Nine months after acquiring the Smoke Tree Resort, Walton Global plans to redevelop the space in Paradise Valley at 7101 E. Lincoln Dr.
The new parent company plans to demolish the 1954-built property to make way for a new 82-room boutique hotel, which will feature an all-day bistro and a dinner-only, fine-dining restaurant, according to a Phoenix Business Journal. The eating establishments will be brought by Matt Carter, the restaurateur and partner of The Mission, Zinc Bistro, and Fat Ox. While the developer recently unveiled its plans for the development, the project will take a few years to complete.
The first step will be providing a direction to the Paradise Valley Town Council, which Morris hopes will be heard in the next 30 days. Walton acquired the site on the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Lincoln Drive from Geneva Holdings in June 2022 for $14 million. Scottsdale-based Allen + Philp Partners is the architect of the hotel. The new hotel will be built on a new underground parking structure, and will also include a centralized pool and amenity area and five guest casitas with private plunge pools.
“I have lived in Paradise Valley for 15 years. The area deserves to see this once-grand property transformed into an upscale and welcoming resort and culinary experience that reflects the high standards of Paradise Valley, its residents and its visitors,” Matt Keister, executive vice president at Walton Global, said in a statement. “We heard the same thing from the hundreds of residents who attended our two major public events to seek input about what should be done at Smoke Tree.”
