Here’s what we know about Glendale’s blockbuster VAI Resort project
Apr 26, 2023, 9:50 AM | Updated: 9:54 am
PHOENIX – Developers have revealed new details about VAI Resort, the blockbuster hotel and entertainment destination taking shape in Glendale.
After several delays and a change in ownership, the venue on 60 acres just south of State Farm Stadium and the Westgate Entertainment District is now expected to open at some point in 2024.
The $1 billion project includes the first Mattel Adventure Park, a theme park featuring Hot Wheels, Barbie and Thomas the Tank Engine attractions.
“Our mission is to redefine the luxury hospitality experience while incorporating the thrill of live entertainment,” Grant Fisher, president and CEO of VAI Global Development, said in a press release Wednesday.
“VAI is a one-of-a-kind destination set to exceed all expectations and leave a lasting impression on our guests.”
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VAI Resort will be Arizona’s largest hotel, with more than 1,100 rooms, suites and villas housed in four distinct towers.
The 328-room Muse Tower will feature 160 rooms with balconies that double as VIP skyboxes for concerts at the resort’s amphitheater, which has space for over 8,000 fans.
When it comes to entertainment options, the theme park and amphitheater are just a start.
Visitors can also swim and sun at a 5-acre, temperature-controlled lagoon lined by nearly a mile of sand beaches.
At 52,000 square feet, Konos Island is being billed as the country’s largest man-made party island. It will have a restaurant, private cabanas and a DJ booth, plus a 150-foot-high aerial bar with space for 16 guests.
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at some of VAI Resort’s other features:
- 12 restaurants, including seven with waterfront views.
- 10 bar and cocktail experiences.
- 80,000 square feet of shopping with about 40 luxury retailers.
- 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
- A 20,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.
- An 18,000-square-foot, two-story nightclub.
- A 2,500-square-foot wedding venue.
- A 4D interactive theater.
When the development was announced in 2020, it was known as Crystal Lagoons Island Resort. The original aim was to open in time for Super Bowl held in Glendale earlier this year.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June 2021 at the site at Cardinals Way and 95th Avenue, just east of the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway.
