scottsdale

Luxist Takes the Honda CR-Z to the Camelback Inn

There's a desert to the west of Los Angeles, the dusty, scrubby kind riven by arroyos and snow-capped ranges. The city is protected from that barren terror by a kind of East Wall, a monumentally wide buffer of concrete that are actually cities and towns everyone knows about but few ever visit on purpose – places like Monrovia, Cerritos, Montebello, Pomona.

Occasionally, though, there comes a reason to cross that desert, and you want a good camel when such time comes. We found a proper mount in the Honda CR-Z, a two-seat hybrid to play miniature steel dromedary for our Bedouin sallies.

The destination was an oasis 380 miles due east tucked behind Scottsdale's Camelback Mountain, in Paradise Valley, and aptly named The Camelback Inn. Once there, having braved, well, nothing really, we would quench our thirst with some of the finest drinks ever sipped by any traveler, weary or otherwise...

Tags: arizona, camelback inn, cr-z, honda, honda cr-z, hybrid, marriott, phoenix, resort, scottsdale

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Hotel Theodore To Get New Owners, Name Change

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It has been called the Mondrian Scottdale and the James Hotel but a Scottsdale, Arizona hotel known currently as Hotel Theodore will get another name change soon. The Arizona Republic reports that the Sydell Group, which owns the Ace Hotel New York and Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs, bought the hotel for $16.25 million. The company hired Joie de Vivre Hospitality to manage the 195-room hotel and Sydell plans to renovate and rename the hotel by the fall. Look for the hotel to be regain some of its coolness. The Ace Hotel and Joie de Vivre Hospitality, which operates 34 hotels in California both have reputations for creating trendy hotels much like the original James was when it opened in 2004.

Tags: arizona, hotel theodore, scottsdale

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JFK Ambulance Sold for $120,000 Despite Authenticity Doubts

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

JFK Ambulance Sold for $120,000 Despite Authenticity Doubts

Avid Luxist readers may recognize this vintage ambulance from our article earlier this month. The 1963 Pontiac Bonneville is one of only a handful converted to an ambulance and commissioned by the U.S. Navy. It was said to have carried out the solemn duty of transporting the remains and bereaved of the assassinated president John F. Kennedy, and was slated for the auction block under the auspices of Barrett-Jackson at its recently-concluded auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The story sounded credible and straightforward enough, but before the auction took place, reports surfaced to question the authenticity of the vehicle's provenance. It seemed, according to the reports, that the vehicle that actually carried JFK's remains and grieving widow and brother from Andrews Air Force Base to Bethesda Naval Hospital was actually destroyed several years ago.

Authenticity notwithstanding, Barrett-Jackson elected to auction the vehicle just the same, where it promptly sold for a high bid of $120,000 – less than it probably would have fetched if not for the question of its provenance, but more than if it were indeed just an ordinary ambulance. The buyer stated her intentions to donate the car for display at the Smithsonian, but to make the story all the stranger, ended up reportedly selling it for little more than she paid for it to the daughter of a limousine collector in Colorado whose father is presently incarcerated for bribing Alaskan legislators.

Gallery: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance

Tags: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville, 1963 pontiac bonneville ambulance, 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance, barrett-jackson, jfk, John F Kennedy, john f. kennedy, kennedy, pontiac, Pontiac Bonneville, pontiac bonneville ambulance, scottsdale

Million-Dollar Ferraris and More at Gooding & Co. Auction in Arizona

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

It's not every day that a car like the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione goes up for auction. Or a Maserati MC12. Or a Ferrari F40, F50 or 333 SP, for that matter. But these and more are set to cross the auction block in a star-studded line-up presented by Gooding & Company.

The collection of the late Benny Caiola includes the aforementioned FXX (estimated at $2.2-2.5 million), MC12 ($1.1-1.4 million), 333 SP ($800,000-1 million), F40 ($475,000-550,000) and F50 ($750,000-850,000), along with an F430 Challenge race car ($125,000 - $150,000) and 430 Scuderia ($215,000-240,000), 599 HGTE ($275,000-315,000) and 1973 Ferrari Dino ($160,000-180,000) plus a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster ($240,000-325,000) and Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 ($175,000-225,000) for good measure.

