Escaping the chilly rainy spring of San Francisco, and still clad in a sweater and jacket, I landed in sunny 
Conceived by the McArthur brothers – Albert, Charles and Warren – the luxurious winter retreat for the rich and famous was built in 1929 on a 200-acre land planted with orange groves and awashed in the desert sun right outside of 
Albert Chase McArthur, a one-time apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, not only followed his mentor’s ideas, but invited the world-famous architect, who called Arizona “a vast battleground of titanic natural forces” to be his consultant on the Biltmore project. 
Wright’s influence is everywhere. Not only in the name of a gourmet restaurant on premises which serves time-honored cuisine in the same impeccable style as it used to do almost a century ago. It’s in the utterly modern at the time precast blocks’ design that makes Biltmore outer walls look like brocade. Called “textile blocks,” the textured squares of concrete are woven together to create a light pattern of a prism, with consecutive waves radiating from a diamond-shaped center. Turned upside down they mimic the fronds of the majestic palm trees around a swimming pool. The Biltmore signature relief acquires additional interplay of light and shadows under the blazing 
Wright’s design is in the gilded and patinated-copper ceilings with wrought-iron light fixtures throughout the property, in spacious guest rooms with sharp angles, in a stained glass art piece, Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers from 1927 that graces the hotel lobby. 
And speaking of the restaurant, Wright’s at the Biltmore is a place where fine resort dining reaches its shining heights.
On the night I dined, executive sous chef Conor Favre and sous chef Jason Allen treated the patrons of Wright’s to an array of timeless classics, like beef tartar with quail egg yolk and trimmings; escargot cassoulet made with basil-fed snails; lobster bisque underneath puff pastry crust; Waldorf salad with crisp apples, and Beef Wellington with Hollandaise sauce. 
I won’t soon forget the nutty peanut butter crunch bar dessert with dark chocolate wafer and butterscotch gelato encrusted in white chocolate. Biltmore soufflé (chocolate, Grand Marnier, sauce Anglaise, or seasonal fruit) has been on the menu since 1929, and still holds its appeal. 
Staying in Arizona Biltmore also opens great opportunities to partaking in different cultural programs throughout the year. The 3rd Annual “Hollywood & Wine” Summer Festival will extend from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, and include celebrity bands in concert, movie screenings, special wine tasting weekends hosted by celebrity winemakers, classes on winemaking, wine barrel painting, live theater productions, arts & crafts and special entertainment for children. The festival is themed entirely around 
More information: www.visitphoenix.com, www.arizonabiltmore.com.
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