Millennium Hotels and Resorts is launching a brand-wide upgrade of its North American portfolio over the next 18 months. And the $3.5M upgrade of the 125-room Millennium Resorts and Villas Scottsdale couldn't come at a better time, with Super Bowl XLIX coming to Phoenix next February, says the group's regional GM of North America Colin Wang, whom we spoke with this morning (he's snapped above with his 6-year-old son, Declan). He tells us the upgrades to the hotel—which it purchased as part of Millennium's Regal Hotel acquisition in 1999—will begin April 1 and be ready by the beginning of fall. It follows renovations to its portfolio in Minneapolis and NYC, and will be joined by upgrades to hotels in Anchorage, Buffalo, and Boulder.
The renovations, led by Millennium Hotels' in-house architectural team, will focus on the lobby, restaurant, bar, guest rooms, and exterior, Colin tells us. Although Phoenix's hotel market was one of the hardest hit and last to rebound, coupled with oversaturation in Scottsdale, he says the upgrade is timely—no full-service resorts are projected to open, and it'll give the boutique hotel a competitive edge. (Not to mention its sweeping views the mountains and McCormick Ranch Golf Club.) One of Colin's favorite things about the biz (he's been with the group for 19 years) is the different places he travels. Originally from Singapore, Colin's been based in his home country, London, Middle East, and now the US. "You get to learn about what the world is all about, and I feel incredibly lucky."
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