Arbor Lodging Partners, a Chicago-based hotel investment and management company, recently announced its latest acquisition in downtown Phoenix. The AC Hotel Phoenix Downtown is located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, at 414 North 5th Street.

The location is near Chase Field, Talking Stick Resort Arena, the Arizona State University Downtown campus, and many other sports arenas, restaurants, and local attractions.

Boasting 199 luxury rooms and suites, the hotel is also home to the AC Lounge and AC Kitchen, capable of serving “a European-Style breakfast and can also accommodate special culinary events,” according to the company. This goes without mentioning the robust event spaces the hotel has built in.

The firm that acquired the hotel is an award-winning brand, honored by “Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) with the Merger & Acquisition of the Year 2020 award for its substantial 12-hotel portfolio acquisition in January of 2020.”

Downtown Phoenix’s growth

Phoenix is now the city in America, and overtook Philadelphia this past year to become the nation’s fifth-largest city by population.

Beyond rapid population growth, , too. 

“With a personal income growth rate of 8.4%, Arizona tied with Montana for the fastest rate of growth in personal income in 2020,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said after a Bureau of Economic Statistics analysis was released earlier this year.

While the pandemic depressed the growth of Phoenix and Arizona’s hospitality industry, “business- and travel-related restrictions related to COVID-19 have been less strict in Phoenix than in other markets, tourism and group business.” , “In 2020, 23 new hotels were built in Arizona despite the poor hotel performance.”

Arbor Lodging Partners’ bet on Arizona, and on Phoenix, are a preview of the post-COVID growth the state and the Valley will continue to experience as vaccinations become more widespread and the world recovers from the coronavirus.

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Seven months and counting. That’s how long citizens have to obtain a new travel identification to get through security at airports starting October 1.

Unfortunately, most Americans are not even aware of the deadline, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Potentially tens of millions of them could start converging on airports next fall. Now, is a good time to get the to avoid the last-minute rush or being turned away at the airport.ĚýĚý

Most Americans don’t know there’s a deadlineĚý

Despite widespread public information campaigns, 57 percent of Americans are not even aware of the new ID, called the REAL ID, according to the .Ěý

Surveys indicate 99 million Americans do not have any form of REAL ID-compliant identification, said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy of the travel industry advocacy association.

The REAL ID acts as both a driver’s license and a travel ID for domestic air travel. Starting Oct. 1, air passengers 18 and older must have the new REAL ID or other valid documentation such as a passport or permanent resident card in order to fly.Ěý

The new travel ID is designed to add another layer of security against terrorism and other threats for people who fly.Ěý

Standard driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted at airports. There may be a process at many airports to validate flyers on the spot. But that could still cause delays.Ěý

More than 65 percent of Arizona drivers have new ID

Arizona is doing better than many other states in issuing the new travel IDs. More than 65 percent of eligible Arizona drivers have obtained the REAL ID.Ěý

While many people rarely or never travel, it’s still something they should consider, said the director of the state’s Motor Vehicle Division, Eric Jorgensen.Ěý

“We know some people rarely, if ever, plan to travel by air, but it’s still important to think about getting the AZ Travel ID anyway,” Jorgensen said in a prepared statement.ĚýĚý

“Unexpected events requiring air travel can occur and having the AZ Travel ID is the most efficient and cost-effective solution.”

Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­akes it quick and easyĚý

The state has taken a number of measures to make the process quick and easy.Ěý

Arizona has added staffing at the Motor Vehicle Department and Authorized Third Party offices statewide. Anyone can walk in without an appointment or they can make an appointment online at .Ěý

Documents required are:Ěý

• An original birth certificate or valid passport
• Proof of Social Security number
• Two pieces of documentation such as a utility bill or rental agreement that show a person’s physical address, not a P.O. box

Appointments take about 15 minutes. The REAL ID costs $25.00 and is valid for eight years.

Other acceptable forms of identification for travel

Other forms of federal ID will continue to be accepted at airports and federal-building security checkpoints. The other forms of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are:

U.S. passport

U.S. passport card

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents

Permanent resident card

Border crossing card

DHS-designated enhanced driver’s license

Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID

HSPD-12 PIV card

Foreign government-issued passport

Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card

Transportation worker identification credential

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

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The Local First Arizona Foundation last month announced its new Rural Marketing Cooperative program, created in collaboration with the Arizona Office of Tourism.

The program is designed to help drive tourists to rural and tribal parts of the state by following a “robust” media advertising plan that includes online, print, outdoor and Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) publications.

