A 17-story tower at 1 East Adams Street is set to become downtown Phoenix's first luxury hotel with a full-service spa when Denū Hotel & Spa opens its doors on September 16. The 236-room property has already inked deals with business groups from the legal, automotive, sports, and banking and finance industries, and has bookings for stays and events lined up for fall 2026.
The project has a long and winding history. As reported by KTAR News, the hotel's name is pronounced deh-noo, is rooted in Old English, and translates to valley — a nod to Phoenix's Valley of the Sun nickname. The site began in 2018 as a City of Phoenix request for proposals for a city-owned lot, under a project known as The Edith, according to Mortenson. That development stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic before Mortenson Development joined in 2022 to restructure financing and add a 17th floor to the building.
Hoodline first covered the $140 million project in 2024, when it was still known by its working title. The finished tower was ultimately developed through a joint partnership among Pacific Hospitality Group, Sunbelt Holdings affiliate JWG Investments, Mortenson Development, and Berger Holdings, with architecture firm Gensler directing the design, per Downtown Phoenix Inc.
Spa, Suites and a Rooftop Pool
Denū's signature amenity is the Solstone Holistic Spa, which includes eight treatment rooms and a co-ed Turkish-inspired hammam thermal circuit featuring warm stone seating, steam rooms, and thermal baths, according to Hotels.com. The building's dining and nightlife lineup includes Sartén Kitchen & Bar, an all-day Sonoran-inspired restaurant, plus a ground-floor cocktail lounge and the Nidos Rooftop Bar and pool on the 17th floor, Arizona Foothills Magazine reports.
Of the hotel's 236 total guest rooms, 15 are guest suites, along with a signature penthouse suite overlooking the downtown skyline, Arizona Foothills Magazine notes. The property also offers 23,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space spread across 18 distinct venues, headlined by the 4,070-square-foot Valley of the Sun Ballroom, according to Teneo Hospitality Group — a footprint located a short walk from the Phoenix Convention Center. Still, the hotel has significantly fewer rooms and less meeting space than the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and Hyatt Regency Phoenix, per KTAR News.
Leadership and Local Impact
Denū's general manager, Linda Ding, previously served as general manager of Hawaii's Ko'a Kea Resort and held senior executive roles at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa before taking over pre-opening operations in Phoenix, according to Global Features. Ding believes the hotel's unique offerings will make it a major competitor in the Valley's expanding hotel market, as she told KTAR News. She was appointed alongside dedicated marketing and sales directors in mid-2026, the outlet notes.
The 236-room property is expected to employ roughly 250 workers during peak tourism seasons, which run through Phoenix's autumn and winter months, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. Denū is marketing itself to both business groups and individual travelers, and the hotel's opening also marks Pacific Hospitality Group's first full-service independent property in Phoenix and the broader Southwest under its Meritage Collection brand.
A Downtown Hospitality Boom
Denū's debut lands amid a broader wave of upscale hotel investment reshaping downtown Phoenix. Hoodline has reported on a planned $200 million conversion of an Arizona Center tower into a 340-room JW Marriott set for 2029, as well as the proposed Arro megaproject, which includes a 250-key hotel as part of a bid to become Arizona's tallest tower. Those projects underscore how quickly the downtown hospitality landscape is expanding around Denū's arrival.
Whether an urban business district like downtown Phoenix can sustain a resort-style, wellness-centric spa hotel aimed largely at brief corporate visits remains an open question raised in coverage of the opening, given the city's proximity to established desert resort campuses in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. For now, Denū is betting that its combination of spa amenities, event space, and downtown convenience will set it apart when doors open next month.
