by Beth Duckett – Apr. 29, 2009 02:35 PM
The Arizona Republic
CopperWynd Resort, the Fountain Hills hotel with striking views of Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains, is closing its doors indefinitely as a result of the economy.
Starting Monday, the upper level of the resort’s main building and all 32 European-inspired guest rooms will close until further notice. The resort’s upscale restaurant, Alchemy, also will cease operations.
Spa, fitness, tennis and pool areas will stay open for private members, according to the resort’s “The circumstances dictating this course of action are unfortunately unavoidable,” said CopperWynd manager Doug DeLong in a letter to resort members.
Straddling an area between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, the four-diamond resort debuted in 1999 to much fanfare. Its grand opening included a 26,500-square-foot country club with a spa, fitness center, nine tennis courts and three swimming pools.
Alchemy, which serves New American cuisine with a Sonoran flair, reopened with a new design in 2001.
Five years after courting investors for a potential expansion project, the resort has suffered from decreased spending and low occupancy, DeLong said in the letter.
By funding a “sizable” deficit every year, ownership has “done everything” to ward off a closure, he said.
The resort and club, which overlooks a nearby golf club and mountain ranges, was ranked second on Arizona list in Condé Nast Traveler Gold List World’s “Best Places to Stay” in 2007. It has been honored as a Four Diamond Award winner in AAA’s recognition program every year since 2003.
Frank Ferrara, president and CEO of the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, called the luxury inn the “jewel” of Fountain Hills. He remembered when owners first posed plans for the project.
“We just thought it was great and a beautiful concept,” Ferrara said. “(The property) was just a mountain then.”
According to Ferrara, there is no time limit on the closure. The resort’s economic hardship is “a hardship on everybody,” he said.
“The amenities are going to be there for the members as long as they can continue to operate on it. I imagine (operators) are exploring all their options.”