The most notable (and valuable) of the collection, the FXX and MC12 are both based on the iconic Ferrari Enzo supercar, but optimized for performance on the race track, while the 333 SP was the last Le Mans Prototype ever built by Ferrari. It's a rare collection to be sure, one that promises to bring in upwards of $7 million in sales when the auction kicks off on January 21 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gallery: The Caiola Collection - Gooding & Company

Tags: 1973 Ferrari Dino, 1990 Ferrari F40, 1995 Ferrari F50, 1999 Ferrari 333 SP, 2005 Maserati MC12, 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione, 2007 Ferrari F430 Challenge, 2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia, 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster, 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, 2010 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE, 333 SP, 333SP, 430 Scuderia, 599, 599 GTB Fiorano, 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE, arizona, auction, benny caiola, caiola, caiola collection, Dino, F40, F50, Ferrari 333 SP, Ferrari 333SP, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE, Ferrari 599 HGTE, Ferrari Dino, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F430 Challenge, Ferrari F50, Ferrari FXX, Ferrari FXX Evoluzione, FXX, FXX Evoluzione, Gallardo, Gallardo LP 560-4, gooding, gooding and company, gooding company, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, Maserati MC12, MC12, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster, scottsdale, SLR, SLR McLaren, SLR McLaren Roadster

Gooding's Time Capsule Cars for its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Events

Gooding will be unearthing some vintage competitors and a barely used road car to its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions next month: a barn find 1964 Shelby Cobra and 1965 Shelby GT350 R, 1964 Porsche 904, 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, the purported lowest-mileage unrestored Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster anywhere.

Said to be the only unrestored Cobra in blue and red livery, the '64 snake spent 33 years in "storage" yet comes off as surprisingly lustworthy in spite of that. It began life as Carroll Shelby's promo car at SoCal racing venues, it was dredged up from the deep to do the Postwar Preservation Class at this year's Pebble Beach, and now expects to find a good home for somewhere north of $525,000. The '65 Shelby GT350 R is a one-of-26 was campaigned and did plenty of winning in the B-Production Championship in the sixties.

Another serious racer was the four-cam, fiberglass-bodied '64 Porsche 904. The one up for auction was used to beat Phil Hill, who was driving a Cobra, at Candlestick Park in 1965. Finally, the '62 Mercedes 300SL has so few miles that it could qualify for a barn find: 7,367 original miles in 48 years and still in the care of its original owner. And isn't there always a yellow Ferrari lurking anywhere there's a high-dollar party? This one's a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, and it just goes to show that some thing never change. The bidding will begin when the gavel goes up, January 21-22 next year. (Images © Alejandro Rodriguez/Gooding, © Pawel Litwinski/Gooding, © Scott Nidermaier/Gooding)

Gallery: 1962 Mercedes 300SL

Gallery: 1964 Porsche 904

Gallery: 1964 Shelby Cobra

Gallery: 1965 Shelby GT350 R

Gallery: 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB

[Source: Gooding]

Source

Tags: 2011 scottsdale auctions, 300SL, ferrari, ferrari 275, gooding, gooding company, mercedes 300sl, mercedes-benz, porsche, porsche 904, scottsdale, shelby, Shelby Cobra, shelby gt350r

IPic Bring Mogul Movie-Watching to Scottsdale

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Harry Cohn, Samuel Goldwn and Darryl Zanuck didn't trek to the multiplex to enjoy a film. For them, the phrase "big screen" was associated with words like "personal" and "velvet" and "captain's chair" and "service," not "hot dog combo" and "sticky floors." That mogul way of moviegoing is about to be introduced to Scottsdale, Arizona by iPic Entertainment, which is opening up a luxury theater in Scottsdale Quarter next month.

You'll be able to reserve your seats online in one of two levels: Premium and Gold Class. Premium ticket holders can order fresh American and Mediterranean fare from Tanzy and carry it into the theater, along with beverages of the fermented variety, to their 30-inch-wide leather chairs. Punch the Gold Class ticket, however, and you'll get full-service inside the theater: custom recliners with foot rests, food and bevvies throughout film, complimentary popcorn and free valet parking

Each of the eight theaters holds but two rows in stadium configuration, with four-and-a-half feet between each so you won't need to worry about the bouquet from your neighbor's Pinot mingling with that of your Shiraz. True, Goldwyn and co. didn't need to leave their own homes to indulge in the screen trade, but they didn't have the after-hours lounge Salt to enjoy post movie, either. Or the Apple Store. iPic Theaters opens December 17.

