Our Story

The Sydell Group acquired the hotel in early 2011 with a plan to fully renovate the property into a contextual resort, celebrating its place in the center of Scottsdale adjacent to the Civic Center Mall and Old Town's central shopping and arts district. Sydell assembled a team of creative partners to help relaunch the hotel, now named The Saguaro [suh-warh-oh], after the iconic cactus of the Sonoran Desert.

Colors of the Sonoran Desert

Architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat were brought on to infuse local color into the property. The team, known for their bold use of color, advocated recreating The Saguaro around a palette of 12 vibrant tones found in native desert wildflowers, in addition to better connecting the hotel to the public plaza next door.

The brilliant colors now adorn each balcony and patio and anchor the guestrooms, while also enlivening the indoor and outdoor public spaces. The color set follows the light spectrum, which in turn creates different perspectives of the hotel according to the time of day.

Southwest Culinary Experience

Iron Chef Jose Garces, a James Beard Award winner and one of the country's best young chefs, was brought aboard to revamp the food and beverage program. Garces responded with a new restaurant that takes its culinary influence from Southwest history: Distrito, serving Garces' take on Mexican street food and small plates.

Reflective Partnership

Sydell wanted the hotel to reflect the friendly hospitality for which Scottsdale is famous and accordingly tapped Joie de Vivre Hospitality of San Francisco, known for their super friendly and all welcoming hotels to oversee the property's operations. Sydell and Joie de Vivre oversaw all aspects of The Saguaro's physical renovation, including a transformed lobby, rooms (now featuring hand-crafted furniture imported from Mexico) and pool areas. New lighting and carpeting for the indoor and outdoor corridors were installed, as were extensive landscaping and garden elements.