October 05, 2026

Downtown Phoenix Office Tower to Become a 340-Room JW Marriott

By Juan Grimaldo, The Grimaldo Group | October 2026

Downtown Phoenix is reinventing one of its office towers. One Arizona Center, a 19-story office building at 400 E. Van Buren St., is planned to become a 340-room JW Marriott, according to the Phoenix Business Journal, Hotel Dive and AZBEX. It's a clear sign that downtown is leaning harder into hospitality, conventions and tourism.

Why this matters

This isn't just another hotel opening. Turning an empty office tower into a full-service luxury hotel shows how downtown Phoenix is adapting its existing buildings to what the city needs now.

Downtown office space has been slow to fill since the pandemic. Hoodline, citing CBRE, reports downtown Phoenix office vacancy was about 27% in the second quarter of 2026, well above the suburbs. Meanwhile, the Arizona Center sits near the Phoenix Convention Center, Chase Field, ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. A large hotel with meeting and event space in that spot can bring in more conventions, out-of-town visitors and evening activity.

Project highlights

Building: One Arizona Center, a 19-story office tower built in 1989, developed by Las Vegas-based LaPour Partners
Hotel: JW Marriott, with 340 planned rooms averaging more than 500 square feet
Amenities: a ground-level pool, spa and fitness center, a restaurant, a club lounge, and event rooms on the top floors with city and mountain views
Estimated cost: about $200 million, according to AZBEX and Hoodline
Timeline: interior demolition expected to begin in 2027, with an opening targeted for 2029

If it moves forward, it would be the third JW Marriott in metro Phoenix, joining the Desert Ridge Resort & Spa and the Scottsdale Camelback Inn.

Potential benefits for downtown Phoenix

More conventions and events: Added meeting space creates room for larger events, or several at once, tied to the convention center.
More business for local spots: Hotel guests mean more customers for nearby restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.
Smarter use of existing buildings: Reusing an office tower can be faster and more sustainable than building a new hotel from the ground up.
A livelier downtown: A major hotel can help keep downtown active on nights and weekends, not just during work hours.

Questions to watch

Demand: Will convention and tourism demand support 340 luxury rooms long term? Being close to the convention center and stadiums helps make the case. Developer Jeff LaPour told Hotel Dive that downtown is still underserved when it comes to luxury hotels.
Office market: Converting office space into hotel rooms takes some supply off the market. With downtown vacancy as high as it is, though, that may help more than it hurts.
The surrounding area: A hotel like this works best when the blocks around it offer good retail, easy transit and a safe, walkable experience for guests.

The takeaway

Turning One Arizona Center into a JW Marriott shows downtown Phoenix leaning into hospitality, conventions and tourism. And a busier, more vibrant downtown is good for the whole Valley, including the West Valley, which is a straight drive down I-10. If you care about local development, real estate or the future of downtown, this is one project to watch.

What do you think? Is converting older office towers into hotels a smart move for downtown Phoenix? We'd love to hear your take. And if you want to know how growth like this could affect your home or your next move, reach out to our team.

Juan Grimaldo | The Grimaldo Group at eXp Realty
(480) 365-8346 | juang@teamgrimaldo.com

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