Winter Escape: The Arizona Biltmore

by Michael Satterfield - 11/29/2021

In the world of luxury hotels, many travelers conflate modernity with luxury, while there are brand new hotels that have a lot to offer, there is something to be said about staying power. For nearly 100 years, the Arizona Biltmore in Phoneix has been a home away from home for celebrities, artists, and politicians.

 Recently my wife and decided to extend a business trip and spend a week at the Arizona Biltmore, the historic property did not disappoint. The property opened on February, 23rd, 1929 as part of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotel Chain, while the name is inspired by the iconic Biltmore Estate, there is no connection to the North Carolina home or Vanderbilt family. The hotel's design is often attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright, which is an easy mistake to make since he did consult on the project and it was designed by his former draftsman Albert McArthur. The confusion on who designed the Arizona Biltmore is helped along thanks to the addition of several Wright-designed art pieces and restaurants named after the legendary architect. 

Walking around the property you can see how it does have similarities to the Ennis House, the Hollyhock House, the Samuel Freeman House, and the Yodoko Guest House. Many historians consider the property a collaboration between Wright and McArthur, but regardless the Arizona Biltmore's grounds and buildings are an inspiring place to spend a week away. Besides the story of its design, the 39-acre property is full of interesting stories from over the years including a prohibition speakeasy, the creation of the original Tequila Sunrise cocktail, and presidential concession speeches. 

Getting to the hotel is easy, we had a car service take us to and from the airport as we planned to spend more of our time on the property. With seven pools, there are outdoor spaces for everyone from serene poolside cabanas where you can curl up with a book and enjoy the Arizona sun to multi-story waterslides and poolside bars for when you feel like being more social. Temperatures in Phoenix are often still in the 70s even in January and February so be sure to pack your swimsuit. 

For a relaxing massage or skin treatment, the Tierra Luna Spa offers one of the best spa experiences we have ever had. They offer treatments for individuals or couples and if you happen to be visiting the desert to commune with the spirit world they offer astrological readings and crystal rituals. The Desert Oasis Massage was more my speed, but it is always nice to have options. 

If relaxing on the property isn't your style the Arizona Biltmore is in the heart of Phoenix offering a wealth of activities from hiking Piestewa Peak, touring the Desert Botanical Garden, or just book a round of golf at the adjacent Arizona Biltmore Golf Club. We opted to spend time relaxing, recouping, and of course taking lots of photos. 

The restaurants on site are a mix, Frank & Albert's offers a great menu of more casual fare, and it is where we ate the majority of our meals, it is also the hotel's in-room dining option. The Wright Bar, inside the main lobby, offers great cocktails and a good selection of small bites. For fine dining Renata's Hearth offers modern Latin cuisine, while the food was good, the nightclub light atmosphere meant we spent the entire dinner shouting over the music and asking our server "What?" If you are looking for a romantic night out I would suggest heading into town to Different Pointe of View, which happens to be at another resort, the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs which is about a 20-minute drive north. The restaurant offers panoramic views and a great atmosphere. Another personal favorite of mine is Talavera, which happens to be at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale, another top-tier resort that proves that Arizona has fully embraced its identity as the winter playground for the rich and famous. 

Accommodations at the Arizona Biltmore range from a standard room all the way up to the restored cottages that are some of the original rooms on the property. They also have two-bedroom villas for those traveling with family which feature a full kitchen and dining room. Our standard resort room was surprisingly large and well-appointed with a pool view and it felt slightly underpriced for the quality of the room. Plus because it is part of the Hilton family of hotels we earned Hilton points. 

Remember when booking is that the Arizona Biltmore is also a conference center so make sure you aren't planning your relaxing vacation during the same time as a major conference or event is happening as they tend to take over many of the common spaces. If it had not been for our experience at Renata's we would have given the Arizona Biltmore a five-star rating, but it still gets a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information or to check rates visit ArizonaBiltmore.com.

This was not a paid promotion or sponsored stay.