Best Resort in the American West for Weddings: Don’t Want to Risk A Rainy Wedding Day?

The InterContinental Montelucia Sees, On Average, a Mere Five Inches of Rain a Year!

By Si Si Penaloza

I’m a hopeless dreamer at heart - a lover of travel, history and romance. And if all three come wrapped up in the perfect climate rather than the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel, then the formula is damn near faultless as far as I’m concerned. Which makes the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa our perfect winter wedding destination, since it combines all three elements.

Perched at the base of Camelback Mountain, Montelucia merges perfectly into the environment like an inverted mirage. Heavy Spanish antique doors and olive wood furniture give an authentic vibe, and walking along the pathways at night, with their hypnotic lighting scheme, is almost a religious experience. Geometric blocks of light, shade and architecture create stunning vistas and windows into the oasis. There’s real beauty in the simplicity - think Goya’s studio meets Penelope Cruz’s bedroom. As the sun begins to dip, the dunes become luminous, looking laser-cut, precise and perfect.

Imagine arriving at your wedding stress-free and energized. Let the dilligent staff do the planning and you’ll enjoy a relaxing day filled with wonder, beauty, and magic. Montelucia can customize the occasion to accommodate any special needs or individual wishes of the wedding couple and include a choice of romantic ceremony locations on the property.

What could be better than exchanging your vows with sensual Andalusia style? Whether you want your Arizona wedding to be a private affair or a full desert cultural experience, Montelucia will make sure your wedding is an perfectly executed occasion.

As Arizona’s only luxury resort with a private wedding chapel, Castillo Lucena, Montelucia offers an ideal atmosphere for the perfect social gala or wedding celebration, accommodating from 10 to more than 1000 guests. Brides and their bridal party can prepare for the event in their very own intimate bridal preparation room - playfully named Isabella’s Parlour -offering privacy and direct access to Castillo Lucena. The Groom and his best man can rehearse vows and speeches in a parallel holding room, Ferdinand’s cellar, which happens to be one of our favorite spaces on the property. Some of Montelucia’s finer vintages are kept in this room, which is adorned with an impressive antique door from the ancestral birthplace of King Ferdinand of Spain.

With more than 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including the astounding 9,216 square-foot Grand Andalusian Ballroom, 4,650 square-foot Junior Ballroom and 16 separate meeting rooms, the resort easily caters to wedding both intimate and grand. Capitalizing on the enjoyable year-round weather is 70,000 square feet of event space in seven outdoor venues. Innovative catered food and beverage service is available for all events.

Montelucia staff are committed to making sure that your unique personality and individuality are expressed for your wedding. From the elegantly catered dinner, to the joyous ‘I-dos’, and the final farewells, Montelucia offers an event your guests will cherish. Your wedding album will capture countless shades of a brilliant Paradise Valley sunset—a spectacular setting to begin a new life together.

InterContinental Montelucia: The New Crown Jewel of Scottsdale

Sun-Kissed Resort Offers Relaxed, Luxurious Paradise

By Si Si Penaloza

Whatever happens, we’ll always have… Montelucia. The first US-based resort for the venerable and global InterContinental brand is a valentine to the art of the amorous - guaranteed to melt the heart of all who visit. It is a also an impressive accomplishment in the hospitality industry’s art of the big gesture. It contains enough piazzas, campaniles and cupolas, stone-clad walkways and quiet cloisters to keep you and your partner in a state of wonder and mutual lust for at least a week. But it’s no dusty outpost, either. It comes alive at night - great music, art and a lively bar scene. The total absence of cars throws me back to another time, where it was throngs of people, rather than cars, that were the dominant kinetic force. A river of pretty bridesmaids flowed past in their summer best, flirting with the boys, chatting. The smell of wood-fired meats from Prado and the aroma of fresh waffle cones from Crave combine to give a heady atmosphere of barely suppressed excitement.

The brand new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa is nestled beautifully in the foothills of spectacular Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The property features 293 guest rooms as well as 34 posh privately-owned villas on 34 acres of lush desert landscape. The resort also offers 24-hour concierge service, six restaurants and venues, the 31,000 square foot Joya spa, multiple shopping areas, an art gallery, a wedding venue and multiple ballrooms, five pools and other luxuries for use by resort guests. Sunsets are exceptional and framed by rugged mountains, palm trees and shimmering water.

One of the most goose-bumpy moments for a seasoned world traveler is the feeling that you are discovering something truly unique - that you’ve stumbled on a well-kept secret. Montelucia, and especially the Joya Spa, felt like that to me: it’s a picture-book place, with colour-washed buildings and detailed architecture. There are beautiful gardens to walk in and Crave Cafe at the entrance which serves fantastic coffee; you could sit there all day and watch the comings and goings from the open air courtyard “lobby”. The courtyard itself is quite chic - lots of cozy places to gather - but it maintains a historical feel, thanks to all the cobbled alleyways and courtyards. You need time to wander and allow yourself to get lost.

