“Heading to the arena to watch an NBA game this season just got a lot more luxurious, thanks to a couple of new members-only experiences in Phoenix and Cleveland. Mortgage Matchup Center in Arizona is now home to The Ra Ra Room, a private dining club tucked discreetly inside the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Mortgage Matchup Center in Arizona is now home to The Ra Ra Room, a private dining club tucked discreetly inside the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury arena. The brainchild of Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia, along with hospitality company Major Food Group (MFG) and its co-founders Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisi, The Ra Ra Room offers a glamorous retreat from the noise of the game just steps away, with an exclusive Art Deco-inspired dining room, full bar, and lounge area (complete with elevated game-time snacks).
Members access The Ra Ra Room through a hidden entrance outside the arena, marked only by a single light-up martini glass. They’re then led through a nondescript hallway adjacent to the arena’s back of house, before the doors open to reveal a lavish and opulent speakeasy-slash-supper club, with soaring columns, dazzling chandeliers and an epicurean menu to match.
Major Food Group is the owner of celebrity hotspot Carbone, and the Italian restaurant’s famous spicy rigatoni is among the favorites on the Ra Ra Room menu. Other signature dishes include MFG’s “Caesar alla ZZ” (a tableside caesar salad), plus shrimp ravioli and truffle tortellini. Desert offers a delectable key lime pie and, paying tribute to Arizona’s large Hispanic population, a basket of Mexican churros as a sweet treat before the game. A sommelier is happy to suggest a bottle (or two) from The Ra Ra Room’s extensive wine list to pair with dinner, or guests are welcome to sit and enjoy the view of the space from the bar.
Members can come and go as they please, whether for a drink or full dinner service, and the space has a private walkway that takes you directly to your seats in the arena, without having to set foot outside. In a release, The Ra Ra Room calls it “an exclusive dining and social experience,” adding that “from the moment they walk through the door, members enter a world of glamor and indulgence.” More elevated touches: a personal concierge can help you with everything from securing last-minute courtside seats, to booking you a car service home.
“The Ra Ra Room is designed to be a destination in and of itself with the added convenience of Phoenix’s best sports and entertainment offerings in the very same building,” says Ishbia.
Adds Mario Carbone: “The Ra Ra Room is an extraordinary opportunity to merge luxury hospitality with the vibrant energy of Phoenix sports and entertainment. It’s designed to deliver an elevated experience that redefines hospitality standards in Phoenix and beyond.”
The members-only club is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, during every Suns home game, and open at select Mercury games and concerts. Access doesn’t come cheap: an annual membership starts at $15,000 and doesn’t include meals or event tickets.
Over in Cleveland, hospitality visionary The h.wood Group is bringing its Midas touch to Rocket Arena, with the unveiling of HIPP, a private members-only club in the home of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Inspired by Old Hollywood dining rooms and named after Cleveland’s historic Hippodrome Theater, HIPP offers an intimate space for dinner and cocktails before and after the game. Capped at just 100 guests per night, the private atmosphere offers a true personalized experience, with The h.wood Group describing it as a “start-to-finish ‘white glove’ game day experience.”
Membership to HIPP is by invite only (reps note it’s “currently at capacity”), and although it doesn’t include tickets to the basketball games, members get access to a private entrance with valet parking, along with unlimited concessions, and access to all clubs throughout Rocket Arena. HIPP also promises “special gifts and exclusive events” throughout the season, beyond the game days themselves. Opened last month, HIPP has already played host to a number of high-profile athletes and celebrities, although mum is the official word of course, as befitting the elite crowd.
Known for being a pioneer in the LA dining and entertainment scene, this is The h.wood Group’s first foray into Cleveland. The group says “HIPP provides a nod to the grandeur and lavish interiors of one of the world’s greatest playhouses and reimagines what a central gathering place and cultural hub looks like today courtside, blending world class sport, entertainment and design.”
The isn’t The h.wood Group’s first foray into the sporting arena though: the hospitality and lifestyle brand is known for its parties during events like the Super Bowl, and it brought its famed Hollywood nightclub Bootsy Bellows to LA’s SoFi Stadium in 2023.