Arizona Biltmore Hotel
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The Arizona Biltmore Hotel is a resort located in Phoenix. Following the luxury of this famed hotel, this region has become known as the prestigious Biltmore area of Phoenix, Arizona. This region has become nationally and internationally renowned for its luxury and real estate. The area is now the prime real estate of the Phoenix area with many businesses and shops hoping to boom here. This area is home to Phoenix's Ritz-Carlton hotel, Biltmore Fashion Park which includes many high-end tenants including Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, Cartier, and Escada, the future International Trump Hotel, and many highly-acclaimed eateries. This area is also a booming mecca for real estate with median home values a $1.1 million with many exceeding $10-12 million.
History
Warren McArthur Jr. and brother Charles McArthur along with John McEntee Bowman, the entrepreneur behind the Biltmore Hotel chain, opened the Arizona Biltmore Hotel on February 23, 1929, it was co-designed by brother Albert Chase McArthur and Frank Lloyd Wright [1] (http://www.asm.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=5952&departmentID=20). In 1930, William Wrigley Jr..became full owner of the property.
In 1940, the Catalina pool and the Cowboy Bunkhouse areas opened; these would become favorite areas of Hollywood celebrities. Marilyn Monroe was seen around the pool area, and Martha Raye was photographed playing chess on a large chessboard around the Cowboy house.
In 1962, the hotel's first air conditioners were put into service, and in 1969, their grand ballroom was inaugurated.
In 1970, the Wrigley family sold the hotel to the Talley family. 1973 almost spelled doom for the hotel; a large fire erupted on June 21, destroying most of the property. It was promptly re-built and opened to the public again, soon afterwards.
In 1979, the hotel was taken over by the Rostland Corporation. In 1983, it became a Leper DBL Biltmore Association property, and in 1992 it was re-sold, to the Grossman Properties. A spa was opened in 1998.
During 2000, the hotel was sold twice, to KSL Resorts and then to Boca Resort Inc., which retained it until 2003, when it was sold to CNL Hospitality Resorts.
In 2004, while doing a campaign stop in Arizona, United States president George W. Bush slept there, under strict security measures. Over 200 policemen, Secret Service agents and bomb sniffing dogs were at hand.
Celebrities
Many celebrities stayed at the Biltmore during the hotel's existence. Apart from every American President since the hotel began to operate, others include:
- Fred Astaire
- Joan Bennett
- Irving Berlin
- James Cagney
- Walter Cronkite
- Bing Crosby
- Michael J. Fox
- Vicente Fox
- Ava Gardner
- Barry Goldwater
- Tony Hawk
- Evander Holyfield
- Bob Hope
- Reba McEntire
- The New York Mets baseball team
- Marilyn Monroe
- Martha Raye
- Edward G. Robinson
- Spencer Tracy
The Wrigley family still keeps a mansion right across the hotel. The hotel also has an exclusive home area named Biltmore Estates, where famous such as Glen Campbell and others make their homes.
The hotel competes directly with across-the-street rival the Ritz-Carlton hotel.