The Kimpton Palomar Hotel opening next year in downtown Phoenix may become a hub for professional sports teams visiting the Valley to play Phoenix-area teams.
The 250-room Palomar will be part of the CityScape mixed-use development, across Jefferson Street from US Airways Center and a few blocks west of Chase Field.
Sources familiar with the hotel’s development say its owners are looking to position the Palomar as a destination for teams coming to play the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns in downtown Phoenix, as well as teams visiting the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale.
Right now, many teams playing the D-backs and Suns stay at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix at 24th Street and Camelback Road.
National Football League and National Hockey League teams playing the Cardinals and Coyotes in Glendale also stay at the Ritz or the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa.
Hotel, team and CityScape representatives contacted were mum about where visiting teams stay now and whether the Palomar might host any when it opens next year.
“We are unable to provide any comment or information about our guests,” said Kaitlin Crawford, spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix.
“We don’t give out that information,” said an official at the Renaissance in Glendale, across from Jobing.com Arena and University of Phoenix Stadium.
One source familiar with the Palomar said the hotel might open earlier than its original target of summer 2012. Attracting professional teams to stay there probably would provide a steady and lucrative revenue source for the new property. Visiting teams generally stay for one to three nights, bringing players, staff, coaches, and sometimes families and accompanying media.
Downtown Phoenix hotels traditionally rely on event traffic from the Phoenix Convention Center as well as out-of-towners visiting the city’s core for special events.
CityScape spokeswoman Jan Bracamonte said she did not have any information about the Palomar potentially becoming a host hotel for visiting teams. She did say the Palomar is expected to open in April, which would coincide with the start of the Major League Baseball season.
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC also owns the FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. The hospitality company operates more than 50 boutique hotels and 54 restaurants in 24 markets.
Palomar hotels are in Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, Dallas and other cities, with rates ranging from $200 to $300 or more per night, depending on the room and amenities.
Kimpton officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Downtown Phoenix and the CityScape development also are expected to be focal points when Arizona hosts the Super Bowl in 2015. The region’s Super Bowl bid, accepted last month by National Football League owners, included having concerts, the media center and fan events in downtown Phoenix.
