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What's New in ABQ

 

RECENT AND UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS

Welcome to the new Albuquerque, where millions of dollars in hospitality investments are reshaping the city’s skyline. Whether its the opening of new businesses and hotels on Historic Route 66 or exciting developments throughout Old Town and Nob Hill, there is something to explore every time you visit the city. With increased air service at the International Sunport and new direct flights, there’s never been a better time to connect with Albuquerque. 

Hotel Updates 

Renovations to Begin at Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North

Renovations are slated to begin at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North. The 310-room hotel was recently acquired by Legacy Development & Management. Guest rooms, bathrooms and the conference center will all get upgrades. A new restaurant and bar will be added, along with a new pool and fitness center. The renovation is expected to cost $22 million and last two years.

RECENT ACCOLADES:

Downtown Makes Room for Long-Awaited Upscale Boutique Hotel

The much anticipated ARRIVE Albuquerque hotel is set to be completed by the end of 2024. A historic rehabilitation of the 1965-built Downtowner Motor Inn (most recently The Hotel Blue) will transform the Route 66 landmark located at 8th and Central into a new boutique hotel, ARRIVE Albuquerque.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque

Enjoy the Land of Enchantment in the newly redesigned guest accommodations at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque. Operated by award-winning Atrium Hospitality, the centrally located hotel in downtown Albuquerque has completed a four-phase, multimillion-dollar transformation of all 261 two-room guest suites.

Casas de Suenos Old Town Historic Inn

Guests at the Casas de Suenos Old Town Historic Inn will now be able to soak in a new Adobe Gardens Hot Tub Relaxation Area. The complimentary space is for guests 21 and older, and features year-round hot tubs enclosed in adobe walls.

Albuquerque International Sunport

New TSA Checkpoint at the Albuquerque International Sunport

The Albuquerque International Sunport opened a new TSA checkpoint in late 2023. The new checkpoint is 50% bigger to better accommodate heavy travel seasons. The new space will also include pieces from local artists. The new TSA checkpoint is the first phase of the $87 million Dream of Flight renovation.

Other Albuquerque Developments

Indigenous Restaurant Opens in Old Town

Yapopup, an Indigenous soul food restaurant, opened inside of Tiny Grocer in Old Town Albuquerque. Yapopup serves wings, tacos and more.

New Sober Bars Open

Crafting the finest, health-conscious tea-based drinks, the Lost Cultures Tea Bar menu showcases a variety of unique flavors - from fragrant teas to expertly brewed kombucha and specially crafted non-alcoholic cocktails. Whether you’re looking to relax, study, get some work done, socialize, or spend an evening out enjoying non-alcoholic cocktails, there is something for everyone. New Mexico’s first zero proof bar Luxe Lounge opened in late 2023, offering delicious non-alcoholic cocktails, wine and beer.

New Restaurants on Albuquerque's Eastside

The Bakehouse Off The Wheaten Path is a new gluten-free bakery that opened this summer on Albuquerque's Eastside. Featuring a wide range of 100% gluten-free baked goods, it also offers a selection of vegan options as well. Nobody Calls Me Chicken is a new vegan chicken joint, serving sandwiches and tenders. Slice and Dice Pizzeria, a pizza and board game restaurant, opened a new location on the Eastside. Garduño's opened a new location inside Nativo Lodge. Bama's 1865 opened in the former Salt Yard East location, serving Southern Creole cuisine. Popular food truck Mrs. Sprinkle's Ice Cream opened a storefront.

New Event Space at Casa Rondeña Winery

In the midst of an expansion, Casa Rondeña Winery is doubling their vineyard acreage and adding a new event center for weddings and private functions. Due to open in early 2024, Casa Rondeña will welcome guests with another beautifully designed building and features. 

Indian Pueblo Kitchen Will Soon Include Teaching Kitchen

Estimated to open in 2024, the Indian Pueblo Kitchen at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center will include a teaching kitchen that will offer exciting opportunities for students to learn Indigenous cooking techniques and restaurant operations in an engaging, collaborative environment. Eventually, the Indian Pueblo Kitchen will provide entrepreneurs, food truck operators and Native American food artisans with access to a commercial greenhouse and commercial kitchen. The restaurant and teaching kitchen will also offer culinary experiences such as cooking classes, wine pairing dinners, Feast Day meals and farm-to-fork dining.

Gruet Winery to Open New Tasting Room

The renowned Gruet Winery recently announced a forthcoming additional tasting room, offering more opportunities for wine enthusiasts to taste and celebrate their family-made, world-class wines.

Comedy Club to Open at Winrock Town Center

The Hyena's Comedy Nightclub is bringing one of its comedy clubs to Albuquerque. The comedy club will be located next to the Tricore Winrock Labs and Presbyterian Medical Group clinic in an underground venue. Construction began in fall 2023.

Dry Heat Comedy Club Moving to Larger Space

Dry Heat Comedy Club will be relocating to The Box Annex beginning April 1. The club outgrew its former Downtown space. The new location will provide more seating, more bathrooms and more drink options.

Legacy Development & Management Plans for Sunport Hotel

While it remains in the planning stages with the City of Albuquerque, Legacy has plans for a five-story hotel that will encompass 112 rooms across 73,595 square feet near the Albuquerque International Sunport. The project remains conceptual at this point, Kassam said. The hotel would be located off Sunport and University boulevards at 1500 Sunport Ave. SE, down the street from Interstate 25.

Updates on the New Albuquerque Rail Trail

A modern and artistic pathway that reflects the culture and history of the land of enchantment. The Rail Trail will transform Albuquerque’s downtown neighborhoods. The Trail is a 7- to 8-mile multi-use trail that will connect key destinations in the greater downtown area, while also encouraging economic development, healthy recreation, and cultural expression. This project balances the utility of a pedestrian parkway with bold, innovative storytelling that makes the Rail Trail a canvas for explaining how we are united in this place. 

Winrock Begins Construction on Park and Lake

Construction on the long-awaited centerpiece of the Winrock Town Center redevelopment is finally underway. Breaking ground on a massive outdoor open space in mid-May, developers and city officials now say the highly anticipated park and lake will be open this year. Owned by the Albuquerque-based Goodman Group since 2007, the Winrock site has been under a redevelopment plan for more than a decade. Renderings show the park is expected to include grassy outdoor spaces with trees, shaded seating areas, walking paths, a round gazebo-like structure, a nearby dog park and multiple bridges over a massive lake which will be filled with water treated on-site.

Netflix Official Expects Albuquerque Studios Expansion to Be Ready By 2024

Netflix officials expect thousands of people will be present at its North America Hub at Mesa del Sol in 2024. The California-based streaming giant said construction is underway on the project and dirt is moving for its massive expansion at Albuquerque Studios, which has a price tag of $1 billion. That is the same price point Netflix acquired Albuquerque Studios for in 2018.