The final steel beams have been installed on The Global Ambassador, the debut hotel from one of Phoenix’s most well-known restaurateurs, and it is expected to open late next year.
Located on the northwest corner of Camelback Road and 44th Street in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood, the Global Ambassador will be a 5-story hotel with 141 rooms and several food and beverage outlets.
It is being developed by Author & Edit Hospitality, a company created by Sam Fox, the founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts. In 2019, Fox sold FRC to The Cheesecake Factory for more than $300 million. While Fox still heads his company under new ownership, he also has several side personal projects with Author & Edit including The Global Ambassador and the Twelve Thirty Club in Nashville, which he co-owns with Justin Timberlake.
Fox is co-developing the Phoenix hotel project with longtime friend and collaborator Brian Frakes.
The Global Ambassador has been in the works for several years now and with the rooftop’s steel structure put into place, the 5-story building is fully enclosed. Crews have also started vertical construction on the first level and have excavated the pool. Exterior finishes, including brickwork, windows and doors, will be installed in the coming weeks.
Before the end of the year, some of the interior finishes of the hotel will be installed, including custom millwork, handmade tiles and ornate wall coverings. Fox and Frakes have brought on Testani Design Troupe as the interior design team.
“This is the moment where the soul of The Global Ambassador begins to take shape and the community will see firsthand how detailed, curated and special this place will soon become,” Frakes, the president of Common Bond Development Group, said in a statement. “The concepting, designing and planning is now in full execution mode with these elements coming together before we welcome travelers from all over the world next year.”
The luxury hotel is now expected to open in late 2023. The property has generated a lot of buzz in the Valley, particularly in Arcadia. The hotel is expected to be marketed to locals as much as travelers and Fox has secured several high profile investors in the project, including Devin Booker, Larry Fitzgerald and Dierks Bentley.
By Brandon Brown – Reporter, Phoenix Business Journal
