A rcadia’s rich history began as American railroads expanded to cross the vast country. Men, women and families were leaving behind their lives, heading west in hopes of op- portunities and the dream of an abundant future. A new town means new visitors, so Ar- cadia’s hotel industry was born in 1910 with William John Murphy, who created the Ingleside Club. For Murphy, building the Ingleside Club was merely a busi- ness decision, directed at housing and entertaining prospective land buyers and potential future business partners. Little did this roadbed contractor for the Atlan- tic and Pacic Railroads know, he was beginning a long history of local hotels and resorts, in what would become one of Phoenix’s most treasured neighborhoods. In 1881, Murphy had come to the area now known as Indian School and 56 th St, through railroad work. Soon, however, he had landed a $500,000 contract to build the mighty Ari- zona Canal. With the completion of the Ca- nal in 1885, Murphy realized the immense potential within the land below the canal, for living and agriculture. He immediately began buying large plots of land, cultivating them and preparing the area for a fantastic future. Alfalfa, olives, pomegranates, gs, almonds, and of course, citrus trees were planted in abundance. Murphy built the Ingleside Club in 1910 to give potential investors and land buyers a place to play. Located in the area that is now 60 th to 64 th Street, between Osborn and Indian School, the Ingleside Club covered 10 acres of land, including a large main build- ing and several cottages. A golf course de- signed with oiled sand was built on the north side of the property, covering both sides of the canal. The Inn featured horseback riding, local excursions, mountain climbing, a play- ground and a vast orchard. Daily tours were planned of Murphy real estate to encourage potential buyers to invest in this hot new area of Arizona. When Ralph Murphy took over his father’s business in 1921, he began advertising it as a public hotel and in 1922 changed its name from the Ingleside Club, to the Ingleside Inn. He added bungalows and an improved, grass golf course. In 1929, having heavily mortgaged the property to make these improvement, as well as the impact of the Great Depression, Ralph Murphy found himself in trouble. In 1932, he ofcially lost his family business. In 1945, after being closed for many years, Miss Justine Ames Browne and Mrs. Mary Atwell Moore purchased the Ingleside Inn. The women planned to move their Brown- moor School for Girls from Santa Fe to Phoe- nix. They used the extra land to add a vari- ety of features, including basketball courts, a playing eld and a large classroom build- ing. However, when Miss Browne passed away in their rst year on the new property, things became a bit difcult. Mrs. Moore ran the school alone, until 1950, when she sold to Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Graybeal. The couple added stables, a corral and riding ring, as well as expanded the school for junior high and grade school. In 1957, however, the cou- ple suddenly notied the public they could not reopen in the fall. In 1959, The Ingleside Inn property was purchased by developers for a large apart- ment complex, named Brownmoor Apart- ments. Now in 2012, the original inn and school are condominiums. The riding ring, barn and open eld are the Spur Circle sub- division of homes. now The Montelucia Resort and Spa In 2005, as the hotel industry was boom- ing and Phoenix found itself as one of the top ten lodging locations in the United States, the California based Crown Realty and De- velopment began looking at the potential of the Phoenix area. Crown Realty submitted an applica- tion for “resort revitalization” to the city of Paradise Valley, for the Mountain Shadows Golf Course and Driving Range. They then purchased The DoubleTree La Posada Re- sort and set out on a $200 million renovation to create The Montelucia Resort, Spa and Residences. Although the work was almost a total rebuild, the Crown Realty and Develop- ment company saw a great advantage in en- hancing this portion of Paradise Valley. With former Ritz Carlton executives working to oversee operations, the hotel was bound for success. Opening in 2008, The Montelucia Re- sort and Spa consists of 253 guest rooms, 38 suites and 2 presidential suites. A gorgeous pool and world-class golf, as well as a spa and restaurants add the extra pizzazz every- one is looking for. The Ingleside Resort’s rich his- tory dates back to 1909 when it quickly earned the distinction of being the rst winter resort ever built in Phoenix.  The buildings and grounds became a girls’ school from 1945 to 1958. The property was then razed to make way for re-develop- ment as a housing area.  Opened as a private club, the Ingleside boasted the only golf course in the Scottsdale area, attracting celebrities, politicians and well-to-do winter visitors. Its entrance was on Indian School Road at the Arizona Canal. 

