The AC Hotel by Marriott officially broke ground at Goodyear Civic Square on Oct. 12, 2026. Developed by Baywood Hotels, the four-story, 135-room hotel is expected to open in early 2028. It will be the first branded hotel in downtown Goodyear’s growing mixed-use district.
A downtown hotel changes things for your neighborhood
You have probably watched GSQ fill in around City Hall — new restaurants, a library, a park. But until now, overnight guests had nowhere to stay within the district.
Spring training brings thousands of visitors to Goodyear Ballpark every February and March. Most of them sleep in hotels miles away. Once this hotel opens, they can stay within walking distance of the ballpark and GSQ’s dining strip. That foot traffic flows directly to local businesses.
For homeowners, a Marriott-branded hotel opening downtown is a concrete signal. It means a national hospitality company ran the numbers on Goodyear and said yes. That kind of commercial investment tends to support home values in the surrounding area by reinforcing the walkable, amenity-rich story that buyers respond to.
Visiting family will have a nearby, quality option instead of driving to the next city. Business travelers connected to the Banner Health Center and GSQ office buildings will have the same. The hotel is expected to create about 30 permanent jobs — real employment in a community that keeps growing.
Groundbreaking day: who showed up and what was said
The ceremony took place on Oct. 12, 2026 on the hotel’s site within GSQ. City Manager Brian Langley, Mayor Joe Pizzillo, and Councilmembers Trey Terry, Benita Beckles, and Wally Campbell all attended. Baywood Hotels Senior VP of Development & Finance BJ Patel was also on site.
Goodyear officials and Baywood Hotels representatives at the Oct. 12, 2026 groundbreaking ceremony at GSQ. (City of Goodyear)
Having both the city and the developer on the same site at the same time matters. It shows the project has cleared the approvals and financing hurdles that often delay announced hotels before they move dirt.
What the AC Hotel will look like: rooms, amenities, and square footage
The building will be four stories tall and about 70,000 square feet. It will have 135 guest rooms and more than 1,200 square feet of meeting space. On-site amenities include a lounge, a bar, a business center, and an outdoor pool.
The AC Hotels brand is known for its AC Lounge format — a signature cocktail and tapas bar like the one pictured here. (AC Hotels by Marriott)
AC Hotels by Marriott is a European-inspired lifestyle brand. It was founded in 1998 by Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalán and joined Marriott International through a joint venture in 2011. The brand now operates more than 225 hotels across 33 countries and territories. Its signature features include the AC Lounge — cocktails and tapas — and the AC Kitchen, a European-style breakfast offered each morning.
Another Marriott-branded hotel is taking shape elsewhere in the Valley. See our coverage of the Marriott Tribute Hotel coming to the Novus Innovation Corridor near ASU in Tempe.
Where the hotel sits: inside GSQ, overlooking Civic Square Park
The hotel is being built within GSQ, south of Goodyear City Hall along McDowell Road. It overlooks the two-acre Civic Square Park. The broader GSQ address is 1900 N. Civic Square, at McDowell Road and 150th Drive.
Aerial view of Goodyear Civic Square (GSQ), where the AC Hotel site sits south of City Hall along McDowell Road. (Globe Corp.)
The hotel will be steps from existing GSQ tenants including The Stillery, Bacchus Wine Bar, and Copper & Sage, as well as the Banner Health Center. That walkability — hotel, dining, healthcare, and city services in one district — is the core pitch GSQ has been building toward. Phase 1 opened on Aug. 1, 2022.
The developer: how Baywood Hotels acquired the site
Baywood Hotels is the developer. BJ Patel, the company’s Senior VP of Development & Finance, is leading the project. In December 2024, Baywood Hotels acquired 1.5 acres within GSQ for $2.7 million. That land purchase gave the project a concrete foundation before the 2026 groundbreaking.
From announcement to groundbreaking: the full timeline
The project was first announced in early 2025, when the projected opening was the end of 2026. That target shifted. By the time shovels hit the ground in October 2026, the opening had been pushed to early 2028. That kind of revision is common for hotel projects — permitting, design refinement, and financing can each add months.
What GSQ is: the public-private partnership behind downtown Goodyear
GSQ is a roughly 150-acre mixed-use district that functions as Goodyear’s downtown. It was built through a public-private partnership between the City of Goodyear and Globe Corp., with Red Development also involved. Globe Corp. president and co-CEO is George Getz. The Getz family purchased the land in the 1970s, when it was used as a scallion farm.
Globe Corp. donated a portion of that farmland to the city to make the development possible. The city’s own records confirm that no new or increased taxes were levied to construct Goodyear Civic Square. The partnership formally began in March 2019. Phase 1 includes City Hall, a two-story public library, Civic Square Park, two parking garages, and upscale office space. It opened on Aug. 1, 2022.
An illustration representing the construction phase ahead for the AC Hotel at GSQ. The hotel is expected to open in early 2028. (InsideTheValley.com illustration)
The AC Hotel is the first hotel to break ground within GSQ. For more on how commercial development is reshaping Goodyear, see our story on the Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Estrella in Goodyear.
Early 2028: what has to happen before the hotel opens
Construction is now underway. The target opening is early 2028. That gives the project roughly 15 to 18 months to complete vertical construction and finish out 135 rooms, all public spaces, and final inspections. No further public approvals are required based on what has been disclosed. The timeline has already shifted once, so early 2028 should be treated as a target, not a guarantee. InsideTheValley.com will update this page when an opening date is confirmed.
