Sanctuary Resort In Paradise Valley Has Storied Real Estate History

By Author: Heidi Baldwin
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One prominent area of Paradise Valley luxury real estate that exudes not just style and sophistication, but also a wealth of history, is Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. In fact, many people don't realize that this exclusive resort's legacy is filled with Hollywood celebrities, international tennis stars and even highly placed politicos.

According to The Sanctuary's website, sanctuaryoncamelback.com, the story begins back in the early 1950s when the unique mountainside property was purchased by a group of investors including Hollywood stars Joanne Dru, John Ireland and Sydney Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's son. Joanne Dru was a famous actress who worked with big names including Jimmy Stewart, Al Jolson and John Ford; she and Ireland, who worked with Stanley Kubrick, Michael Landon and Broderick Crawford among others, were married at the time. Well-known architect Hiram Hudson Benedict, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, was tapped to design a clubhouse, and Benedict and Ireland developed the clubhouse, five tennis courts and a prototype casita that become John Ireland's Arizona home.

Throughout the ...
... 1950s, the facility was known as the Paradise Valley Racquet Club. Thanks to its Hollywood cachet, the tennis club attracted la crème de la crème of motion picture stars along with world-ranked tennis figures such as Ken Rosewall and Pancho Gonzales. As the 1950s turned into the 1960s, local real estate entrepreneurs Vik Jackson and Les Heitel brought together an investment group that purchased the Racquet Club's 53 mountainside acres, including the tennis courts, casitas and clubhouse. Meanwhile, tennis-training impresarios John and Barbara Gardiner were in the process of expanding their California-based tennis business. They became part of the operation and decided to construct additional casitas as well as expansive homes on the property, which then became known as John Gardiner's Tennis Ranch.

At about the same time, Paradise Valley resident and political heavyweight Senator Barry Goldwater was spearheading a group that was formed to preserve Camelback Mountain. The Tennis Ranch provided strong support for the preservation movement which eliminated development of land above the 1,700-foot level of Camelback Mountain. To help ensure that the mountain was preserved, the owners of the tennis facility transferred acreage from their privately-owned real estate into the Preserve.

In addition to helping save Camelback Mountain, the resort also supported community causes by holding numerous celebrity tennis tournaments to benefit a variety of charities. These tournaments drew many Hollywood stars, both as players and as spectators, including Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, Liza Minelli, Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby and others. The Senator's Cup Tennis Tournament was also hosted at the Ranch, featuring members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and other politicians who battled for bragging rights in front of an often-packed gallery.

A few ownership transitions later, along with massive renovations, and the resort took on new life when it reopened in March 2001 as Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. The Sanctuary is now home to not just a storied history, but also magnificent spa-like amenities, sensational valley-wide views and award-winning fine dining.

Article Source: Russ Lyon blog