Wigwam Resort Joins Destination Hotels & Resorts In Landmark Year

Legendary Arizona Resort Celebrates 80th Anniversary This Fall

Phoenix, Ariz. (June 9, 2009) - Joining the Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R) collection of luxury and upscale hotels and resorts, the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa will celebrate its 80th anniversary this fall as one of the Valley's first legendary resorts.

Under management by DH&R as of May 30th, the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa joins an exclusive collection of luxury resort properties nationwide. A monumental time for the resort's addition to DH&R's coveted portfolio, the Wigwam Resort has entered its eighth decade celebrating its rich history as a treasured landmark in the Southwest. Featuring 331-rooms and 72 suites on over 400 acres of lush green grass with winding walkways lined with vibrant floral landscaping, over 800 rose bushes and fragrant citrus groves, the Wigwam offers an experience that captivates every sense and takes you back to another time.

With a rich history that dates back to the early 1900s, the Wigwam resort is one of the last standing developments of Arizona's early cotton ranch development. Built in 1918 as a guest ranch retreat for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company executives visiting area ranchers, the original accommodations featured guest rooms for just six people and upon check-in guests received a horse with their room key. As the noted retreat expanded, amenities were added and the grounds were polished with trees and shrubs and popularity amongst guests ballooned with several returning to the resort with their families for winter vacations. On Thanksgiving Day 1929, the Resort opened its doors as a guest ranch fit for up to 24 guests and just one year later the legacy of golf was born at the Wigwam with the addition of a nine-hole golf course.

The Wigwam is celebrated as Arizona's most authentic resort destination, blending the essence of the Old West with the latest in traditional amenities, including the AAA Four Diamond-rated Red's Steakhouse, a Signature Red Door Spa and the Southwest's only 54 holes of championship golf. Rich in golf traditions and legacies, the Wigwam's three golf courses are recognized internationally as top golf experiences in the desert. With the resort's first 18 holes created by then golf pro V.O. "Red" Allen in 1935 who was later inducted into the Arizona PGA Golf Hall of Fame, in 1964 Allen worked closely with Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to build the resort's second course. Today, a third generation of the Allen family continues to head golf at the Wigwam and its legacy. Acclaimed by top professionals as being built for the way golf was meant to be played, Wigwam's golf courses feature expansive, lush green fairways, cascading canals, streams and spectacular views.

Paying tribute to the Red Allen legacy at the Wigwam, in 2007 Red's Steakhouse debuted at the resort and has since earned the coveted AAA Four Diamond rating, one of only two such steakhouses in the state. Red's offers a truly special dining experience with prime steaks, seafood and exceptional wine selections served with a backdrop of Arizona golf history and rustic Old West décor, including black wrought iron, worn leather, and golf memorabilia.

"Destination Hotels & Resorts is proud to be part of this historic, and legendary resort. The 320 associates of the Wigwam are honored to serve as stewards of this truly authentic Arizona experience" said Greg Miller, Vice President & Managing Director of DHR. "The Wigwam is a natural fit for DH&R and complements our collection of unique, one-of-a-kind properties that are indigenous to their locations with a distinctive identity."

DH&R has had long standing presence in the Valley, managing the Royal Palms Resort and Spa and Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center for nearly 30 years combined. With 35 distinctive properties nationwide, DH&R's portfolio includes golf resorts, spas, hotels, and conference centers including the coastal L'Auberge Del Mar, award-winning golf resort at Sunriver Resort in Oregon, South Carolina's Wild Dunes® Resort and Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa.

Nestled in the residential retreat setting of Litchfield Park, the resort's surrounding community offers even more history of the Old West. The City of Litchfield Park was founded in 1916 when Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased about 14,000 acres to grow Egyptian long-staple cotton to use in tire cords. Then junior executive Paul Litchfield was tasked with the discovery and development of this new cotton growing region. Just 10 years later in 1926, Litchfield was recognized as the city's founder and the city was officially named Litchfield Park. The charming historic community offers the perfect escape and is just minutes from the newly evolved sports arena, shopping and restaurants venues which have emerged northwest of downtown Phoenix.

About Destinations Hotels & Resorts
Destination Hotels & Resorts is one of the largest independent hospitality management companies in the country with more than 30 luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers. To protect and preserve the unique communities in which the company operates, Destination launched Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program in 2008. New for 2009 is the 582-room Terranea Resort situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southern California. The 102-acre ocean front resort will feature a 25,000-square-foot destination spa, three swimming pools, three restaurants and a Todd Eckenrode-designed par three golf course. In addition to Terranea in the greater Los Angeles area, Destination operates properties in key metropolitan areas and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs, Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa | 300 East Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park, Arizona 85340
Phone: 623.935.3811 | Toll Free: 1.800.327.0396 | Info@WigwamResort.com