Conference Travel DMC | Red Rock Reviews: news for group travel planners -- Sedona, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and the greater Arizona region

Unusual new "landscape hotel" coming to prime West Sedona parcel. Ambiente is located on a 3.1 acre parcel on highway 89A, on Cook's Hill, with a spectacular red rock view to the north. The project consists of 40 cube-shaped atriums, each with floor-to-ceiling windows, and designed to blend with the natural landscape. Completion is slated for late 2020.

New public observatory opens at Lowell in Flagstaff. The Giovale Open Deck Observatory offers groups use of 6 telescopes, including a giant 32 inch reflector that offers superb detail of nebulae and galaxies. Our groups have thoroughly enjoyed Lowell Observatory over the years, and this venue makes the experience even better. Feel free to contact us to include Lowell on your next trip to Northern Arizona.

Historic Castle Hot Springs reopens. The 1896 resort was once cutting edge, attracting the rich and famous of its era, including names like Rockefeller, Kennedy, and Wrigley. It was also one of Territorial Arizona's first developments with electricity and telephone. Now a multi-million dollar renovation brings back 32 cottages and cabins to the public on seasonal basis. Three swimming pools, filled by the hot springs, are in addition to the several natural hot pools. The healing water is also piped into roughly half the cottages. The resort is open from about mid-September through mid-June.

Marriott Residence Inn coming to West Sedona. The 85-room hotel sits on a 3-acre site across from the high school, and adjoins the existing Courtyard by Marriott. The new project includes a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Feel free to contact us for insight on all your excellent lodging options in Sedona.

Record tourism tax revenue last year in Arizona, topping $1 billion for the first time. The 8% revenue increase supports over 192,000 jobs. The increase was generated by a record 48.4 million visitors to the Grand Canyon State, who combined spent over $24 billion. Tourism is consistently one of Arizona's largest industries.

Enigmatic Roden Crater may finally open to the public, after a management agreement is reached between Arizona State Univeristy and artist James Turrell. Mr. Turrell has been developing the extinct cinder cone volcano as a perception art experience for some 40 years. Located northeast of Flagstaff, the interior of the cinder cone has been shaped to manipulate light and space, challenging the viewer's real world perception in the process. For more information, feel free to contact us.

Phoenix Sky Harbor rating best airport in nation, in latest Wall Street Journal rankings. Sky Harbor was noted for excellence in several of the ranked categories, including short screening waits, fast Wi-Fi, good restaurants, short taxi-to-takeoff times for planes, and cheap average Uber cost to get downtown. The city of Phoenix has recently expanded light rail service to and from Sky Harbor, offering a fast and inexpensive mass transit option.