There is so much to say about the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in one short blog. This is a property that is full of history and breathtaking views. You can learn about a lot of the history by doing one of their happy hour history tours. (Tours are 1.5 hours long and available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10AM. You start with some bubbles and end with a tequila sunrise). Not only that but so many impactful people have stayed in these gorgeous rooms and walked the same hallways, including almost every president. I feel like that in itself speaks for how spectacular the property is.
If you haven't stayed here, you've probably driven by it. It's located behind the Biltmore mall area and is hidden back in a tranquil space. The property is spread out, beautifully landscaped and architecturally influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. My favorite place to stay is in the Paradise wing, which is a newer addition, in one of the Premier Rooms. This offers a ton of space and the ones that are located on the bottom floor near the pool, give you direct access into the pool area, which is super convenient. The rooms are bright and modern, the beds are comfy and the one I stayed in, also offered a patio area.
If you follow me on social media, you know that the Arizona Biltmore has my favorite cabanas. They are hands down the best and 100% worth getting, especially during the summer because where else do you hang out but by the pool. They are large, they have an inside area with a couch or two (depending on which location you book) to cool down on, a bathroom, a shower, a TV and of course lounge/shaded seating and a table outside the cabana as well for your use only. We had a very large cabana in the corner for both days and it also had a kitchen. There are 2 larger pools, the biggest one was used by mostly adults, although anyone could use any of the pools, this was just my observation. The middle pool, which is connected to the swim up bar area, was full of kids playing and also attached to the large hot tub, this is where we spent the majority of our time. Next to that pool area is the water slide, a favorite for many kids but also quite a few adults.
On the weekends, the pool area has a special things going on and during our stay there was a bar mixing station for margaritas and the Chef was cooking up food outside. I also love that they walk through the pool area and hand out special treats from the Chef that are complimentary. And let's talk about the pool food, they recently updated the menu and I was blown away. I ordered the grilled shrimp pupusa which had black bean puree, pico de gallo, adobo sour cream, asadera cheese and lettuce. Highly recommend trying that out. We also had the Southwest burger with poblanos, carmelized onions, chipotle pimento and jalapeno bacon. If you happen to be looking for something lighter, they have aguachile, jicama salad and so much more.
After you've played at the pool, explored the property, done a happy hour tour and relaxed in one of the comfy areas located all around the property, it's time to think about dinner. Might I suggest you drop in at Wright's? Each time I eat here, I'm bowled over by how much I love the food, the flavors and the passion that the Chef has for creating these dishes. Don't forget to save room for a souffle or two, no jokes. I started the meal out with the braised veal cheek because the chorizo polenta cake that accompanied it, sounded too interesting to pass up, especially when paired with huitlacoche crema. We also had something a little lighter, the jalapeno cured ceviche. Both choices were hard to stop eating! For my entree I enjoyed the Iberico pork loin with broccolini, cracked pima corn, poblanos, bacon, cojia and red chile glace and we also had the perfectly cooked scallops.
Once you've slept peacefully all night, it's time to think about eating again...right??! I always enjoy a quick morning walk around the property and then I head into Frank & Albert's for breakfast. They offer a breakfast buffet, which has all the breakfast items you could want from fresh made omelettes, pastries, bacon, sausage, cereal and more! They also have a la carte options and I quickly spotted the banana nutella pancakes and the lox and bagel plate, which I ordered along side some coffee and a pineapple papaya refresher.
When we were all refreshed and full of energy after a filling breakfast, it was back to the pool!
So who would I suggest should stay here? I think this property is good for the majority of people looking for a relaxing time. Got kids, perfect, hit up the pool all day long. There with friends, great, there's plenty of activities to do on site, how about tea time? Romantic stay, they've got you covered there too, enjoy a nice spa treatment, relax in the cabana, sip on a drink during the happy hour history tour and so much more! They've also got some smoking hot staycation deals going on. Check them out here.
I would also like to take a moment to thank the staff for making National Donut Day extra special for me. I always appreciate thoughtful gestures and coming back to the room to find a plate of donuts, made my day! It's always a great stay when the staff is kind, thoughtful and full of knowledge, you'll get all of this from the property. So what are you waiting for??!! Book that room.