"There are very few opportunities in hospitality to bring two landmarks together that have been connected to one another from the very beginning," Michael Hoffmann, vice president and managing director of the Arizona Biltmore, said in the October 2 announcement of the sale.
The deal behind that line closed on October 1. Henderson Park bought the Wrigley Mansion from the previous owners for $17 million, according to Maricopa County real estate records cited by KTAR and the Phoenix Business Journal. Henderson Park bought it in a joint venture with Western & Southern Financial Group, funds managed by Hamilton Lane, South Street Partners and Pyramid Global Hospitality, the same group that owns the Arizona Biltmore. Pyramid will run both properties.
The release calls this a reunion, and the history supports that. What the resort actually bought, though, is a restaurant the house became during its 47 years on its own.
The House Was Built as the Hotel's Neighbor
William Wrigley Jr. bought into the Arizona Biltmore in 1928, the year before it opened. According to the Society of Architectural Historians' SAH Archipedia entry, he first put $1.7 million into the McArthur brothers' $2 million hotel. He became the sole owner when the brothers ran into financial trouble. Once his Phoenix business interests were that large, he decided to build a winter home next door.
The house, La Colina Solana, was finished in 1931 as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for his wife, Ada. It had 24 rooms and 17,000 square feet, which made it the largest private residence in Arizona at the time. It stood alone, nine miles outside the Phoenix city limits. Its nearest neighbor was the hotel to the east. It sits on a 100-foot knoll above the resort with 360-degree views of the Valley.
Some of the original interior is still where diners and tour guests can see it. Giovanni Battisti Smeraldi painted the decorative ceilings. He also painted the ceilings at the Los Angeles Biltmore. The library is paneled in Philippine walnut, and a small telephone room is papered in metallic chewing gum wrappers. Jamie's Wine Bar now operates in that original library.
How One Estate Became Two Businesses
For nearly 50 years, the hill and the resort had the same owner. Here is the ownership history, as SAH Archipedia records it:
- 1928 to 1973. The Wrigley family owns the Arizona Biltmore. From 1931, it also owns the mansion.
- 1973. The family sells the mansion, the resort and the golf course together to Tally Industries, which uses the mansion as an extra guesthouse for the resort.
- 1979. Western Savings buys the mansion alone and turns it into the Mansion Club, with a private dining room and an inn. This is when the two properties split.
- 1979 to 1984. Cornoyer-Hedrick Architects and Planners adapts the house for its new use. The driveway becomes a tiled terrace, the kitchen is enlarged twice, a bakeshop opens in an addition in 1983, and a guardhouse goes up in 1984.
- 1992. The Hormel family buys the property and restores it to how it looked around 1931. It keeps operating as a club and restaurant.
Under Tally, the mansion was effectively a wing of the resort. Its life as a separate dining and event business started in 1979, and that is the version most Biltmore Estates residents know. The sale announcement says the Hormels saved the house from demolition in 1992. It credits the family's long ties to food and hospitality with shaping the mansion's next era.
What the Resort Says It Bought
The release doesn't talk about rooms or real estate. It talks about food. Its headline line says the deal establishes "the destination as one of the region's most exciting culinary addresses." Christopher's, led by James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher Gross, is named as the main draw.
That claim has outside support. Michelin held its first Southwest ceremony on August 26, 2026, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, as the Arizona Republic reported. Christopher's was one of 12 Arizona restaurants named "recommended," and no Arizona restaurant received a star. The resort got that recognition five weeks before the deal closed.
So the mansion the Biltmore just bought has had a dining room since 1979, and its reputation built up while it had a separate owner. That reputation is what the buyers are pointing to.
"We are ready to work alongside the talented associates who have built its reputation as one of Arizona's premier dining and event destinations."
Warren Fields, CEO of Pyramid Global Hospitality, in the October 2 release
What Has Not Been Announced
So far, the announcement is about intentions, not plans. It describes Pyramid's goal of honoring each property's character. It does not mention renovations, a new name, memberships or changes to public access. It describes Christopher's, Geordie's Restaurant & Lounge and Jamie's Wine Bar as the mansion's current restaurants. It does not say whether any of them will change. The Hormel family has not commented publicly in the announcement.
For now, the two landmarks still have separate websites, separate calendars and separate reservation systems. The mansion's posted hours also leave out something many visitors remember. They list no public Sunday brunch, and they show Geordie's closed on Sundays.
The Hill and the Resort This Fall
Until the new owners announce something, these are the published schedules for both properties.
At the mansion
- Geordie's: dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. for the last seating. The lounge opens at 4:30 p.m., with aperitivo from 4:30 to 6:30.
- Christopher's: the Classics Menu Tuesday through Thursday and the Chef Tasting Menu Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
- Historic tours: Wednesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Tours run 45 to 60 minutes, and the mansion recommends reservations.
- Hormel Jazz Series: Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The calendar through December
| Date | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 14 | Wrigley Mansion | Beyond The Vine, a multi-course dinner with Mark Pisoni featuring Pisoni wines and family-produced coffee and honey |
| Oct. 15, 22, 29 | Wrigley Mansion | Hormel Jazz Series |
| Oct. 30 | Arizona Biltmore, Spire Bar | "The Alchemist's Lounge," a 21+ Halloween party with a sparkling-wine toast, DJ, tarot readings and a costume contest |
| Nov. 5, 12, 19 | Wrigley Mansion | Hormel Jazz Series |
| Nov. 20, 3 to 5 p.m. | Arizona Biltmore | Create & Canvas class |
| Nov. 26 | Arizona Biltmore | Thanksgiving brunch and Turkey Trot |
| Dec. 3, 10, 17 | Wrigley Mansion | Hormel Jazz Series. No shows Nov. 26, Dec. 24 or Dec. 31 |
The resort's fall page also lists Le Petit Chef & Friends dinners Thursday through Saturday and live music at Renata's on Friday and Saturday nights. Spire Bar's Oktoberfest menu has been available daily since September 19, and S'more Fun at Cup & Cone starts November 1. The page says the Nutcracker Tea and gingerbread-house decorating are coming but gives no dates yet.
On the courses
Overseeding at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club changes which course is open over the next week. Under the schedule the club posted in July, the Links Course is closed through October 18 and reopens October 19 for cart paths only through November 16. The same day, the Estates Course closes until November 8. It then runs cart paths only from November 9 to December 9. These are planned dates, not confirmed reopenings, so tee-time availability is the better guide.
Elsewhere nearby, the original True Food Kitchen at Biltmore Fashion Park was still open after the chain's October Chapter 11 filing. KTAR reported that all three Arizona locations stayed open while 12 restaurants elsewhere closed.
The Wrigley Mansion's value came from both its 1931 design and what later owners built inside it. If you own an architecturally significant home and are thinking about its next owner, Luxe Client Group can help you plan a private sale that protects its history and its value. Request Your Confidential Consultation.
