This week, Sam Fox, the Phoenix-based restaurateur who has been nominated 11 times for the James Beard Award as Outstanding Restaurateur, unveiled the much-anticipated plans for his first-ever hotel property, The Global Ambassador.

In 2019, Fox sold his wildly successful Fox Restaurant Concepts to the Cheesecake Factory for a tidy $353 million. His nose for on-trend culinary concepts (such as Flower Child and True Food) and his ability to execute them with great success has made him a bit of an industry oracle—and fueled many questions about his plans for the luxury hotel business.

The Global Ambassador is his official hospitality debut and, explains Fox, “is heavily influenced by what we’ve most been lacking this year—socialization.”

Fox and his team designed the property’s look and feel to lean into being social. “As we’re coming out of the pandemic, people are craving human interaction. We didn’t want to create to-go experiences or too many private areas that put up barriers and restrict gathering. This hotel is open and all-encompassing. It’s like Grand Central Station on the main level where the energy from one space to the next plays off one another” he said.

Situated in the heart of Arcadia, where Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley converge, the 141-room property is a prime perch for enjoying sweeping views of Camelback Mountain. The sprawling, 18,000 square-foot rooftop space will surely become Phoenix’s most coveted destination—able to accommodate up to 1,000 people, it will be the largest rooftop lounge and restaurant in the state of Arizona.

Throughout the hotel, guests can expect a stylishly-appointed experience with every detail thoroughly vetted by Fox himself. But what most people are interested in hearing more about are his culinary plans for the property. The hotel will have five unique dining venues and while exact restaurant details and names have not yet been finalized, Fox and his team shared a few highlights of what we can expect:

The European Market & Café is designed as a bustling shop with casual seating, premium coffee, European pastries and grab and go items. In the late afternoon, it will transition into a wine and cheese shop with a tapas menu, expansive wine list and specialties to-go. The planned Parisian Steakhouse will be the hotel’s signature restaurant with an eclectic menu with French influences. The Poolside Restaurant will be largely influenced by Mexican and Peruvian fare, featuring fresh, light and seasonal items such as ceviche and mariscos. Of course, the obligatory poolside margarita and Mexican staples such as chips and guacamole will be on offer as well. A Member’s Restaurant will be a members-only, supper-club style retreat. Expect a uniquely elevated space for those seeking exclusivity, a buzzy bar, daily live music and a menu with updated versions of American classics. The pièce de résistance will be the Rooftop Restaurant. It will be the largest rooftop restaurant in the state and the focus will be on inventive cocktails and shareable plates inspired by our favorite places in the Mediterranean region, including Greece, Italy, Spain and Morocco. This will be the destination for the ultimate dinner and a sunset.

Fox is also dialed into the rising demand from travelers for serious wellness and fitness offerings.

Says Fox, “the importance of health and wellness is another big component that is present throughout all aspects of the hotel. From a culinary standpoint there will be plenty of fresh, healthy, and organic options. Guests are going to find a dynamic, purposefully curated set of wellness practices as well.”

Plans for the hotel’s Wellness Center include an expansive fitness level and ultra-luxe spa where health, beauty and fitness experts will be on hand to customize treatments.

Rather than create a hotel within traditional lines with a predictable set of experiences, Fox aimed to make The Global Ambassador something more expansive and all-encompassing.

“We’re bringing a full set of experiences together with the restaurants, wellness offerings, a private member’s club and a luxury hotel. Long before we designed the 141 rooms, we honed in on the culinary offerings, the programming, the community engagement aspect and so much more. This hotel is solely built on enriching, dynamic experiences that are constantly evolving – you just won’t want to leave.”

Katie Kelly Bell,
Contributor
ForbesLife

For years, renowned Arizona restaurateur Sam Fox said he has envisioned pivoting his passion for hospitality into the hotel industry. Now, the 11-time James Beard Award semifinalist is bringing that vision to life by starting construction on an internationally inspired luxury hotel concept in Phoenix.

Called the Global Ambassador, Fox said the hotel will be a dream eight years in the making when it opens in 2023.

“It’s been a long journey but I felt it was incredibly important that my first hotel project was somewhere here in Phoenix and I couldn’t be more lucky that, you know, I live four blocks away,” Fox said.

Why Sam Fox is building a hotel in Phoenix
With a lengthy portfolio of restaurants including Wildflower, Olive & Ivy, Zinburger, Blanco Tacos + Tequila, The Arrogant Butcher and Culinary Dropout, Fox said a hotel felt like a natural progression. He sold his Fox Restaurant Concepts to Cheesecake Factory in 2019.

Sam Fox plans to open a new internationally inspired hotel concept called The Global Ambassador in Phoenix.
He said he considered opportunities to build a hotel in other places across the country but that his first foray into a luxury hotel concept was deeply personal. He wanted his first hotel venture under his new company, Author and Edit Hospitality, to be in Phoenix.

“It’s a place that I needed to see. Be a part of every single day, curate and develop,” he said. “Having that out of town would have been a little more difficult than being able to do that in town.”

Coming to Nashville:Sam Fox to open upscale supper club with Justin Timberlake

Sam Fox’s Phoenix hotel: What we know
The Global Ambassador, at 44th Street and Camelback Road, will be a 141-room luxury property with architecture, design and cuisine inspiration from all around the world. It’s designed by Nelson Partners Architects and its exterior will evoke the architecture of Paris.

“It just has a big international vibe to it,” Fox said.

Fox is teaming up with Brian Frakes of Common Bond Development Group to bring the concept to life. Built around the view of Camelback Mountain, guests will see globally inspired décor by Judi Testani of Testani Design Troupe, who has long been involved in designing Fox’s restaurants.

The Global Ambassador also will have a world-class gym and spa. And, as Fox pivots to a different part of hospitality, he aims to extend, not abandon, his culinary roots.

“You’re going to feel all these different cuisines, these different emotions, these different feelings when you come into the building,” Fox said.

The hotel will have five restaurants inspired by cuisine from around the world, from Mexican and Peruvian to a European market and Parisian bistro. Fox said an elite members club will be akin to a London supper club.

The focal point of the hotel will be its open rooftop, which will be the largest in the state, with sweeping views of Camelback Mountain and a Mediterranean restaurant featuring food inspired by Italy, Greece and Morocco.

“Everyone who has someone coming to visit. Everyone who wants to have a special occasion. Everyone who wants to celebrate, they’re going to want to go to that rooftop,” Fox said about his vision for the space.

As someone who lives in the neighborhood, Fox hopes the Global Ambassador will not just attract out-of-town guests but also be a place where people from the community feel welcome.

“This is something that has taken eight years to get to the opening and we’ve pored over every single detail of the project,” Fox said. “We’re excited to have a hotel that will be very global in nature but will be very local.”

Melissa Yeager
Arizona Republic

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