Nestled between Phoenix and Scottsdale at the base of Arizona’s Camelback Mountain is the newly opened mid-century modern oasis of Mountain Shadows. The resort—thanks to a $100 million overhaul—is an all-new take on the landmark 1960s property from which it takes its name. At the time of its opening in 1959, the original Mountain Shadows helped to redefine Arizona’s luxury resort landscape—drawing the jet-set crowd to Paradise Valley with its manicured golf course and expansive pools—and now, the new Mountain Shadows, which is the first resort to open in the area in nearly a decade, is hoping to do the same.
The all new resort and community—which was built from the ground up by Scottsdale-based Allen + Philp Architects after the original structures were demolished in 2014—features a mix of spacious guestrooms and bright, airy condos and lofts (with floorplans ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet) that offer sweeping views of the property’s refreshed golf course and surrounding mountains. Of the 183 breezy guestrooms envisioned by New York City–based interior design firm Markzeff, the presidential suite with its sleek, cool-toned interiors, offers the ultimate retreat from the stark desert landscape outside. Its sprawling terrace, complete with a spacious seating area and panoramic views of Camelback Mountain, is the perfect place to enjoy an evening cocktail after a day on the links or at one of the resort’s two 75-foot pools.
Although the resort has shed its retro architecture in favor of a sleek and modern aesthetic that is an enchanting contrast from the surrounding dusty mountains, the original resort’s focus on serving as a heart of the Paradise Valley community has remained the same. When not teeing off on the Forrest Richardson–designed short course, guests and community members can mingle at the resort’s ingredient-driven, seasonally focused restaurant Hearth ’61, or browse exhibitions at the Gallery at Mountain Shadows, which displays both private and public collections with ties to the local area. (mountainshadows.com)
