PHOENIX—The Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, has completed a major renovation that has significantly enhanced the guest experience and restored the property’s competitive position in the Phoenix-Scottsdale luxury resort marketplace.
The multi-million-dollar renovation has created modern, refined accommodations and public spaces while preserving the historic architecture and design. Guest rooms and suites, the spa and salon, and meeting spaces – including ballrooms, pre-function rooms, and the Mystery Room, a Prohibition-era “speakeasy” that is used for themed events – have been re-mastered with a new look that recalls the seductive style of the resort’s early years. The redesign continues the original Frank Lloyd Wright style of organically incorporating the natural environment.
The revamp of the property also comprised rebuilding and redesigning the 15 cabanas at the Paradise Pool that now feature new interior décor and an array of amenities, from flatscreen HDTVs to full baths. Refinements were also made to the service culture and communications tools were re-imagined, including instituting True Waldorf Service, new uniforms for the front-of-the-house team, a new website, and a new history book that recounts the storied lore of the property.
“With the renovation we have enhanced our classic luxury with chic modern interpretations and recaptured our top-tier status in the Phoenix-Scottsdale resort marketplace,” said Sheila Foley, general manager.
In the guest rooms, a soft color palette of mist, linen, and latte, juxtapose with contrasting warm wood colors that emulate the natural tones of the surrounding desert. Specialty glass tops on bureaus in a thick mist color bring the atmosphere of a desert oasis indoors. Echoing the distinctive use of metals in the original hotel design, bronze and gold metal accents in the guest rooms evoke a vintage ambiance. Mist-colored wall coverings embossed with a metallic Frank Lloyd Wright design echo the historic pattern on the Biltmore Blocks used to construct the entire resort.
