Business spotlight – Hotel Valley Ho

Can you imagine the day when only 2000 people lived in the newly incorporated City of Scottsdale. That was the population when the Hotel Valley Ho was built in 1956. The Valley Ho was the first hotel in Scottsdale to have central air and be open all year. After many years of hosting celebrities, the property was sold to a local company who intended to bring it back to its original luster. Reconstruction was started in 2004 and Hotel Valley Ho reopened 49 years to the date of its original opening day. With an 80 million dollar restoration which included the addition of the Zuzu Lounge, a beautiful spa and Trader Vic’s, it quickly became the place to see and be seen in Scottsdale.

We are excited to have the Hotel Valley Ho as one of the stops on the City of Scottsdale Hospitality Trolley route. So take time for a date night or fun night out with friends and enjoy an evening at the Hotel Valley Ho.
Download a route map at, http://www.friendsofthetrolley.com/

Barrett Jackson Classic Car Auction

The Barrett Jackson Classic Car Auction starts on January 15th and what easier way to get there than the City of Scottsdale Hospitality Trolley. The Hospitality Trolley runs north and south on Scottsdale Rd with a transfer point at the Fairmont Princess Resort. From the Princess you will board the Barrett Jackson trolley to Westworld. To the Fairmont Princes, trolley rides start at 10:15am and run every ½ hour. To Westworld, trolley rides start at 10am and run every ½ hour.
Enjoy your time at the Auction and don’t worry about parking or if you want to celebrate your purchase with a cocktail or two, let the trolley take you to your destination. In additions to the exciting car auctions each day you can shop the hundreds or vendors for art and various unique items. Download a route map at, www.friendsofthetrolley.com.

Texting while Driving!

Texting while driving impairs your ability to drive! We all know it; you taking your eyes off the road, even for a brief moment, could result in an accident. We have all seen the headlines of fatal accidents as a result of texting while driving so why do you do it? Not all Arizona cities have laws restricting text messaging but do they really need to? Do we really need to stay connected every minute of the day? Take the twenty minutes in the car to enjoy some much needed time to breathe and focus on where you are headed. Or…..take one of the many free City of Scottsdale Trolley’s and text the entire way from point A to point B without leaving your fellow drivers anxiously waiting to proceed at a green light for you to finish your text message. Find a trolley route near you at www.friendsofthetrolley.com !

Hospitality Trolley Is On The Road!

Getting around Scottsdale just got a lot easier! The Hospitality Trolley started service December 26th and will run through April 1st , with daily service from 10am to 10pm. Hop on the trolley as far north as Fairmont Scottsdale Princess with stops at Scottsdale Quarter, Gainey Ranch, the W Hotel, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts, the Valley Ho Hotel and various other locations along the way. Enjoy shopping, dining, nightlife and entertainment without the worry of driving. Find a convenient stop close to you, download a map www.scottsdalecvb.com/transportation/resort-trolley/ and plan your next outing.

Holiday Lights

Ollie the Trolley has enjoyed sharing another year of holiday spirit with a busy season of holiday light tours and parties!

With a little over a week before Christmas you can still enjoy the beautiful Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.
Take a train ride through many festive holiday lights and displays turning the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park into a winter wonderland. Holiday Lights runs 6:30 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 30, excluding Dec. 24 and 25. Santa will be at the park through Dec. 23. Train and carousel rides are $2 each with children younger than 3 riding free with a paying adult. The park is at 7301 E. Indian Bend Road. For more information, call (480) 312-2312 http://www.therailroadpark.com/

Spirit of Enterprise 2011 Finalist

On November 8, 2011, Dunn Transportation /Ollie the Trolley was honored to be the Winner of Arizona Lottery Overcoming Adversity Award at the 15th annual Spirit of Enterprise Awards presented by the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Margaret Dunn and the entire team at Dunn Transportation/Ollie the Trolley was selected from 50 applicants and honored as one of five companies that demonstrates energy, ethics and excellence in entrepreneurship.

Ollie the Trolley/Dunn Transportation is considered an ambassador to tourists and residents who ride the trolleys and executive coach service valley wide. The Ollie team is proud to have survived the city’s deep transit cuts during the recession without laying off a single employee. Ms. Dunn stated, "Our philosophy is when times are great, we don't go overboard and we don't go buying and getting into debt and when times are tough, we tighten up. You become more resistant to economic downturns with the length of time of being in business."

Margaret is currently a student of the MBA program at the W.P. Carey School of Business and continues to expand her knowledge in Sustainable living and achieving the balance between business and the environment.

Business Spotlight

The team at Ollie the Trolley/Dunn Transportation has a strong commitment to local business! What better way to support the many fabulous and creative businesses in and around Scottsdale than to give them a shout out!

The first of our Business Spotlight is The Cider Mill Gourmet Market & Sandwich Shop. If you are not familiar with this, somewhat hidden gem, you need to be. The Cider Mill is located at 7240 E. Main Street, Suite C-100, in the Frontier Town Shops. http://www.cidermillmarket.com/

Locally owned and operated by the Seiter family. This family business is a huge supporter of local food vendors for their breads, meats and organic produce, making their gourmet sandwiches and salads as fresh as they come. All of their delicious soups and salad dressings are homemade, nothing from a can!

There is a gourmet market selling any number of local products for cooking such as: various delectable’s from the Queen Creek Olive Mill, prickly pear everything, hot sauces, marinades, jellies, syrups as well as their own line of products.

Cider Mill also features a soda bar where they brew bottle and distribute Cider Mill Sodas including: root beer, vanilla cream, orange cream, and prickly pear. They have become quite popular for their root beer floats! It is a fantastic place for a children’s birthday party!

Hop on the Old Town Trolley and hop off at Del Sol on Main St. After shopping the unique boutiques in the front of Frontier Town Shops, head back to The Cider Mill for a treat worth writing home about and why not include a jar of Jalapeno Jelly from the market.