The Jewel of the Desert — a Frank Lloyd Wright–influenced Art Deco landmark that has operated continuously since 1929, hosted every US president, welcomed Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Fred Astaire, and remains the defining historic and architecturally beautiful resort in Arizona, now fully renovated as an LXR property with 8 pools, two golf courses, and the Wright Bar where the Tequila Sunrise was invented.
Why We Chose It
The Arizona Biltmore opened on February 23, 1929 — designed under the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright (his student Albert Chase McArthur was the architect of record, but Wright consulted extensively and the building's geometric 'Biltmore Block' construction reflects his design language unmistakably). The 39-acre property in the Camelback Corridor has been the pre-eminent social address in Arizona ever since: every US president since Herbert Hoover has stayed here; Marilyn Monroe sunbathed at the pool; Ronald and Nancy Reagan honeymooned here; the Tequila Sunrise cocktail was invented at the Wright Bar in the 1930s (the original recipe, orange juice topped with grenadine, can still be ordered). The Biltmore Blocks — geometric concrete forms cast on-site in a pattern that tiles into the building's distinctive gray facade — are a construction achievement of the first order that remains visually arresting nearly a century later. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation in the 2020s, the 705 accommodations (rooms, suites, cottages, and villas) combine the preserved 1920s Art Deco character with modern comfort under Hilton's LXR luxury collection.
What Stands Out
- Arizona's defining historic resort — Frank Lloyd Wright–influenced, operating since 1929
- Birthplace of the Tequila Sunrise — invented at the Wright Bar in the 1930s; original recipe still available
- Hosted every US president since Herbert Hoover · Marilyn Monroe's pool · Reagan honeymoon
- 8 swimming pools, two championship golf courses, Tierra Luna Spa — the premier resort amenities in Phoenix
- The Biltmore Blocks construction: geometric concrete forms cast on-site — one of the finest Art Deco buildings in the American Southwest