Vivid blue skies and radiant light aren’t the only things making Phoenix worthy of its nickname as the Valley of the Sun these days. Arizona’s capital city is shining thanks to a host of James Beard Award-winning dining options, new cosmopolitan hotels, and a spirited craft cocktail and speakeasy scene. Not only that, but Phoenix—the fifth-largest city in the United States—pulls it all off without losing its relaxed, indoor-outdoor way of living.
Spring comes early to the desert city, with 75-degree Fahrenheit days often beginning in February, and the fine spring days generally continue through March and much of April—until Phoenix’s notoriously sizzling summer heat arrives by about early May.
In 2025, visitors can take in poolside afternoons and golden-hour dinners at the recently opened Global Ambassador Hotel and its rooftop restaurant, where diners are treated to sunsets over the nearby Camelback Mountain. Meanwhile, delicious things are happening in the dining scene, with 2024 James Beard Award–winning chef Rene Andrade and others offering contemporary takes on Mexican cuisine classics.
Here are some of the popular new openings, upgraded favorites, and must-dos across the Greater Phoenix area this year.
Guests at the Global Ambassador can cozy up to views of Arizona’s dromedary-shaped Camelback Mountain.
Photo courtesy of Global Ambassador
Exciting new hotels to check into
The 141-guestroom Global Ambassador opened in December 2023, with amenities including an airy lobby with a coffee shop and luxurious spa.
“Indoor-outdoor life is so much a part of Arizona,” says managing director Geoff Gray, and on-site dining options like Pink Dolphin and Théa capture this tradition with spaces that spill out onto patios and pools. In Phoenix’s historic Arcadia neighborhood, the property was created to showcase Phoenix’s unique blend of city, desert, and mountains in an urban-centered hotel appealing to visitors and locals alike.
In the neighboring Valley community of Glendale, the VAI resort is scheduled to open in phases, beginning in late 2025. The resort will be adjacent to Mattel Adventure Park (also set to open in 2025), which will feature family-friendly attractions like the Barbie Beach House and the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride. Also, in a suburb of Phoenix bordering Scottsdale, the Ritz-Carlton Residences Paradise Valley is expected to open in late 2025/early 2026.
Mexican restaurant Chilte opened in February 2023.
Photos courtesy of Chilte PHX
Restaurants to plan a trip around
Fresh off the heels of Rene Andrade securing the 2024 James Beard award for Best Chef Southwest, his contemporary Mexican concept Bacanora has become one of Phoenix’s top eateries. The rustic, intimate downtown restaurant is famous for its wood-fired comfort dishes, such as carne asada, embered elote, and ceviche verde. For a more casual take on Andrade’s Sonoran-style cuisine, drive five minutes east to Huarachis Taqueria. The fun, colorful brick-and-mortar spot offers tacos and crispy masa huaraches stuffed with a choice of fillings that include carne asada, potato, and chicharron (fried pork belly).
Creative takes on Mexican cuisine abound at the spaces of 2025 James Beard semifinalists. Tuck into plates of birria dumplings at Santo in Arcadia and lamb-filled house mole at Chilte, in the downtown boutique Egyptian Motor Hotel. Travelers can get a modern farm-to-table experience at Valentine with brunch choices like mesquite miso–chocolate chip cookies, tres leches French toast, and hatch chili margaritas, while crab curries and stir fries reminiscent of villages in Thailand can be found at Lom Wong. Another notable choice is the Mediterranean-inspired fare at théa. Standouts include the “goddess of all dips” featuring six dips that include baba ganoush to kopanisti (whipped feta), and Greek-style grilled lamb chops flavored with oregano, mint, and lemon.
Nightlife must-sees
Espiritu Cocktails + Comida in neighboring Mesa just east of Phoenix is a perfect place to get to know the city’s spirits scene. Sip on “The Phoenix,” concocted by mixologist Nicole Long and winner of the 2024 Spirit of Phoenix Cocktail Competition. It’s made up of reposado tequila, prickly pear–infused syrup, mesquite honey syrup, and fresh squeezed lemon juice and is set off with spicy chiltepin peppers and a flaming dehydrated lemon slice.
The signature drink is just one aspect of the burgeoning nightlife scene that includes numerous stylish cocktail and speakeasy venues, such as Carry On, a popular downtown Phoenix cocktail experience that takes guests on a 90-minute journey to the golden age of air travel through its flights of cocktails (with in-flight snacks as a bonus).
Another place worth checking out includes the Trophy Room, a retro cocktail bar that takes patrons back to the days of speakeasies with drinks like Ol’ Gunpowder, a mix of spiced rum, pear, and Licor 43 liqueur, or the Grin & Bear with rye whiskey, sherry, and apricot liqueur. Billed as an “unplugged experience,” the Trophy Room is tucked discreetly behind curtains in a corner of the popular downtown Wren & Wolf steakhouse.
Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon Trail is just one of the many ways to explore Phoenix’s outdoor scene.
Photo by Brandon Sullivan
Essential must-dos in 2025
The annual Cactus League Spring Training brings a bevy of major league baseball teams and fans to the Valley of the Sun, and this spring and summer will see entertainment that goes beyond the sports scene. Local stadiums will host everything from The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour (scheduled for State Farm Stadium in May) to the Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan standup show at the Footprint Center in late March.
Phoenix is a springtime magnet for outdoors lovers as well, and many visitors gravitate to the spectacular hike up the steep inclines and rocky surfaces of Camelback Mountain’s Cholla Trail. The trail, which features sweeping city views and springtime wildflowers, got an overhaul in 2022 that featured a realigned trailhead and the addition of amenities like water fountains and restrooms. The ever-popular Desert Botanical Garden offers rotating exhibitions like Light Bloom (through March 2025) and Orchid Fever (from mid-March to May 11).
Fly into . . .
Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The Phoenix home of Southwest and American Airlines, the airport opened the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club in November 2024. Its Terminal 4 offers a variety of locals’ favorite restaurants and breweries such as Humble Pie and OSHO.
