Once a winter retreat for wealthy families to escape the Midwestern cold, the Biltmore was built literally in the middle of the desert -- Phoenix was eight miles away by stagecoach when it opened in 1929. Today it's still a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate.

Girlawhirl's taken with the history and glamour of the resort. She can enjoy a dip in the Catalina pool, which was Marilyn Monroe's favorite, or imagine what it must have been like to watch a movie in the Aztec Room with the stars of that very movie in the seats nearby. She can sit outside by one of the fire pits wondering what it must have been like to watch a President -- in her daydream she can take her pick, every US President since Herbert Hoover has stayed here -- take a go at the 18 hole champion putting course that weaves its way between the cottage rooms.

A Super Pal can't get over the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture -- he was a consultant on the project and one of his students Albert Chase McArthur is the architect of record. The buildings are built from blocks made on-site from desert sand, cast in 34 different patterns and she tried to find examples of them all. The molds were thought to have been lost forever, but they were found a few years ago in a closet in what had been a staff dorm room.

Another friend is wowed by the interiors: the gold leaf ceiling -- only the Taj Mahal has a larger one -- and Wright's stained glass window "Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers," which wasn't actually designed for the resort but now has a place just inside the front door.

But, truth be told, they all end up in the spa. After a morning power walk, guided hike, or tennis, being pampered on this sunny getaway is their top priority.

For more information on the Arizona Biltmore click here.