Paradise Valley's Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa has shifted to independent local ownership under a joint partnership between Berger Holdings and RJ Hospitality, two Arizona-based firms, and unveiled a phased, multi-million-dollar renovation plan that will eventually reshape the property's food and beverage program and spa offerings.
The Renovation Timeline
Construction kicks off in Summer 2027 with a comprehensive interior refresh of all 110 guest rooms and casitas, with completion targeted for September 2027. World-renowned interdisciplinary design firm Hart+Howerton — whose portfolio spans master planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design across prominent resort and hospitality projects — is serving as architect and designer of record. The second phase, scheduled for 2028, zeroes in on the culinary and wellness sides of the business: elevated enhancements to the resort's food and beverage outlets and the 12,000-square-foot Sanctuary Spa.
What It Means for F&B
For hospitality operators tracking luxury resort dining, the 2028 culinary enhancement phase is the headline to watch. Sanctuary's existing F&B footprint includes Elements, a destination-dining concept, and jade bar, known for its Asian-forward cuisine and innovative mixology programming that includes interactive cooking class experiences. The resort's meetings and events facilities recently completed a separate $7 million renovation, signaling sustained capital commitment to the full guest experience — not just sleeping rooms. Culinary programs at independent luxury resorts increasingly serve as standalone revenue drivers and community-facing anchors, and Sanctuary's ownership transition suggests a deliberate focus on deepening that local relevance.
Local Ownership, Longer Horizon
The ownership change reflects a broader shift seen across the luxury hospitality sector, where independently owned and locally rooted properties compete on authenticity and community connection rather than brand scale. Managing Director Laura McIver framed the transition in those terms: "Our owners are local community leaders who bring a shared passion for this extraordinary destination. Their commitment guarantees that every dollar invested directly enlists the care, character, and world-class service that our neighbors and loyal resort guests have cherished for decades."
Set on 53 acres on the slope of Camelback Mountain, the property dates to the 1950s, when it operated as a Tennis Ranch Club. Today it comprises 110 casitas and suites, eight private mountainside villas, multiple pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and a full wellness calendar. For operators benchmarking luxury resort food and beverage strategy or tracking hospitality renovation investment cycles, Sanctuary's sequenced approach — rooms first, culinary and wellness second — reflects the capital-planning realities facing full-service independents as they compete for high-value leisure and group travel.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
