Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Hotel · Biltmore Gates
2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Highlights
Historic hotel with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture and pools
Historic hotel with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture and pools
"After a day in the desert sun, an original tequila sunrise can bring fresh life. Way back in the Arizona Biltmore’s 91-year history, a bartender named Gene Sulit invented the classic cocktail of tequila, crème de cassis, club soda, and lime. Ice packs through the tall thin glass and mounds past its brim, tight walls bowing inward slightly, almost like an hourglass. A wistful shade of red colors the bottom and fades to a near-white at top, mimicking the ombre shading of a sunrise." - Mcconnell Quinn
"An iconic Southwest resort eight miles north of downtown Phoenix that has hosted presidents and celebrities since its 1929 debut and underwent a $170 million reinvention in 2020, now turning 95. The property features seven distinct swim areas — from the adults-only Saguaro Pool serving frosé and craft cocktails flavored with agave, lime and habanero, to the family-focused Paradise Pool with air-conditioned cabanas, a swim-up bar and Friday summer Dive-in Movies — plus a serene Catalina Pool built by the Wrigley family with art-deco royal blue and canary-yellow mosaics (a favorite sunbathing spot of Marilyn Monroe) and morning floating-mat workouts. Thrill-seekers head for the 65-foot Twist triple waterslide, which stages daily rubber-duck races whose winners receive house-made gelato from Cup & Cone in playful flavors like burnt honey strawberry and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Off-pool offerings include golf, tennis, pickleball and guided Murf e-bike rides along the Arizona Canal, while the 22,000-square-foot Tierra Luna Spa marries indoor treatment rooms with a Sol Garden — contrast bathing, a halotherapy salt room and the Sol Café — and treatments that spotlight local botanicals such as an agave dry-brush Lucid Awakening Massage and a Sage & Desert Salt Body Scrub. Dining and nightlife highlights include sunset craft cocktails at Spire Bar with views of Piestewa Peak and a light show that illuminates a 30-foot sculpture honoring Frank Lloyd Wright, plus Renata’s Hearth, which spotlights the chiltepín with a curated Summer Prix-Fixe menu. Seasonal programming ranges from a family-friendly July celebration with pool parties, pop-up sponsors and an eco-friendly drone light show to Labor Day DJs, neon bubble parties and classic resort events like waterslide nights and dive-in screenings." - AFAR
"If classic luxury is the vacation style you're after, the Arizona Biltmore should be high on your list." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Once you’re at the Biltmore, there’s no need to really leave. You’re here to be here, though the surrounding desert landscape and Piestewa peak in full view behind the main lawn deliver the “you’re in Arizona” memo. For a hotel with over 700 rooms (amazingly, it doesn’t feel like it), each manages to feel classically luxurious without steering into the cold or cookie-cutter. Plush beds, desertscape artwork, and bulbous ceramic lamps all over make the room feel both set in the Southwest and tony enough for a Waldorf. For a resort where you plan to stay on-site most of your time, the food has to deliver—by and large, it does. McArthur’s serves reliable American classics, though Renata's Hearth with its smoke-inspired menu is the place to dress up and dine at after a long day in the sun. You could come here just for the spa, where they lean into astrology, crystals, and chakra opening in a big way, resulting in massages and body work that are just that much more interesting than the usual offerings. There are unsurprisingly a ton of families here thanks to family-friendly features like connecting rooms, activities and areas just for children (such as the very popular kids’ pool), and the ease with which parents can take turns escaping for a yoga or pickleball class (it’s a very big place). That said, no matter how great the spa treatments are, nothing can melt away stress like flinging yourself down the waterslides—don’t write them off as just for kids. —Megan Spurrell" - Lizbeth Scordo
"A historic hotel with a recent $70 million renovation, known for its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture."
