Southwest Value Partners has acquired the 575-room JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, located at the base of Tucson Mountain Park in Arizona, from Fortress Investment Group for $110 million. 

Opened in 2005, the hotel features 80,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space; seven food and beverage outlets; three pools, including a lazy river and water slide; a 20,000-square-foot spa; and the 27-hole Starr Pass Golf Club.

The JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa is “regarded as a premier resort destination hotel in Southern Arizona,” said Mark Schlossberg, Southwest Value Partners managing partner, and has all the characteristics the privately held real estate investment company looks for when investing, including a location in a “top market in terms of population and job growth.” 

“Arizona has outperformed many markets since the pandemic as a drive-to destination,” said Jennifer Bergamo of CBRE, which brokered the acquisition. “Tucson's diverse demand generators in education, optics, aerospace and defense, renewable energy and mining technology help support the demand in the Tucson hospitality industry.” 

Due to the “strong demand from the leisure and group guests” that Southwest Value Partners continues to see in Arizona, it plans to keep evaluating opportunities for future investment in the market, Schlossberg said. 

Southwest Value Partners has actively invested in Arizona for 30 years and owns other notable hospitality properties, including the 487-room Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, the 235-room Hilton Resort & Villas in Scottsdale and the 378-room DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley in Scottsdale. The firm’s portfolio also features hotel and office assets in California, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and other states. 

Southwest Value Partners is exploring renovations options for JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa. While Schlossberg declined to announce specific improvements, he said the project will likely begin in late 2024 and into 2025. Marriott will continue to manage the property.