Gallery: IPic Theaters, Scottsdale AZ

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Tags: arizona, entertainment, ipic, ipic theaters, movies, scottsdale

The Arizona Taco Festival Takes Tacos Upscale

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

First it was salsa, then tequila, now it's tacos that are getting some overdue north-of-the-border afición. Scottsdale, Arizona will be the next to worship at taco altar when it hosts Arizona Taco Festival, a celebration of all the delicious things you can stack on tortillas of flour and corn and lettuce.

Curated by the same team that put on Scottsdale's barbecue festival earlier this year, the test this time is to see which chef can stack the the most tantalizing tacos in chicken, pork, beef and fish flavors. New York City chef Richard Sandoval (La Biblioteca, Maya, Zenga) is flying in to prep his team from Scottsdale's Fairmont Hotel resto La Hacienda. At the other end, Phoenix farm-to-table restaurant St. Francis doesn't even serve tacos, but the owner flew to Mexico to learn the trade. Between them will be 30 chefs and restaurants plotting the perfect light Latin lunch.

Because there can't be tacos without tequila, Tres Agaves will be doing hand-crafted margaritas, Corrido will be doing a private tequila bar, and labels such as Don Julio, Epsolon, Vince Neils' Tres Rios and Roger Clyne's Mexican Moonshine will be all be vying for the chance to rescue you from the dark side of the agave plant usually referred to as "Cuervo."

And if that's not enough, a hot-chili-eating contest featuring the ghost chili, the pepper so hot that the men who farm it say, "When you eat it, it's like dying." And yes, there will be a Mariachi band happy to serenade your chili escapades.

The AZ Taco Fest goes down October 9, 10 am to 5 pm, general admission $10, VIP tickets $50, tacos for a $2-spot. More info at www.aztacofestival.com.

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Tags: arizona, arizona taco festival, scottsdale, tacos

Ted Baker Opens In Arizona, Will The TedTini Be Served?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Spirits, Men's Style

British brand Ted Baker is opening up its latest store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona. The store opens July 1 and as the Arizona Republic reports one of the things the store is most known for might just flout Arizona law. The London brand is famous for fine menswear and women's wear but it's also the home of the Tedtini, a Bombay Sapphire gin martini made with apple juice, mint, gin and simple syrup, garnished with wedges of lime and lemon. The cocktail is offered for free to thirsty-looking customers, usually on weekends or special events. In Arizona to give away liquor Ted Baker would have to apply for a liquor license from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. The store hasn't done that but plans to apply for a special-events permit that allows liquor to be served no more than 12 days a year. Still local authorities probably won't be cracking down to hard on the retailer.

This is the 13th U.S. location for the Ted Baker which also has a five-year partnership with Bombay Sapphire. The cocktails also are served in Ted Baker stores in New York, Nevada, California and other states. The Wall Street Journal had a piece last year on the growing trend of retail stores breaking out the booze to help some customers, especially men, relax and feel at ease. The liquor helps to reinforce the idea that the store is a place where people can linger, browse at leisure and hopefully purchase.

Tags: arizona, retailers serving liquor, scottsdale, ted baker, ted tini, tedtini

Targa Trophy Supercar Rally Kicks Off This Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

The Targa Trophy triple-crown series of open road rallies featuring some of the most exotic cars in the world will kick off later this month with high-octane events slated for Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. The series pits drivers against the clock in an effort to drive pre-selected routes through some of the most technical driving roads and scenic byways in the western United States. The first leg – the So Cal Challenge - runs from Hollywood to San Diego, the second event – the Bay Area Rally Fest - takes participants through Silicon Valley and West San Francisco, and the Desert Finale runs through the Arizona desert to Scottsdale. Each two-day event will start with an exclusive private party at the host city's W Hotel.