Prado, the resort’s signature restaurant, offers wood-fired grilling with a Spanish accent. Within Prado is Mbar, featuring tequila, tapas and temptation in an ambiance perfect for socializing. Kasbah Restaurant and Bar entices guests with a sparkling pool and showcases a Rum Bar that prepares unique poolside cocktails and offers a variety of flavorful pomme frite from around the world. Another poolside option is Oasis Pavilion, a fun place to relax and enjoy items on a tasty poolside menu featuring handmade empanadas. Crave Cafe offers gourmet coffee, gelato, chocolate, wine, and everything you crave.

Montelucia’s Prado will surprise business travelers who often encounter lackluster hotel restaurants or have permanently written off hotel food. Named for the Madrid museum, the restaurant features an Andalusia-inspired menu. The Montelucia resort as a whole captures the more soulful side of Spain and features the ambiance of the southern region of Andalusia, where culture is vibrant and flavors distinctly alive. Prado and the adjacent Mbar focus on fresh drinks and a cultural atmosphere that promises to impress. A venue where food enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs can dine in luxury, enjoying signature dishes and regional cocktails while overlooking the majestic Camelback Mountain.

Chef Claudio Urciuoli couldn’t have asked for a more idyllic spot. The restaurant at this luxe new resort offers an elegant interior that screams relax. The kitchen sources many artisanal products: half the meats on the menu have private labels. Urciuoli samples the sublime ingredients with more of his supremely confident, creative constructions: divine lamb cathedrals, cured sausages over seared artichoke. Hotel food has gone through a renaissance, clearly, at Prado, which offers so many culinary wonders. Dining at Prado proved an extraordinary event.

Joya Spa, the jewel of the resort, is an expansive Moroccan-inspired 31,000 square foot spa, with 5,200 square feet of outdoor space. The spa houses 19 treatment rooms including five opulently over-sized treatment suites with terraces, king size daybeds, dual treatment tables, fireplaces, flat-screen televisions, outdoor and indoor showers, in-suite bathrooms with sunken tubs and direct poolside access. Joya Spa is the first in Arizona to offer a Hammam and Hammam-inspired therapies and treatments. Joya also includes a Wellness Program, the Joya Salon, a fashion-forward luxury boutique, Joya Bazaar, multiple lounges, a state-of-the-art fitness center, juice bar, and Joya Terrace restaurant at Joya’s rooftop pool. The six unique restaurants and venues will more than satisfy any desire. Enjoy a night of a million stars, a stupendous landscape of reddish dunes and mountains.

On my last evening at Montelucia, I took in the energetic vibe of MBar. I wondered if my friend’s girlfriend was going too far. She was dancing free form and barefoot in a clingy summer dress that left little to the imagination. The lively crowd was going wild. There was spontaneous close-harmony singing, a LOT of grilled meat, and toasts in whichever fiery local spirit you chose. The waiters smiled indulgently as they kept the vino flowing. After all, they know all about Prado’s powers of seduction.

4949 E. Lincoln Drive
Corner of Lincoln and Tatum boulevards
Paradise Valley , Arizona
85253
Tel: 888 627 3010 (toll-free)
Tel: 480 627 3200
montelucia.info@ihg.com
montelucia.reservations@ihg.com

The A-List Loves Bermuda: Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas

The Perfect Island for Couples Craving Culinary Creativity

Batten down the hatches, the gluttons are coming! An international coterie of professional eaters descend on Bermuda evety November to celebrate the annual Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival. From hit reality shows to cult followings, chefs remain a hot commodity these days.

Targeting the true food fan’s interest in learning from culinary mavericks, the BCAF is at the forefront of engineering much coveted intimate experiences with true masters of the craft. From cozy demos to decadent dinners, BCAF’s luscious offerings satiate even the most well-traveled and tasted palette. The programming is pitch perfect, an unprecedented opportunity to get up close and personal with the best of the best.

Imported foodies went wild over some of New York’s hottest chefs - Tom Colicchio of Craft, Cornelius Gallagher of Oceana, Aaron Sanchez of Paladar. Ashbell McElveen of London hosted the most incredible beachside BBQ, where I tasted the best pulled pork of my life. Canada’s own culinary treasure, Susur Lee, held his dining audience spellbound with his divine menu of caramelized sable fish with bone marrow crust and rack of lamb with two chutneys.

Sigourney Steak Out: If that isn’t enough to tempt you to book, I should mention BCAF’s momentum in securing celebrity hosts. The 2004 edition had three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver clinking glasses with guests.

Perhaps the most desirable attraction of BCAF is the tiny isle itself, which balances beautifully on two circles of extinct volcanoes. The millionaire’s haunt markets itself as a haven of order and social discipline. Vendors offering second-rate mementos are completely absent from the landscape. It’s simply not allowed.

Locals are polite, a feathered elegance born of offshore banking. There are no fast food outlets or wild discotheques. The streets are pristine and I had to ask the taxi driver whether there were any dogs on Bermuda. The rules for acquisition of a dog are so stringent, a glamour puss may click her kitten heels, nose in the air, without fear of undesirable accident.

Celebrity Real Estate Tidbit: Ross Perot, Quincy Jones, David Bowie and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones all maintain homes on this 21 mile isle.

To Book for the next BCAF, click here.