Snell & Wilmer Represents Trinity Investments in Sale of JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa for $865 Million

PHOENIX – Snell & Wilmer co-represented a joint venture between Trinity Investments and Elliott Investment Management, as local Arizona counsel to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, in its recent sale of the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa to Ryman Hospitality Properties for $865 million. The 950-room hotel property is Phoenix, Arizona’s largest resort and was ranked earlier this year by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hotels in Phoenix. The joint venture acquired the resort in 2019 and completed a renovation project costing nearly $100 million that included refreshing the lobby and completely redesigning guest rooms, adding a new water park complex, and opening two new signature dining venues.  Marriott International will continue operating the resort under the JW Marriott flag.

Trinity Investments is a private real estate investment firm with a primary focus on hotels and resorts. As of March 2025, Trinity has over $6.8 billion of assets under management and has invested in more than $10 billion of assets since inception. Trinity covers the full spectrum of commercial property investment, development management, strategic operations, and accounting, and has offices in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami and London.

Snell & Wilmer’s real estate attorneys provide comprehensive legal support to our clients engaged in complex real estate projects across a wide range of asset types and industries. We advise on the acquisition, disposition, development, and operation of hotel and resort, office, industrial, retail, agricultural, tax incentivized and other projects. Our team brings deep industry knowledge, practical experience, and strong relationships, enabling us to negotiate and execute transactions efficiently in collaboration with our clients’ project teams. We also assist with diligence investigations, securing government entitlements and approvals, and the related corporate and finance matters.

Snell & Wilmer partner Joyce Wright led the firm’s representation in the transaction, with the assistance of several other team members, including partners Nicholas Wood (land entitlement), Bill Staudenmaier (water), and Christopher Colyer (liquor licensing), counsel Geoff Gunnerson (state and local tax), and associate Stephen Wright (real estate).