Glendale's $40M VI Resort nears completion with 1,100 luxury rooms, Mattel Adventure Park

Arizona's Largest Luxury Resort VI Takes Shape in Glendale; $40M Venue, 1,100 Rooms, Mattel Park Planned for 2024 Opening

Arizona's largest luxury resort, VI, is under construction in Glendale's Sports and Entertainment District, according to a construction progress presentation. The resort will feature 1,100 luxury hotel rooms across four towers, a $40 million performance venue hosting roughly 100 shows annually, a 5-acre swimming complex, an indoor Mattel Adventure Park described as the first of its kind in the world, 12 restaurants, 70,000 square feet of retail, and wedding and nightlife venues. The project is expected to create 1,800–2,000 jobs and open in 2024.

Key Speeches

"What VI is really is a cruise ship on land where you don't have to leave and we got everything for everyone." — Grant Fisher, Resort President and CEO

"We really think it's a game changer. It really does something that no other property has been able to achieve here in the state of Arizona from an experiential resort type of property, so it really gives us something to differentiate ourselves from the competition." — Kevin Phelps, City Manager

"I feel like we've cracked the code. We have acres of cool space inside where guests can enjoy this park without suffering from the heat, so they're expecting to be busy year round." — Mark Cornell, President of Mattel Adventure Park

Project Overview

VI is a mixed-use resort development centered on a 40-acre site in Glendale's Sports and Entertainment District. The property combines hospitality, entertainment, dining, retail, and family attractions into a single destination designed to appeal to multiple visitor demographics—adults seeking luxury accommodations and entertainment, couples seeking dining and concert experiences, and families with children.

The resort is anchored by four hotel towers housing 1,100 luxury rooms and suites. Room types include presidential suites, king suites with balconies overlooking the central performance stage, and standard accommodations. Grant Fisher highlighted the unique positioning of 160 "king suite" rooms in the Muse Tower, which provide front-row views of the central performance stage from private balconies while maintaining hotel functionality. Approximately 8 tickets per performance will be available to the general public for select shows.

The central performance venue is a $40 million stage designed to host concerts and comedy shows approximately 100 times per year. The venue is positioned as a focal point of the resort, with premium hotel rooms offering unobstructed sightlines and private balcony seating.

A 5-acre swimming complex will run through the property, featuring multiple pool areas and water attractions. A 52,000-square-foot "Party Island" will include a restaurant, DJ booth, and aerial bar positioned 150 feet above ground, from which guests can consume beverages while suspended in the air.

The property will include 12 culinary restaurants spanning multiple price points and cuisines, including a five-star steakhouse with private booths overlooking the central performance stage. All restaurants and bars are designed to be open to the public, not exclusively to hotel guests.

Mattel Adventure Park

An indoor Mattel Adventure Park will occupy multiple acres within the resort and is described by Mark Cornell, president of Mattel Adventure Park, as "the first of its kind in the world." The park will feature rides and attractions for all ages, including a family roller coaster called the Bone Shaker, which incorporates a lift hill that extends through the roof and performs a double-helix spin before returning indoors. Additional attractions include Hot Wheels go-karts, a Barbie beach house, and other Mattel toy-themed experiences.

Cornell emphasized the park's design to provide year-round accessibility by offering "acres of cool space inside where guests can enjoy this park without suffering from the heat." This climate-controlled design is intended to drive consistent visitation regardless of Arizona's seasonal temperature extremes.

Retail and Mixed-Use Components

The resort will include 70,000 square feet of retail space open to the public, positioning the property as a destination for shopping as well as lodging and entertainment. Wedding venues and nightclubs are also planned on the property.

Economic Impact and Job Creation

City Manager Kevin Phelps stated that the resort is projected to create 1,800–2,000 direct jobs. Phelps characterized the project as a "game changer" that "does something that no other property has been able to achieve here in the state of Arizona from an experiential resort type of property" and indicated that the project's economic impact will extend beyond direct employment to regional economic benefit through supply chain, service, and support industries.

Phelps emphasized the competitive positioning that VI provides to Glendale and the broader Arizona market, noting that the resort's integrated mix of hospitality, entertainment, dining, retail, and family attractions gives the region "something to differentiate ourselves from the competition."

Opening Timeline and Development Status

The resort is scheduled to open in 2024. The presentation featured live footage from active construction, including views of hotel room interiors, the performance stage, and the Mattel Adventure Park construction zones, indicating that significant structural and interior work was underway at the time of the presentation.

Strategic Location and Partnership

Grant Fisher noted that the development team "could have gone anywhere in the world for this" project but "chose Glendale for a reason," citing "great partnerships" as a factor in the location decision. This statement suggests that local government cooperation, zoning flexibility, or other municipal incentives played a role in the developer's site selection.

Market Positioning

VI is positioned as a destination resort comparable in scope and amenity density to Las Vegas properties, but with a focus on integrated family and adult entertainment under a single roof. The "cruise ship on land" metaphor employed by Fisher emphasizes the all-inclusive experience model—guests can arrive and remain on property for their entire stay without requiring off-site transportation or activity sourcing.

The combination of premium hotel accommodations, world-class performance venue, celebrity chef restaurants, retail, and the world's first Mattel Adventure Park represents an attempt to capture multiple visitor segments (luxury travelers, entertainment-seekers, families, special-event attendees) simultaneously within a single property.

Other Observations

The presentation emphasized resort amenities and construction progress but did not address or revisit any prior planning/zoning approvals, development conditions, or outstanding entitlements. The tone of the presentation was promotional and celebratory, focusing on amenity descriptions and construction progress rather than financial performance, operational staffing challenges, or construction timeline risks.

No public comment period, council discussion, or voting was included in the transcript provided. The presentation appears to have been a city council informational briefing or a promotional video prepared for media and stakeholder distribution.