Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with developers to bring a four-star Westin hotel to Tempe, city and industry sources said Monday.
A formal announcement is scheduled for next week.
Details about the proposed hotel were limited, but it likely would be compact because of its location. It would be part of University Square, a $500 million, city-block-size project on University Drive just east of Mill Avenue. Starwood signed a deal with University Square’s developers last week, sources said.
The Westin brand is one of the several Starwood properties in the Valley, including the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and the Phoenician, both in Phoenix.
Plans for University Square submitted to the city for approval show it would contain an office building, a condominium tower and a hotel tower. The project could reach up to 300 feet high, or about 26 stories, and would replace Arches Plaza, a series of one-story shops and restaurants.
"I certainly think Tempe is a great location for a Westin, no question about it," said Bruce Lange, general manager of the Westin Kierland and chairman of the Valley Hotel and Resort Association.
"It’s the perfect locale. . . . It speaks well of the destination and well of the impact it will have on . . . tourists."
The developer and Starwood representatives on Monday declined to talk about the deal.
The Westin would be the second hotel announcement this year for Tempe. The first was a Le Meridien, another Starwood brand, that is scheduled to be built on the south bank of Tempe Town Lake in the Hayden Ferry Lakeside development.
A third is in the works: Marriott has submitted plans to build an 11-story Marriott Residence Inn on Fifth Street next to City Hall. Plans submitted last month call for about 170 rooms, with retail and office space on the ground level.
There are 127 Westin locations worldwide. Starwood also runs Sheraton, W Hotels, and the Luxury Collection.
Katie Nelson – The Arizona Republic
