Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Hotel · Biltmore Gates ·
Historic desert resort with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture
Information
2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016 Get directions
Historic desert resort with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture
2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016 Get directions
"Once you’re at the Biltmore, there’s no need to really leave: the desert and Piestewa Peak frame the main lawn and the property—despite having over 700 rooms—never feels cookie-cutter. Rooms offer plush beds and Southwest-inflected décor, the on-site food largely delivers (McArthur’s for reliable American classics, while Renata’s Hearth’s smoke-inspired menu is the place to dress up), and the spa leans into astrology, crystals, and chakra-opening for treatments that feel more interesting than the usual. It’s also very family-friendly, with connecting rooms, a popular kids’ pool, activities for children, and waterslides that adults will happily fling themselves down too." - Jessica Sulima
"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
"Evoking old Hollywood glamour since 1929, this 39-acre estate at the base of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve features Frank Lloyd Wright–influenced design across 705 rooms (including suites, cottages, and villas), multiple restaurants, a day spa, and seven pools—one with a 65-foot waterslide. I could play golf, tennis, or pickleball, join yoga or aqua aerobics at Tierra Luna Spa, or arrange concierge experiences like hot-air balloon rides, stargazing, biking, and hiking; and for a classic cocktail moment I ordered a Tequila Sunrise at the Wright Bar, where the drink was invented." - Patricia Doherty Patricia Doherty Patricia Doherty is a writer who specializes in covering destinations, resorts, and cruises for Travel + Leisure and other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"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
