The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, has completed a major renovation of its accommodations and public spaces, directed by Santa Barbara-based Smith & Firestone Associates (SFA Design).
The multimillion-dollar renovation has preserved the historic architecture and design of the original resort. Guestrooms and suites, the spa and salon, and meeting space—including ballrooms, prefunction rooms, and the Mystery Room, a Prohibition-era “speakeasy” that is used for themed events—have been redesigned with a sophisticated look that recalls the resort’s early years. The redesign also continues the Frank Lloyd Wright style of emulating the natural environment.
The guestrooms employ a soft color palette juxtaposed with warm wood colors that reference the surrounding desert. Specialty glass tops on bureaus in a thick mist color also recall the desert, and bronze and gold metal accents in the guestrooms evoke a distinguished vintage ambiance. Wallcoverings embossed with a metallic Frank Lloyd Wright design echo the historic pattern found on the Biltmore Blocks used to construct the entire resort.
Frank Lloyd Wright drawings of the hotel gardens, blended with geometric shapes, inspire the carpet in the corridors, creating an avant-garde historic interpretation. This contemporary merging of Wright designs and geometric patterns was also the theme for the Frank Lloyd Wright and McArthur ballrooms, which were refreshed with new carpet, wallcoverings, artwork, and furniture.
