Downtown Mesa's new hotel offers more than rooms
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Downtown Mesa's newest hotel is giving locals new reasons to visit, with an Italian restaurant, cafe and speakeasy — and another upscale hotel is on the way.
Why it matters: For locals, the new hotels are adding places to eat, drink and hang out — not just more rooms for out-of-town visitors.
The big picture: Downtown Mesa has transformed from a sleepy city center into a destination for breweries, restaurants and entertainment.
- City leaders want to continue curating "a FULL downtown experience," downtown transformation manager Jeff McVay wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The latest: The 233 Suites, a boutique Hyatt hotel, opened earlier this month and includes the restaurant Crust Simply Italian, along with a cafe and speakeasy bar.
What to try: Start with the New York-style pizza and spicy garlic knots at Crust Simply Italian.
- For a sweet treat, try the affogato, gelato topped with hot espresso, at the Bombolino Donut & Gelato Bar.
- Or the Great Attitude cocktail — house-infused vanilla vodka, salted caramel and espresso, finished with black lava sea salt — at the Nightingale Cocktail Bar.
What they're saying: "Imagine ... dinner before a show at the MAC, drinks after the applause and a hotel room within walking distance," McVay wrote in his post.
Flashback: "When I first moved here in 2005, we didn't come to this downtown because there was nothing for us to come to," McVay tells Axios, describing it as a hub for antique shops and Catholic bookstores.
Yes, but: McVay says downtown needs more everyday amenities to make living there as convenient as visiting.
- That includes businesses such as grocery stores and dry cleaners.
What's next: A 150-room AC Hotel by Marriott is also planned downtown after securing Mesa City Council approval this summer.
The bottom line: Downtown's new hotels mean more places for visitors to stay — and more restaurants and bars for locals to enjoy with them.