The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has released a monthly update of travel news from the Arizonian city, including a multi-million makeover at a luxury resort.
The JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is undergoing a makeover that will spruce up not only the signature property’s rooms, but also the all new golf course, Ambiente.
With a focus on conserving water, maintaining a wildlife habitat and decreasing pesticide and fossil fuel use, the 18-hole, 150-acre Ambiente Golf Course lives up to its name; Ambiente means “environment” in Spanish.
Ambiente, which premieres this month, was designed by renowned golf architect Jason Straka for the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. Ambiente will surely draw leisure and avid golf players with its one-of-a-kind challenging course.
Replacing the Indian Bend golf course, Ambiente culminates the seven-year, $70 million renewal project at the inn. This fall, the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa completed $9.5 million in refurbishments as well.
Guest rooms have been updated with new bathroom vanities, countertops, walk-in showers and carpeting. Now, you can enjoy a few games of golf surrounded by desert flora and fauna, tuck in a hearty meal at BLT Steak and relax at the casita guestrooms in the restored 1930s adobe brick resort.
An architectural melting pot
The Sonoran Desert’s dramatic landscapes have drawn architects to the desert for thousands of years. From the Hohokam Indians to Frank Lloyd Wright, Scottsdale residents have explored how to not only exist, but thrive in an environment where wide-open spaces and saguaro cacti are practically trademarks.
Explore the people behind Scottsdale’s greatest architectural achievements during visits to Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, Cosanti, and Taliesin West.
Upon descending into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, few people realize that less than a mile from the airport there are replica structures of the indigenous Hohokam people’s homes. Explore the hogans in which they resided between 450 and 1450 AD during a visit to the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park. See the museum’s collection of ancient petroglyphs and walk beside the vast irrigation canals that are still used in part today.
Don’t miss the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert masterpiece, Taliesin West. A National Historic Landmark built between 1937 and 1959, Taliesin West is located at the base of the McDowell Mountains.
Amidst the Sonoran Desert, Wright’s design masterfully integrates indoor and outdoor spaces. Choose one of several tours, such as the 90-minute Insights tour, and walk through Wright’s personal winter home and studio, which is still in use today as a campus for the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.
Photo courtesy of Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.