From motor courts to luxury hotels, how the resort industry has transformed Arizona
Travel and tourism have been big industries in the Phoenix area for decades. The Arizona Development Board estimated tourism accounted for $160 million to the state in 1954 — that’s nearly $2 billion in today’s dollars. The Arizona Office of Tourism now reports the travel industry brought more than $28 billion in direct spending to the state.
Many early spots have since been closed and torn down — but not all of them. Many still in operation have been hosting travelers for decades.
In Last Resorts, The Show is looking at the history and future of resorts, and the Valley as a resort community. Travel from Paradise Valley to Litchfield Park, and visit some of the Valley’s oldest and newest resorts. Hear how they’ve impacted the region from art and architecture, to how people all over the world view the West.
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Getty ImagesIn the series Last Resorts, The Show is looking at the history and future of resorts, and the Valley as a resort community. Visit some of the Valley’s oldest and newest resorts. Hear how they’ve impacted the region — from art and architecture, to how people all over the world view the West. -
Sativa Peterson/KJZZStep back into the 20th century, when a stretch of Van Buren Street was the place to stay. At its peak, my next guest says there were up to 200 hotels and motels, mostly clustered between 16th and 40th streets — although they could go as far east as 52nd Street and as far west as about 11th Avenue. -
Mark Brodie/KJZZAce Bailey is president of Ultimate Art and Cultural Tours and a part-time concierge at the Hotel Valley Ho. The Show's Mark Brodie joined her on a recent tour to see the midcentury modern resort and learn more about its history. -
Susan Arreola Postcard Collection/Phoenix Public LibraryIt's time to visit the Hermosa Inn in Paradise. Specifically, a room that looks like a library, filled with the paintings of Lon Megargee. If his first name sounds familiar — he’s the Lon for whom the resort’s restaurant is named. -
Chelsey Heath/KJZZThe Show visited Litchfield Park and the Wigwam Resort. Now it’s a well-known resort, but it didn’t start out that way. Lisa Hegarty, executive director at the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center, talked to The Show about it's impact and history on the West Valley. -
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public RecordsEarly on in the Valley's existence, sunshine was being equated with health and wellness. This drew many people from the East and Midwest to Arizona's resorts. including Castle Hot Springs. -
Noah Sasaki/KJZZThe newst resorts in the Valley tend to focus less on things like horseback riding in the desert or even basking in the sun, but rather on entertainment and the kinds of experiences you might be able to find in other cities.
Hidden gems
A hidden gem at Scottsdale's Camelback Inn remains relatively unchanged 85 years later
Camelback Inn Chapel is very modest in size and would be easy to miss this piece of the resort’s history. But, it remains relatively unchanged roughly 85 years later.
This luxury Scottsdale neighborhood used to be a Moroccan-themed destination resort
Casa Blanca Inn began as the winter home of the Kellogg family, before its eventual transformation into a Moroccan-themed resort complete with an onion-domed restaurant, the Sultan’s Table.
The bell tower is all that remains of the once legendary Jokake Inn at the Phoenician
Today’s hidden gem is the Jokake Inn’s bell tower. The Pueblo-revival style building is all that remains of the once legendary Jokake Inn, which got its start in the 1920s as a tearoom.