When you live in Arizona in the summertime, the nighttime becomes your best friend. That's because the sun goes to sleep and you get a bit of relief from the 100+ degree heat. But not much. People would probably still prefer to kick it somewhere with AC than outside during the summer nights.
Yet, there's a sign that cooler weather is on the way.
We've written about the amazing pool area, called the Oasis, at the Clarendon Hotel before (and it's bikini check-in) and now the hotel has opened it's Rooftop Lounge in anticipation for cooler nights in Phoenix.
The lounge will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, with additional hours added as temperatures drop. The rooftop features a full bar and seating with views across the midtown landscape.
Stop. You had us at full bar. We just hope you have a lot of ice.
Aside from the full bar we are kinda giddy about the $149 Sweet Suite Summer Special which includes a $75 dining credit. While it probably sucks to live in Phoenix in the summer, it's a cheap getaway for us hotel guests.
We don't know about you, but the only time you'll catch us in a bathing suit is when there is a large body of water around. Otherwise, it's cover-up city. Matthew McConaughey we are not.
Evilly, the Clarendon Hotel and Suites Phoenix seems to be playing on this weakness with another of our weaknesses: free stuff. Through the end of the summer, the hotel is offering Bikini Check-In, where guests who check in wearing a bikini, swim trunks or a Speedo receive a $20 credit for poolside service, room service or use at the hotel's Mexican restaurant.
One look at The Oasis, the Clarendon's swimming pool with underwater speakers, massaging water jets, 50-person Jacuzzi, sun beds and free poolside Wi-Fi and suddenly we don't feel so shy. Excuse us while we slip into something a little more revealing, head to the pool and finish the workday with our laptop and a mai tai by our side.
After four years of operating as a 3-star hotel the Phoenix Clarendon has announced not only its new membership in Luxe Worldwide Hotels, but its plan to obtain 4-star perfection. Looks like Ben Bethel's plans for the hotel are finally coming to fruition.
At the end of the month the Clarendon will up the ante by adding 50 new guest rooms and opening a casual Asian-fusion restaurant. In October they will unveil a new pool that will be a welcome oasis in the middle of the southwest desert and features multiple fountains, hand-laid mosaic and gold inlay.
By 2008 there will be new heating and cooling systems, granite showers and even an exclusive ultra-luxe Turkish micro-spa.
There's a new hotelier on the scene in Arizona and unlike some hoteliers, he's not relying on Daddy to get himself started. But that also doesn't mean he's been slaving away in the hospitality industry either.
Ben Bethel has no real hotel experience. Instead he dropped out of the University of Arizona because he felt he could do more with his "natural skills" than an advertising degree.
So he bought the Phoenix Clarendon Hotel + Suites with two partners in 2004 and later transformed it from a crackden/streetwalker haven into a boutique hotel.
In a recent Q&A interview with the Arizona Republic, Bethel dishes the detes on his job. Some choice quotes:
· I didn't know much about the hospitality industry when I bought the Clarendon, but I found my calling and true passion in life.
· I want people to come to the Clarendon and feel like they're somewhere different and not thrown into some cubicle to be stored for the night.
· I believe that hotels have to pay competitive wages to retain employees. If the Clarendon does well and makes money, all of my employees receive monthly bonuses.
· That's how true boutique hotels should operate: They pay much higher than larger hotels, and employees are treated like family, not just another warm body.
· I'm in the process of buying out a business partner.
That's the latest on Ben. Nothing too juicy, except maybe that last bit about buying out a business partner and his website, but that seems to be down today. We suggest also getting your image into Google surrounded by lots of blondes to up your profile.
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by juliana
There's a new hotelier on the scene in Arizona and unlike some hoteliers, he's not relying on Daddy to get himself started. But that also doesn't mean he's been slaving away in the hospitality industry either.