Warren McArthur Jr. and his brother Charles McArthur, along with John McEn- tree Bowman, the entrepreneur behind the Biltmore chain of hotels, opened the Arizona Biltmore in 1929. Although it’s been widely suspected that the architect was Frank Lloyd Wright, the actual architect was Albert Chase McArthur, who previously worked for Wright. McArthur did indeed use Wright as a con- sultant for block construction techniques, which Wright had successfully utilized in residential designs in Los Angeles. Once construction was complete, the hotel’s dis- tinctive “Biltmore Block” look was con- demned by Wright, who wanted square block design instead of rectangle. Even still, for many years, the public assumed Frank Lloyd Wright was the true architect of the building. The McArthurs lost control of the Bilt- more during the depression and chewing gum mogul William Wrigley Jr. bought out their interest. Under his ownership, the Cata- lina Pool and the Cowboy Bunkhouse areas opened. The hotel became a hot spot for ce- lebrities, including Marilyn Monroe. He also built a home for his wife on the hill overlook- ing the hotel. The mansion was nished in 1931 and was meant as a 50 th wedding an- niversary gift for Ada. William Wrigley Jr. passed away only one year after building the home. He left the home and hotel to his son, Philip. The Wrig- ley family owned the Arizona Biltmore for over 44 years. In 1973 the Wrigley’s sold to Talley Indus- tries and the hotel was closed for renovations. During the construction a welding torch ig- nited the gold leaf ceiling in the lobby, lead- ing to a 6-alarm re. Architects and con- struction workers worked around the clock to not only mend the re and water damage, but to continue their original efforts. In a re- cord 82 days the hotel was back in business, with ner detail and greater beauty than ever before. During the rebuild, the Talley fam- ily looked to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West architectural school to help in the de- sign, which may explain some of the confu- sion regarding the original architect. In 2004, after shufing between a vari- ety of owners, Morgan Stanley inherited the property through another business deal. The Hilton now runs the operation. In 2009, on its 80 th anniversary, the resort saw a number of additions and upgrades, including 120 rooms and a new restaurant. Designed by Albert Chase McArthur, a Harvard grad and Frank Lloyd Wright protege, the Arizona Biltmore is one of the only existing luxury hotels in the world with a Frank Lloyd Wright -in uenced design.It has been an Arizona landmark since its opening on February 23, 1929 when it was crowned “The Jewel of the Desert.”  Sold to Crown Realty in 2005, the DoubleTree La Posada Resort went through a $200 million 3 year renovation to become the Montelucia in 2008.   Throughout the years the Arizona Biltmore has set the standard for elegance and style. It continues to attract celebrities and dignitaries from around the world. The pool, built by the Wrigleys in 1930 was host to diving competitions as well as fashion shows. Marilyn Monroe called this her favorite Jokake Inn Paradise Valley Tennis Club Royal Palms Valley Ho - Now offering staycation packages for locals in need of a little spoiling...and some un- adulterated fun! From its famed spa and scenic, award-winning restaurants to its glowing casino and challenging golf course, the Talking Stick Resort is the ultimate play- ground for those looking to escape. And it’s so close! For more info, visit talkingstickresort.com . - Royal Palms Resort raises the bar for romance with the Passport to Romance program. Whisk your loved one away on a sur- prise romantic getaway for a long weekend, or for one night. The Romance Team will or- chestrate every detail to ensure you have a one-of-a-kind romantic escape. Vavavoom! For more info, visit royalpalmshotel.com . - Need to de-stress? Hit the Sanctuary for your staycay. Perched on Camelback Mountain, this 53- acre luxury resort features award-winning dining, a relaxing meditation gar- den and watsu pool as well as tennis, and hiking Camelback Mountain. For more information, visit sanctuaryoncamel- back.com . - Well worth the drive, Flagstaff is a key destination for Arcadians seeking adven- ture, natural beauty, charm and wide open spaces. But with more than 200 restau- rants and night spots, it’s so much more than clean mountain air and lumber- jacks. Visit agstaffari- zona.com for info about where to stay and what to do while you’re there.