Who doesn’t love a comeback? The legendary Arizona Biltmore is proudly taking a long-overdue bow as a premiere property in the Phoenix and Scottsdale luxury resort market. The Waldorf Astoria Resort has completed a multi-million-dollar renovation that has put the glow back into the iconic property’s refined accommodations and public spaces while preserving the historic architecture and design that distinguished it as lovely “the grand dame” of Phoenix.
Décor, technology, services, and amenities have all received updates and makeovers. Guest rooms and suites, the spa and salon, and meeting spaces have been re-designed with a sophisticated new look, while the ballrooms and the Mystery Room — the Prohibition-era “speakeasy” used for themed events — recall the seductive style of the resort’s early years. The redesign is chic and contemporary, while honoring the property’s original Frank Lloyd Wright style of organically incorporating the natural environment.
The revamp of the 1929 landmark property also comprised rebuilding and redesigning the 15 cabanas at the Paradise Pool, which now feature enriched interior décor and new amenities, from flat-screen HDTVs to full baths. Refinements were also made to the service culture and communications tools were re-imagined, including the new “True Waldorf Service,” including new uniforms for the front-of-the-house team, and a comprehensive book that recounts the architectural and social history of the landmark property.
Frank Lloyd Wright drawings of the hotel gardens, blended with geometric shapes, were the innovative inspiration for the new carpet in the corridors, creating an avant-garde historic interpretation. This contemporary merging of Wright designs and geometric patterns was the theme as well for the Frank Lloyd Wright and McArthur ballrooms, which were refreshed with new carpet, wall coverings, artwork and furniture. The ballrooms and their pre-function areas also were enhanced with technologically advanced production, signage and lighting capabilities.
Beautifully set on 39 acres at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the property boasts: 740 guest rooms; a 22,000-square-foot spa; a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment; eight swimming pools including one with a 92-foot-long water-slide; two 18-hole golf courses; and six restaurants and lounges, including Wright’s at the Biltmore serving classic favorites, the Wright Bar with patio fire pits and views of majestic Squaw Peak, and the poolside Cabana Club with a swim-up bar.
