Popular Phoenix Boutique Hotel Is Reborn As Rise Uptown

Formerly ARRIVE Phoenix, Rise Uptown debuts on June 6 fully complete, with an all-new rooftop lounge joining Lylo Swim Club, Cartel Coffee, at this neighborhood boutique hotel owned by locals, for locals

(PRESS RELEASE) – Rise Uptown is the new name of the locally owned, 79-room, $25M boutique hotel spanning two restored mid-century modern towers at Camelback Road and 4th Avenue (400 W. Camelback), in the heart of Uptown Phoenix. Previously known as ARRIVE Phoenix, Rise Uptown revealed its new name, new touches, and an all-new penthouse lounge during the official grand opening on Sunday, June 6, 2021.

The breakout success of the hotel - which debuted and thrived in the midst of 2020’s global pandemic - opened the door to new partnerships and opportunities to fully realize the property as originally intended. Vintage Partners and Venue Projects, the local owners of the hotel, have tapped Benchmark, the renowned hospitality management company behind fellow mid-century landmarks, Hotel Valley Ho and Mountain Shadows, to oversee and operate every detail on-property, and have also expanded the role of renowned drinksmith and concept creator, Ross Simon, to conceptualize and execute his version of a stunning penthouse lounge, named Don Woods’ Say When. Other touches property-wide will fold together to create a uniquely Arizona experience.

“For us, this is a coming home of sorts. We’re proud to have successfully completed the revitalization of this historic mid-century modern property, and now we’re excited to partner with both Benchmark and cocktail guru Ross Simon to reveal the final phase of Rise Uptown in its locally-focused glory,” says Walter Crutchfield of Vintage Partners, the Phoenix-based real estate development and investment firm behind Rise Uptown, along with Venue Projects. “At Benchmark we’re committed to offering guests a highly curated collection of extraordinary properties with a strong sense of location, and we’re proud to add Rise Uptown to our portfolio of midcentury modern landmarks,” says Benchmark’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Ted Davis.

The Dawn of a New Day The name Rise Uptown digs into the heart of Phoenix’s local and historical heritage. “COVID flattened the entire hospitality industry,” Crutchfield says. “It also kept most of us home for an entire year. In both cases we had time to reflect on the privilege of working in our local neighborhood, as well as the opportunity to begin again. ‘Rise Uptown’ captures our history and our Uptown neighborhood roots.”

The property’s original architect, mid century maven, Fred Melville Guirey, designed great indoor/outdoor spaces where sunshine played a significant role in his design process. Guirey’s love for blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors, with open-air spaces pierced with breeze-block and surrounded by lush landscaping, created the perfect environment for daytime poolside soirees and sunset rooftop cocktail parties. “Rise” points to Guireys design aesthetic, as well as its status of being Uptown’s first-ever high-rise in the early sixties. “Uptown” honors the local neighborhood heritage, and together pairs a love for the past and a love for the local neighborhood.

Two of the Valley’s Best Bars, Under One Roof
Perched atop the Rise Uptown hotel and offering stunning 270-degree views indoors and out, Don Woods’ Say When is the property’s new rooftop lounge pairing classic and reimagined cocktails, paired with chef-crafted bar bites, from 4 pm to close, Wednesdays through Sundays. Envisioned and helmed by Ross Simon, known on-property for creating the property’s poolside Lylo Swim Club and best known for his world-renowned bars Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour and Little Rituals, Don Woods’ Say When writes a new chapter in Simon’s book. “The cocktail menu is centered around Spritzes and High Balls,” Simon says, “all were retro-era inspired to fit the space and the vibe perfectly, but they are just also highly enjoyable and approachable cocktails to drink, served from open till late night, paired with amazing cityscape views.” Starting with a proprietary Japanese High Ball machine, combined with Simon’s signature nano-filter water system, it delivers super cold, highly charged, clean and delicious carbonated soda that when mixed with modernized and fresh ingredients and flavors such as lime leaf, yuzu and pressed watermelon, create destination cocktails. Rounding out the menu is a collection perfectly made classics such as the Side Car, Manhattan and Daiquiri, plus fun takes and revamped inspirations of the classic Whisky Sour, Cape Cod, Mule & Harvey Wallbanger. Or as Simon puts it, “We’ll do all the complicated stuff, guests can just enjoy.” Don Wood Say When also serves a compact menu of crave-worthy bar bites that are authentic to the era, including hors d’oeuvres such as house-made Chips & French Onion Dip served in ornate glassware and with an optional tin of caviar. Or a steakhouse-style poached Shrimp Cocktail; marinated Castelvetrano olives; and Boquerónes, a Spanish tapa of marinated white anchovies seasoned with garlic and parsley. “We’re not serving full dinners, but more of a nice accompaniment to your cocktails, like a retro house party from the era when European-style nibbles were the height of sophisticated socializing,” Simon says.

