38 N E W T I M E S B I G G A M E G U I D E Feb. 9th-Feb. 15th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com since opening in 2011 but never shows its age. Its owners renovate every few years and the latest makeover added a 45-foot LED screen, a new DJ stage, better seating, and Day of the Dead-inspired décor. It cost an estimated $1 milllion, but as a neon sign on one wall declares, they “paid the cost to be the boss.” (4425 North Saddlebag Trail, #101, Scott- sdale; 480-945-6200; elhefe.com) Hi Fi Kitchen and Cocktails As its name implies, Hi Fi is all about sound. There’s an enormous boombox mural along one wall, an artfully arranged collection of vintage speakers above the bar, and a massive audio setup broad- casting beats and bass laid down by DJs. It’s not the only thing cranked up to 11 at the open-air nightspot. Banks of spotlights and LEDs paint the place with a maelstrom of color, swirling across booths decorated with graffiti-like art and the nonstop throng of bod- ies in motion on the dance floor, between rows of tables, and anywhere else patrons can find room to dance. Hi Fi’s potent cocktails — which boast names like “High Voltage,” “BPM,” and “Reverb” — also help keep things moving. (4420 North Saddlebag Trail, Scottsdale; 480-970-5000; hifibars.com/scott- sdale) The Hot Chick The sad fact about Scottsdale’s nightlife scene is that the lifespan of most spots is only a few years at most. The Hot Chick, though, has bucked those odds and managed to thrive, even surviving a fire that gutted the place during the darkest days of the pandemic. One of the secrets to its success is the wealth of activities contained within its late ’70s/ early ’80s-style digs. Think Dazed and Confused meets Boogie Nights. It’s an eatery, bar, and adult playground that’s packed with distractions like retro arcade titles, ping-pong, Skee-Ball machines, board games, colorful murals, and a pair of basketball hoops on the outdoor patio. And then there’s the busy dance floor at the center of The Hot Chick, where Slippe and other local DJs pump out the jams. It’d be hard to be bored here. (4363 North 75th Street, Scottsdale; 480-550-7819; thehotch- ickaz.com) Maya Maya debuted as a 20,000-square-foot day and nightclub in 2013 back when pool party joints were making a splash in Scottsdale. It offered fun in the sun around its pool in the warmer months with ragers after dark inside its Vegas-style dance hall year-round. After the trend went belly up, its owners flipped the script: the indoor club was ditched while the outdoor area was reconfigured during the fall and winter into an open-air party space and “night- life garden” called Clubhouse at Maya with games galore, various bars, a full menu, and posh patio seating. Swim soirees still take place in the spring and summer. A new nightclub is currently being built from scratch and will debut later this year. In the meantime, the indoor space will become a venue of sorts during the Super Bowl festivities with a stage, couches, and high-tech lighting and sound elements being brought in for a series of concerts. (7333 East Indian Plaza Scottsdale; 480-625-0528; maya- clubaz.com) Pretty Please Lounge Pretty Please Lounge is a rarity in Scottsdale’s en- tertainment district: a genuine nightclub. While neighboring spots operate as hybrid bar/restaurant concepts in order to survive, Pretty Please strictly does DJs, drinks, and dancing, and does it well. A voluminous selection of spirits, premium bottle service, and a soundtrack of hip-hop, Top 40, and R&B are offered during nights like Pretty Please Fridays and Bliss Saturdays. It’s relatively small in size compared to nearby clubs, but there’s always room enough to strut your stuff. Plus, good things tend to come in small packages. (426 North Sad- dlebag Trail, Scottsdale; 480-621-9252; pretty- pleaselounge.com) Riot House “Bigger is better” has always been Scottsdale’s motto. The proprietors of Riot House lean into that fact by offering one of the largest dance floors in the city, enormous wall-sized LED projections, unrivaled VIP and bottle service, and arguably the loudest sound system along Saddlebag Trail. There’s also a tropical theme to the place, as evi- denced by the tropical décor with palm tree motifs and fruity craft cocktails on the drink menu. It’s a taste of South Beach-style nightclub excess in the heart of Scottsdale. (4425 North Saddlebag Trail, #105, Scottsdale; 480-935-5910; riothousescott- sdale.com)