As the participants make their way to the finish there will be a series of checkpoints and movie screenings culminating in the finale dinner and awards ceremony. HRE Performance Wheels, which designs, engineers and manufactures forged alloy wheels for the world's finest cars in their San Diego facility, has signed on "Official Wheel" of this year's competition. HRE will craft a unique forged aluminum trophy for the rally winner and provide prizes to other top placing drivers as well. The grand prize for the "Triple Crown" winner will be a custom-made set of forged HRE wheels made for the winning vehicle. The So Cal Challenge kicks of on June 25; the deadline to sign up is June 22.

Tags: Arizona, California, Hollywood, rally, San Diego, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Southern California, supercars, Targa Trophy, W Hotel

Four Peaks Brewing Co.: Award-Winning Beer in Arizona

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Four Peaks Brewery is nominated as best brew pub

For over a decade, Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe, Ari., has been among the best destinations for beer in the Southwest. In the wake of countless awards at the likes of the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival, it's no surprise that the brew pub responsible for the victorious liquids is a Luxist nominee in the best brew pub category.

Four Peaks' building started out as something quite different from its current incarnation. Back in 1892, the warehouse was first constructed to store milk for Pacific Creamery and Bordens Creamery. Today, the red brick walls and high wooden ceilings surround a different kind of libation: the delicious ales of Four Peaks Brewing Company.

Gallery: Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Arizona

In addition to seasonal varieties, the brewpub boasts a handful of mainstays. There's Kilt Lifter, an award-winning Scottish-style ale, amber in color and smoky in taste. For Anglophiles, there's 8^th Street Ale, an English-style bitter beer made from rare Kentish hops. Those looking for something a little sweeter will enjoy Arizona Peach, a subtle and fruity beer. Hops-lovers will enjoy Hop Knot I.P.A., named for the weaving of four different types of hops at four different times during the brewing process.

Solid nourishment can also be had at Four Peaks – the accompanying restaurant offers a full menu of lunch and dinner items. And if a trip to Tempe is too long a trek, try the brewpub's second location, Four Peaks Grill and Tap in Scottsdale.

Vote for the brew pub that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through April 30 and winners will be announced on May 1.

Tags: Ariziona, awards-main, beer, best brew pub, Four Peaks Brewing Company, luxist-awards, microbreweries, nigthlife, scottsdale, scottsdale az, Tempe

Grand Estancia Estate, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home sits within the gated community of Estancia in Scottsdale. The sprawling estate spans three lots in the subdivision at the base of Pinnacle peak. it was designed to blend in with the boulder outcroppings creating a private oasis. Heavy wood doors, tile floors and curving adobe fireplaces add to the feeling of desert luxury. There are eight bedrooms total and over 20,000 square feet of living space if you include both the caretaker's cottage and the large 2,000 square foot pool house. The outdoor space includes large porches as well as several outdoor fireplaces and seating areas and a pool with a waterfall. This home is listed at $15 million.

Gallery: Grand Estancia Estate

Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, ArizonaRealEstate, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, scottsdale

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1930 Ford Model A used by John Dillinger up for Auction

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

There are pieces of history and then there are pieces of history. This is clearly the latter. What you see here is the actual car which John Dillinger and his gang used to escape federal agents in one of the most famous shoot-outs in American history.

In the midst of a nation-wide robbing spree, Dillinger and his cronies stayed at the Little Bohemia Lodge in rural Wisconsin. After the proprietors alerted law enforcement to their presence, federal agents arrived at the scene, shooting the place full of bullets in an effort to kill the wanted criminals. As depicted in the blockbuster hit Public Enemies, Dillinger and a few of his men managed to escape into the woods and commandeered this very vehicle, using it to flee to Minnesota where they picked up a faster Ford V8. The Model A seen here was returned to its owner, who was forced to drive the car as Dillinger shot out the back window, and it stayed with the family for decades.