Every year, AOT releases a list of large, reputable advertisers and offers half-rate pricing to rural and tribal marketing organizations, chambers and tourism associations by using matching funds from the AOT budget.

“This year, under the Arizona Rural Development Council, the AOT is co-oping branding, which is a first,” said Liza Noland, director of rural programs for the Arizona Rural Development Council (AZRDC), the rural-focused arm of theĚý (LFAF).

Starting with 2019-2020 program, the AZRDC is offering three different packages for rural groups: branding, which can be either for the community or an individual chamber or tourism organization; development of community profiles, an “all-encompassing snapshot” of a community, which employers often use to attract new workers; and marketing consulting, including help developing a marketing plan.

“That is kind of new, because it’s not just advertising; it’s actually on that branding and development side,” Noland said. “Before, they were co-oping your spend. Now, if you select some of our pieces, they’re actually co-oping the planning, which just helps people utilize it better.”

Before, the challenges were three-fold, she said. The program was under-utilized, it was overly-complex — which contributed to it being under-utilized — and rural organizations and communities did not have the budget to afford effective advertising.

“Now, I think rural communities are starting to really realize their uniqueness,” Noland said. “So many of them, especially across the state, have something so cool… either just unbelievable outdoor recreation, or they’ve become a veryĚý, or they’re a mining community, or they’re a saguaro community — they have all sorts of things.”

People in rural communities have begun to recognize that Arizonans “want to visit rural,” and they want to take the opportunity, Noland said.

“Everybody’s moving to get people to come visit,” she said. “Now, we just need to tell them what to expect.”

AsĚý of marketing their diverse assets and offerings, consumer demand for rural tourism continues to grow, and the Rural Marketing Co-Op is intended to help rural stakeholders “take the lead role,” she said.

Hiring an ad agency to do a brand package, even for a small community, could cost anywhere from $20,000 to upward of $70,000, Noland said.

The AZRDC is offering the same service for $10,000, but the Rural Marketing Co-Op match from AOT brings the cost down to $5,000.

“We’ve heard from three [communities] already that are excited, and then we’ll see… what else we hear,” Noland said. “It’s been received positively so far.”

The AZRDC’s goal is to keep Arizonans in-state when they travel, bringing much-needed money to Arizona’s rural cities and towns rather than spending it out-of-state. The Rural Marketing Co-Op is intended to get the message out so people know the destinations available to them.

“There are billions of dollars spent every year by Arizonans traveling to Southern California for weekend getaways, and our goal is to divert 10 percent of that money back to rural Arizona,” Noland said. “It would completely change the face of rural Arizona if we did that.”

The AZRDC encourages any rural destination marketing organizations (DMOs), tribes and tourism-marketing groups who are interested toĚý.

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Good news for Phoenix flyers as Condor Airlines, part of the Thomas Cook Group, extends their time at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport by offering nonstop flights from Phoenix to Frankfurt. The airline announced last month they would offer flights twice a week from late May through September for summer service, but in 2019 they will be offering those twice a week flights from May to October, adding nearly two more months of service in the upcoming year.

Chief Airlines Officer at Thomas Cook Group Airline, Christoph Debus, expressed the airline’s excitement to provide this service to Arizona, “Our Condor flight is the only nonstop service from Phoenix to Continental Europe, and brings a new, affordable, comfortable and convenient option for vacationers from Arizona and the greater Southwest region headed to Europe.”

Passengers will fly in a Boeing 767, which can accommodate over 250 people. Those onboard will receive complimentary checked baggage, in-flight entertainment, beverages, and meals. Additional services will be provided to the 18 business-class seats on the plane.

This nonstop flight will play a critical role not only for leisure travelers, but also for those traveling on business to and from Germany. “This direct service between Phoenix and Frankfurt provides a convenient connection for our business and leisure passengers,” Phoenix Interim Mayor Thelda Williams stated. “We’re delighted that Condor has chosen to increase service next year, and we’re looking forward to continuing the partnership that our Sky Harbor staff has worked hard to establish.”

Sky Harbor has been focusing on adding more international flights in the rotation as they increased their flights to London and included a new service to Montreal earlier in May. Currently 22 international locations are accessible from Sky Harbor.

“The additional service offered by Condor Airlines will not only continue to infuse millions of new dollars into our local economy, but will also provide our residents with a greater variety of travel options for business, education, and leisure,” said Phoenix Councilwoman Laura Pastor.

According to the airport’s statistics, Sky Harbor generates approximately $3 billion each year from international flights arriving in Phoenix.

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