The Camelback Inn is a historic hotel that’s been a Paradise Valley landmark since the 1930s. It’s nestled between Mummy Mountain and Camelback Mountain on Lincoln Drive. This luxury hotel, provides deluxe amenities such as heated outdoor pools, garden terraces, and desert trails in the Sonoran Desert. There’s also a complimentary shuttle to its 18-hole championship golf courses.
It’s so attractive that hospitality magnate Bill Marriott has spent his birthday there for 50 years. (Source: Phoenix Magazine. “Vacation Visionary,” June 1, 2018.)
Welcome to Colonia Miramonte
Colonia Miramonte is a guard-gated community of 82 homes just east of the Camelback Inn. The homes are scattered throughout the foothills of Mummy Mountain north of Lincoln Drive Nearly all homes have up-close views of both Mummy and Camelback Mountains.
Homes are between two to four bedrooms, have a 2-car garage, and are around 3,000 square feet. There are a few 2-story homes that were grandfathered in before a restriction against anything more than 1 story.
The community has its own pool, and many pocket parks where neighbors meet. It is serviced by the Scottsdale Unified School District. This includes Kiva Elementary, Mohave Middle School, and Saguaro High School.
History
The Camelback Inn was opened in 1936 by hotelier Jack Stewart, and financed by John C. Lincoln. Its notable guests included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart. In 1953, the Camelback Inn donated 180 acres to create the Paradise Valley Country Club in return for playing privileges for its guests. (Source: Phoenix Magazine. “Vacation Visionary,” June 1, 2018. Marriott website, “Camelback Inn.”)
In 1967, the Marriott corporation bought it. The Inn was Marriott’s first resort and launched the corporation’s resort network, which now includes more than 20 resorts.
That same year, most of the homes in Colonia Miramonte were built. The land had previously been where the Inn’s horse stables were. In Spanish, the name means “Colony with a Mountain View.” Most of the homes have been updated or renovated, and some have been completely rebuilt.
Relationship Between Colonia Miramonte and the Camelback Inn
Colonia Miramonte residents are permitted use of the facilities at the Camelback Inn fpr a fee. They can easily walk to the spas, resorts, and restaurants. They get a discount for friends and family staying at the hotel.
They can also order room service from the Inn and have it delivered to their homes. The Inn will also cater any party for residents. (Source: Paradise Valley Historical Committee. “Interview with Jim Rose,” June 4, 2013.)
What It Means to You
If you’ve always wished you could live at the Camelback Inn, you now have the next best thing. Colonia Miramonte homes typically sell between $2.5 million to $5 million, according to the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. That allows you to enjoy the Camelback Inn lifestyle, while owning your own home.