It's also the car the film-makers used to recreate the scene following an extensive and faithful restoration. Now the 1930 Ford Model A, with four-cylinder engine, bullet holes and all, is up for sale by Barrett-Jackson at their upcoming event in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gallery: John Dillinger's 1930 Ford Model A

Tags: 1930 ford model a, 1930FordModelA, arizona, barrett-jackson, dillinger, ford, ford model a, FordModelA, john dillinger, JohnDillinger, public enemies, PublicEnemies, scottsdale

Rare $2 Million Ferrari & More in Scottsdale Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

One of the most beautiful Ferraris ever made, a 1959 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet (above), is expected to fetch over $2.2 Million at Gooding & Company's Scottsdale sale on Jan. 23. One of only 40 Series 1 Pininfarina Cabriolets ever built, upon its completion the car was immediately shipped to the United States to be proudly displayed on Ferrari's New York Auto Show stand, and the sale marks the first time one of coveted models has crossed the auction block in many years. Also on offer: a highly prized 1956 Jaguar D-Type Sports Racer, painted cream with blue racing stripes, expected to fetch above $3.5 million; and a stunning 1959 Costin Lister Jaguar Sports Racer, estimated at $1.5 million.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Ferrari, Gooding Company, GoodingCompany, Jaguar, Pininfarina, Scottsdale

Gooding & Co Adds Another Day to Next Month's Barrett-Jackson Auction

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Gooding's regular yearly auction during Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale will take place January 23. Next year, though, Gooding will hold an additional auction the day before and it will be moving some delightful machinery. If you can't wait for Saturday's spoils, which include a 1959 Ferrari Series 1 Pininfarina Cabriolet, a Zagato-bodied 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport, and a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Berlinetta, then you might find something you like among the Friday collection specialities:

1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe, Chassis No. 2490, Engine No. J-461:
The only Murphy-bodied Convertible Coupe in existence with rear-mounted spares, J-461 is renowned for its many concours awards including a Best in Class at the 1986 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a First Place at the 1987 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance and its coveted Category One standing with the ACD Club. First owned by Sigfried Roebling, of the famed Brooklyn Bridge family, this magnificent Duesenberg possesses an impressive lineage from new.

1927 Bentley 6 1/2-Litre Sport Coupe, Chassis TW2713:
With coachwork by the Surbiton Carriage Company, this low-windshield, fabric-bodied 6 1/2-litre coupe bodied Bentley was first delivered to England-based S.E. Parkes in April 1927. After many years at the Manx Motor Museum on the Isle of Man, TW2713 was shipped to America in the 1980s in original, near-perfect condition. Now after 20 years of healthy driving by previous owners, the fully-restored 6 1/2-litre Coupe is a rarity even among its prestigious vintage peers, having retained its original "Surbico" body and unique elegant design.

1959 Costin Lister Jaguar Sports Racer, Chassis BHL 123:
Arguably the most historically important of the entire run of Lister sports cars, BHL 123 is one of only two Jaguar-powered Costin-Listers built following a factory fire at Jaguar Works in 1957. Originally purchased by legendary American sportsman, race car driver and manufacturer Briggs Cunningham, the Sports Racer earned its place in motorsport history when it captured the 1959 SCCA C-Modified National Championship. After many years of podium finishes, BHL 123 is a fully-restored and acclaimed vintage racer.

If any of those speak to you, have your bidding hand ready on January 22, 11 a.m., across the way from Scottsdale's Fashion Square Mall.

Gallery: Gooding & Co Friday Auction at 2010 Barrett-Jackson

[Source: Gooding & Co | Images: Pawel Litwinski]

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Tags: auction, barrett-jackson, barrett-jackson 2010, Barrett-jackson2010, Gooding and Company, gooding co, gooding company, GoodingAndCompany, GoodingCo, GoodingCompany, scottsdale, vintage, wheels

Book Lovers Delight at the Fairmont Scottsdale

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

The Fairmont Scottsdale has declared this "The Season of Personal Discovery", and happily for people who love books, much of the personal discovery comes from what amounts to a super-mega book club meeting: weekends centered around books in different genres, that include panel discussions, Q&As and several opportunities to rub elbows with the authors themselves over dinner and cocktails.

Pick your genre. If you're a self-help addict (and no one will judge you for that), try Living Your Best Life, September 25th-27th, which will make you likable, fit, sexy, and a music expert. Or the Ultimate Girls Getaway Weekend, October 9th-11th, which will help you lose weight, and develop an expertise in wine, social media, and your own soul. If fiction is where your heart lies, For the Love of Books,October 2nd-4th, features Anita Diamant, Lisa See and Debra Dean, while Literary Stew, brings in Ridley Pearson, Dave Barry and Scott Turow. Check out the rest of the schedule here.

Tags: books, fairmont, hoteldeals, novels, scottsdale, selfhelp

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