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| Scottsdale clubs, hotels are a celebrity playground | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Kelly Wilson, Get Out | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 7, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
He playfully dunks a buxom blonde who tries to spit weak game — “Nick, you’re so hot!” — at the singer, who is dating MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo, although she’s noticeably absent on this Saturday afternoon. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart flirts with a bevy of women as Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens relaxes poolside. Just another Saturday at downtown Scottsdale’s hottest celebrity spotting playground? Sure. But it’s also the Cardinals hottie’s 24th birthday party, and the hotel is packed with athletes such as Phoenix Suns players Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw along with celebrities like Brody Jenner (from MTV’s “The Hills”) who have come out to the party, which later moves to the hotel’s posh Skybar (photos). Skybar bar manager Bre Pursley says celebrities are drawn to Scottsdale because it’s so close to L.A. “I think it’s a fun area for people to get away — especially since it’s warm weather-wise,” she says.
Leinart’s star-studded birthday affair May 19 was no exception. “There were a lot of celebrities there,” Pursley says of the party, whose attendants occupied two of the hotel’s six buildings. “Everyone was drinking a lot and laying out — cannonballs in the pool. You got to see A-listers you see in the newspapers and on TV acting like kids again. It was kind of like a big bachelor party.” Skybar is one of several Scottsdale bars — including Axis/Radius, Myst, Pussycat Lounge and Jackrabbit Supper Club — that attract a celebrity clientele (guide). Since January, the bar has brought out actors Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, Jamie Foxx, Jeremy Piven and Adam Brody.  While Foxx rolled up with a 30-plus entourage and played DJ at Skybar during his April visit, Pursley says Alba, Berry and Mendes, who were in the East Valley for a Revlon photo shoot, were mellow.“They were the first high-profile celebrities to come in, especially women,” Pursley says. “They sat together and kept to themselves. … Eva Mendes went to the gift shop and bought an Us Weekly!” Low-key, low-maintenance At see-and-be-seen dance club Axis/Radius, VIP hostess Jessica Kinni has seen her share of celebrities, including Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, singer Michael Bolton, Prince, “American Idol” Taylor Hicks and “Jackass” star Steve-O. “Lady Sovereign came in after her show with Gwen Stefani,” Kinni says of the pint-sized rapper’s April visit. “She requested a couple trays of finger food, and she performed a few songs from her album.” Kinni says that celebrities usually have their agents call ahead of time to announce their arrival. “When Jamie Foxx is here, he wants the champagne out,” she says. “You’ll see the Cristal or the Dom and the Ketel One and Grey Goose drinkers. Usually it’s the guys getting it for their lady friends.” And the celebrities can usually be found upstairs in one of four skyboxes, which range from $750 to $4,500 per night. Most celebs are low-key, Kinni says. “They’re very low-maintenance,” she says. “They draw their own attention and they’re great publicity.” Contact Kelly Wilson by email, or phone (480) 898-5691 |
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