significance found in hospitality, wellness and culture.”
Fox made his name opening multiple restaurant brands under his company Fox Restaurant Concepts. That company was acquired by The Cheesecake Factory (Nasdaq: CAKE) in 2019 for more than $300 million. He has continued FRC under the Cheesecake umbrella, but has also started other hospitality ventures that fall outside of the FRC scoop. Earlier this year he opened a restaurant and bar in Nashville, which includes pop star Justin Timberlake as an investor.
By Brandon Brown – Reporter, Phoenix Business Journal
