Camelback Inn

JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa is a historic resort and spa owned by Marriott International, Inc, located on the southern slope of Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona, United States. The Camelback Inn was established in 1936 by Jack Bell Stewart and John C. Lincoln. Its popularity among Hollywood celebrities and political leaders made it a significant contributor to the region's growth.[1] In 2012, Camelback Inn was one of three North American hotels which had maintained a AAA 5-Diamond rating since the award's inception in 1975.[2] In 2013, AAA reduced the hotel's status to four diamonds.[3]

Camelback Inn
JW Marriott Camelback Inn
Camelback Inn is located in Arizona
Camelback Inn
Location within Arizona
General information
Location5402 East Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, Arizona, US
Coordinates33.5341°N 111.9648°W / 33.5341; -111.9648
OpeningDecember 15, 1936
OwnerMarriott International, Inc.
ManagementMarriott International, Inc.
Design and construction
DeveloperJack Stewart
Other information
Number of rooms453
Number of restaurants6
Website
www.camelbackinn.com

History

In the 1930s, Jack Stewart, a sportswriter and publicist from Fargo, North Dakota, wanted to build a pueblo-style hotel which could reflect Southwestern and Native American culture rather than the more commonplace dude ranch-style resort. Stewart's project was funded by John C. Lincoln, an industrialist and founder of Lincoln Electric, who provided $200,000 and the land which Lincoln owned between the slopes of Mummy and Camelback Mountains. The property was remote desert scrub land located 12 miles (19 km) outside Phoenix and had no water, electricity or telephone access. The resort was constructed of adobe bricks which were made on the site.[4] The rooms were housed in small adobe casitas (Spanish for "small houses"), each named after local cacti and decorated with Native American art.[5]

Camelback Inn opened on December 15, 1936 with the slogan "Where Time Stands Still". There were accommodations for 77 guests.[4] Despite the poor economy of the Great Depression, the resort became an immediate success by catering to a wealthy clientele.[5]

Stewart operated Camelback Inn as a part-owner until 1968, when the resort was acquired by Marriott International and renamed Marriott's Camelback Inn. Bill Marriott had first stayed at the resort with his parents as a 16-year-old in 1948. At the time of Marriott's purchase, Camelback Inn was still a seasonal winter resort with 170 rooms and no air conditioning.[6]

In March 2003, the hotel was officially rebranded by its parent corporation as Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa.[7] Camelback Inn underwent a $45 million expansion and renovation in 2008 which included the addition of a new ballroom and two restaurants.[6]

Accommodations

The Camelback Inn provides 453 casitas (Spanish for "small houses") including 18 larger suites, some with private swimming pools, across a 125-acre (0.51 km2) property.[8] There is a spa with a fitness room, aerobics room, six tennis courts, volleyball court, basketball court and pitch-and-putt golf. There are two heated pools: the spa lap pool and the "JackRabbit" pool with food and beverage service. The resort incorporates the Camelback Golf Club, located four miles away on the northeast side of Mummy Mountain, with two 18-hole golf courses.[9][10]

  • Camelback Inn entrance.
    Camelback Inn entrance.
  • The Jackrabbit Pool at Camelback Inn
    The Jackrabbit Pool at Camelback Inn
  • The original Rita’s Kitchen dining room.
    The original Rita’s Kitchen dining room.
  • Camelback Inn Chapel built in 1936.
    Camelback Inn Chapel built in 1936.
  • Inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.
    Inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.
  • Plaque dedicated to John C. Lincoln inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.
    Plaque dedicated to John C. Lincoln inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.
  • Plaque dedicated to Jack Bell Stewart, co-founder of the Camelback Inn, inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.
    Plaque dedicated to Jack Bell Stewart, co-founder of the Camelback Inn, inside the Camelback Inn Chapel.

References
  1. Felt, Susan (April 16, 2006). "Camelback Inn Endures". Arizona Republic.
  2. De Lollis, Barbara (November 5, 2009). "113 hotels get AAA's top award". USA Today.
  3. De Lollis, Barbara (January 21, 2013). "Sneak peek: AAA's Five Diamond hotels for 2013". USA Today. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  4. Driggs, Gary (2008). Images of America: Camelback Mountain. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 73–79. ISBN 978-0-7385-4840-1.
  5. Logan, Michael (October 2006). Desert cities: the environmental history of Phoenix and Tucson. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN 0-8229-4294-1.
  6. Hogan, Donna (March 27, 2008). "Camelback Inn in middle of $45M makeover". East Valley Tribune.
  7. Staff (December 13, 2003). "Camelback Inn getting prestigious name change". East Valley Tribune.
  8. Michelle Grimm, "The West's Hottest Desert Resorts", Orange Coast Magazine, September 1992, p.74
  9. "Marriott Golf Directory". Marriott International.
  10. Lesley King, Karl Samson, Shane Christensen, Don Laine, Barbara Laine, Frommer's American Southwest, Volume 21, Frommers (2003), p. 399
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