See inside the $1.2 billion Glendale VAI Resort
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A rendering of the view of the amphitheater from a balcony of the Amphitheater Tower hotel. Photo: Courtesy of VAI Resort
Excitement is building for VAI Resort, the over-the-top Glendale entertainment complex that promises to bring the nonstop excitement of the Las Vegas Strip to the West Valley.
Why it matters: The development team is betting big — $1.2 billion big — that it can attract high-rolling guests with its luxury hospitality.
The big picture: VAI will consist of four hotels, indoor and outdoor performance venues, a white-sand beach, 12 restaurants, bars, and shopping stalls. Plus, it'll be home to the first-ever Mattel Adventure Park, which will feature a Hot Wheels roller coaster, Thomas & Friends kids zone, and life-size Barbie Dream House.
The intrigue: After a two-hour tour of the 60-acre site, I saw how the disparate pieces were starting to fit together like an elaborate (and expensive) puzzle that — if assembled as expected — will undoubtedly change the face of the West Valley.
/2024/11/19/1732052574765.gif)
Zoom in: The centerpiece of the development is an 11,000-capacity amphitheater that VAI Resort CEO and president Grant Fisher believes will draw the biggest names in the music industry.
- The venue is much smaller than many others in the valley, including neighboring Desert Diamond Arena, but it's designed for the optimal performer and audience experience, Fisher said.
Between the lines: The artist experience begins with the VIP top-floor suite, fitted with the largest hotel balcony in the state and connected to a private dining room in the resort's steakhouse.
- The stage will have a state-of-the-art audio/visual center for a "plug and play" performance experience. The idea is an intimate setting that still allows for extravagant showmanship, Fisher said.
- The goal is that VAI will be such a unique venue with uncompromising accommodations that word of mouth will have superstars lining up to perform, or even host a residency, in Glendale, he said.
/2024/11/19/1732052638119.gif)
On the spectator side, guests will have multiple extravagant viewership options:
- About 150 of the hotel rooms in the Amphitheater Tower have stage-facing balconies that are, at most, 200 feet from the stage — providing a private, mini-suite experience.
- The 800 pit tickets come with access to the below-stage bar, where fans can catch glimpses of the artist's team readying for the show.
Stat of play: The amphitheater, adjacent hotel and adventure park are scheduled to open by the end of 2025.
What's next: The remaining hotels and attractions will open over the course of 2026, including:
- VAI Villas: The resort's fanciest hotel, with suite options ranging from 1,100 to 5,300 square feet.
- Konos Island: A 52,000-square-foot "island" with sand, swimming pools and a 130-foot aerial ride that lifts 16 people and a bartender into the air for boozy, bird's-eye views.
What we're watching: The opening timeline has been pushed back a few times, but Fisher, who is from metro Phoenix and is developing the project with his father, said it's worth taking the time to make the project as close to perfect as possible.