A 16-story high-rise rising 208 feet to the roof, the Westward Ho once defined Phoenix's skyline, and it towers in front of you now. For over 30 years it held the title of tallest building in Arizona until the Meridian Bank Tower was completed in 1960. It primarily served as a hotel from its grand opening in 1928 until its official closure on April 7, 1980.
Inside, the building housed offices and restaurants, and on the 16th floor you can imagine the restaurant called Top of the Ho looking out over the city. On the second floor the Turquoise Room hosted many wedding receptions, and adjacent to the main hotel a large convention center called the Thunderbird Room could seat 1,600 and staged many of Phoenix’s big events. After closing as a hotel in 1980, new owners converted the Westward Ho into subsidized housing for the elderly and mobility-impaired; later renovations made the apartments more accessible and the building came to house 320 residents in 289 rooms.
Construction was first announced in spring 1927, financed by Sutherlin-Barry & Company for owner G. L. Johnson. Notice the 16th floor where Top of the Ho once looked out over the city, and the façade and streetscape below.