As for the name, it’s a nod to the local real estate developer who once officed inside this handsomely-restored mid-century modern tower. Stepping off the elevator, guests are ensconced inside an era of old, but strikingly modern for today. Brimming with rich burgundy carpets, brass- and leather-accented furnishings and polished wood planks extending from the bartop to the walls and across the signature zig-zag ceiling, the experience carries outside by stepping out onto the rooftop deck, where guests will vibe in the sun-drenched city views, stretching east to Camelback Mountain, south to the Downtown skyline and west for postcard-perfect Arizona sunsets.

The Overall Experience
Designed to feel a little like home, a little like vacation, every Rise Uptown hotel room boasts king beds with 100% Egyptian cotton linens and a striking and spacious tile shower with imported Tyneham bath products. Additional locally-crafted touches include custom vanities and wardrobes by Urban Plough, concrete sinks by Slabhaus and stylish, mid-century-inspired fireplaces by Modfire in select rooms. A record collection curated by local institution Stinkweeds is available for guests to cue up on their in-room record player.

Rise Uptown also features on-site dining, drinks and amenities such as …

The Pop Stand
Hotel guests will enjoy a welcoming gift of handcrafted paletas-style popsicles while completing their check-in process as they choose from an ever-changing menu made from fresh fruit, luxurious cream and even your favorite booze, such as strawberries con crema, chile mango, pink lemonade, and frozen margarita.

Cartel Uptown Phoenix
Housed in a sleek 600 sq. ft. space fronting Camelback Road, Cartel Uptown Phoenix offers fresh baked goodies and grab-and-go meals, plus a full coffee program, complete with single origin beans, canned cold brew and more.

Lylo Swim Club
A stunning mid-century style poolside bar led by Scottish born, now local cocktail guru Ross Simon of Great Minds Drink Alike, known best for his globally-awarded and recognized cocktail bars Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour and Little Rituals. Pronounced ‘lie-low’ (a UK term for a pool float), enjoy craft cocktails and canned craft beers and wines, paired with Asian-influenced chef-crafted fare, served with eco-conscious thoughtfulness, including colorful plush acrylic drinkware & small compostable wares.

About Venue Projects: We craft one-of-a-kind environments that are sensitive to experiences and neighborhoods. This is what we love to do. Learn more about Venue Projects at www.venueprojects.com.

About Vintage Partners: Vintage Partners is a commercial real estate development and investment company whose principals have deep experience in commercial real estate acquisition, entitlement, development, disposition, leasing and management. The focus of Vintage Partners is to identify high-quality, financially distressed, value-add opportunities in both improved and unimproved commercial real estate assets and utilize multiple exit strategies for optimal returns. Whether capital constrained, in need of renovation/repositioning, responding to tenant demand, or securing new development opportunities, Vintage focuses on opportunities that allow it to maximize its local knowledge and leverage its industry relationships and experience from more than 160 separate projects in the past 30 years. Learn more about Vintage Partners at www.vintagevp.com.

About BENCHMARK: BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, is a leader in the development, management, and marketing of independent, soft branded, and experiential hard branded resorts, hotels, and conference centers. In addition to the company’s award-winning full service Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, its lifestyle and luxury Gemstone Collection, and its industry-leading Benchmark Conference Centers. BENCHMARK is also an investor in etc.venues, a leading provider of contemporary city centre venues for meetings, signature events, and conferences. Benchmark's combined portfolio features more than 80 unique projects across three continents. The company is passionately committed to delivering personal, inspiring, and memory-making experiences, driving total revenue and profitability, and cultivating an award winning, “Be The Difference” culture for all its employees. Benchmark, is based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, with offices in London, England; Miami, Florida; Park City, Utah; Scottsdale, Arizona; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Seattle, Washington; and Tokyo, Japan. www.benchmarkglobalhospitality.com.