Kids Holiday Tennis Camp

Looking for something for the kids to do over break? Check out our kids tennis camp. Offered daily - for more info visit www.arizonabiltmore.com/holidays

Congratulations to our Trivia Winner....

Kelly Stoddard from Surprise, AZ was the 1st person with the correct answer to today's holiday trivia question.

The answer is "White Christmas!" written by Irving Berlin during his stay at the Biltmore in 1939.

Happy Holidays!

Biltmore Trivia - Winner gets breakfast with Santa!!

Here's how it works.... in order to play the trivia - you'll need to email me directly at beckyb@arizonabiltmore.com with the correct answer.

The first email with the correct answer will win Breakfast with Santa this Sunday 12/21 for 4 people. (don't forget to bring the kids!)

Please provide a contact phone # in your email so I can call & confirm you are the winner.

Trivia contest will end by 10am Friday morning (tomorrow 12/19).

Ok - Today's Trivia Question is.......
"What famous holiday song was written at the Arizona Biltmore in 1939?"

Breakfast with Santa!!

Breaking news..... Santa is making one more stop before Christmas and he's coming to the Biltmore! Santa will join us for breakfast this Sunday, Dec. 21st from 9am - 11am.

So call now for reservations - space is limited - and don't forget to bring your camera!!

Breakfast buffet is $25 per person (tax & grat. not included). Call 602-381-7632 for reservations.

And the Winners are......

Taking first place in the “Home Cooks” category of the first annual charity Gingerbread
House Contest at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa was Phoenix resident Katie Kuhl
(left) with a dazzling entry she titled “Home Sweet Home.” Her mom, children and
friends gathered with her to celebrate the prize of an overnight stay in a deluxe resort
room at the Biltmore and a Chef’s Tasting Dinner for two in Wright’s. The gingerbread house baking contest raised money for Ryan House, which is dedicated to assisting children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Thank you to all of the participants in the 1st Annual Gingerbread House contest! Here is the list of winners:

Children 12 & under:
1st Place – $200 AMEX gift card – Children’s Cottage, Rachel Jutzi (4)
2nd Place - $150 AMEX gift card – Christmas on the Farm, McKenna Baker (12)
3rd Place – $100 AMEX gift card – Christmastime at the Yum Yum House, Madelyn & Ameliya Anseth (10 & 8)
People’s Choice – $50 AMEX gift card – Children’s Cottage, Rachel Jutzi (4)


Home Cooks:
1st Place – One Overnight Stay in Deluxe Resort Room and Chef’s Tasting Dinner for Two in Wright’s – Home Sweet Home, Katie Kuhl
2nd Place – Chef’s Tasting Dinner for Two in Wright’s – Our House, Caitlin Green-Cheney
People’s Choice – Two 60-minute treatments of choice in the Arizona Biltmore Spa – Home Sweet Home, Katie Kuhl

Professional Chefs and Culinary School Students:
1st Place –Admission for two to Winemaker Dinner in Wright’s and Overnight accommodations – A Christmas Castle Chivalry, Mary Kay Pallo of Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
2nd Place – One Overnight Stay in a Deluxe Resort Room – Wonderland, Chris Cwierz of Ganache This
People’s Choice – Two 60-minute treatments of choice in the Arizona Biltmore Spa. – A Christmas Castle Chivalry, Mary Kay Pallo of Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Gingerbread Men

These were so cute - had to take a picture to share! Some lucky person had a basket of these delivered to them today.

Holiday Extravaganza - This Sunday 12/7

Join us for great activities and holiday cheer!

Radio Disney will be here for a Rockin' Road Show with karaoke from 10:30am - 12 noon! Enter to win Cheetah Girls concert tickets and meet/greet passes.

For more info visit Radio Disney's website: http://radio.disney.go.com/music/yourstation/phoenix/december.html#

Also making an appearance for kids to enjoy local children's author, Jean Eckman Adams, will be reading from her Clarence book series & signing copies from 12pm - 2pm outside at the Cafe.

We'll have s'mores, hot chocolate, holiday music, gorgeous holiday decorations & a chance to get some holiday shopping done!

For more information visit: www.arizonabiltmore.com/holidays

The Lobby Smells Like Gingerbread!!

The sweet aroma fills the air.... it's holiday time! Our holiday decor would not be complete without our 10 ft. x 5 ft. gingerbread house.

Our Pastry team puts a few hundred hours into creating this masterpiece each year. This year the steeple is covered in chocolate! It almost looks like wrapping paper it's so surreal - the chocolate is almost paper thin & decorated with a pattern from cocoa butter transfer sheets! Amazing!!

It's a White Christmas After All.....

There was snow at the Arizona Biltmore last night! We celebrated our Annual Tree Lighting Event and the guests were treated to snow flurries when they walked outside to start to countdown to light the tree!

Gingerbread House Preparations

I think most people would be hard pressed to find a kitchen big enough for a colossal gingerbread house, but not us!

We have plenty of room to create this 10 ft. x 5 ft. wonder. We snuck in while the Chef was still working on the pieces of the house and snapped a few photos for you all to see what it takes to put this all together.

Each shingle on the roof is baked lavosh coated in an egg wash to make it shine & sprinkled with kosher salt for the look of snow. Each "brick" on the house is a gingerbread version of our signature Biltmore block. The "stained glass" windows are all made of sugar. Have you ever tried to write "Happy Holidays" in sugar?? It's not easy!

Thousands of pieces of candy complete the trim on the house and finally, the steeple - completely covered in paper thin chocolate this year! yummy!!

1st Annual Gingerbread House Contest

Never in our wildest imaginations did we think that by opening up a contest to the public that we would receive such a great response and such AWESOME gingerbread creations!!

The deadline to enter a house in the competition was Monday - they are now all on display in the lobby and they were creating quite the traffic jam all day long! Guests have been stopping to admire them & even bid on them for the silent auction!

Once the houses are judged in the competition this Sunday, they can be entered into the silent auction which raises money for a local children's charity, Ryan House. http://www.ryanhouse.org/

There is a people's choice award, so come on over & cast your vote for your favorite house! The Holiday Extravaganza this Sunday is free & open to the public. It's a great way to admire our holiday decorations and even get some Christmas shopping done.

For more information on the Holiday Extravaganza or the Gingerbread House Contest, visit www.arizonabiltmore.com/holidays

Take a look at a few of our entries......

Do You Have a Favorite Biltmore Holiday Memory?

Over the years we've heard from countless guests who have visited the Arizona Biltmore. They come up to us in the lobby, they email us, call us and even write us letters and include photos. The time they've spent here with family & friends is special to them and they want to share their memories with us.

We've loved hearing the stories and as employees of the Biltmore, we're honored to have been a part of the history we share with our guests.

Now, we want to hear more! Add your comments below about your favorite Holiday memory of the Arizona Biltmore.