Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Luxury resort in Phoenix, United States

The Arizona Biltmore Hotel is a resort near 24th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix, built of patterned concrete "Biltmore blocks" in a light beige tone. Its central section rises into a stepped tower topped with a small dome, with vertical fins running up the face; a lower wing with overhanging eaves stands to the left and a two-story wing to the right. Albert Chase McArthur was the architect of record, with Frank Lloyd Wright consulting on the block system in 1928.

Built in 1929, the resort pioneered the use of a distinctive construction method featuring interlocking concrete blocks with geometric designs. The building became an important example of this architectural approach during the early modern period in the American Southwest.

The hotel's name comes from the Biltmore chain of John McEntee Bowman, who built it with the McArthur brothers. The Tequila Sunrise cocktail was invented here, and Clark Gable and Carole Lombard often stayed. Three on-site restaurants carry Frank Lloyd Wright's name, including Wright's, in the former solarium converted in 1973.

The property is large with multiple areas to explore, so it helps to get oriented when you arrive and plan which facilities to visit. Good walking shoes and sun protection are recommended since much of the resort is outdoors and spread across the grounds.

The design is often credited to Frank Lloyd Wright, but the architect of record was Albert Chase McArthur, who had been a draftsman for Wright. Wright spent four months on site in 1928 advising on the textile-block system, and original linen drawings in the Arizona State University Library archives confirm McArthur's authorship.