About

Delos and Florence Cooke begin planning their Spanish Revival style winter home, "El Vernadero" or "Winter Haven". The decision to move to Phoenix was driven by Florence’s declining health and to escape the cold winters of New York.

Mansion is completed. El Vernadero was a 3,500sq ft Spanish Revival built on 65 acres in total. It was estimated that the Cooke’s spent $1 million on the estate.

Pacific Greyhound Bus Lines President, Wesley Elgin “Buck” Travis, bought the estate from Florence Cooke, after Delos’ passing in 1931. Florence included many of the antiques and furnishings that she and Delos had collected on their worldly travels. Travis and his family built the 2nd floor addition over the west wing of the home.

Home was sold from Travis to John J. Ross, President of the Aviola Radio Company. Thirty-five of the acres were partialed off and sold.

Home was sold from John J. Ross to Al Stovall, and investor partners Fred M. Jahn and Leonard C. Schwenke. They converted the property into 15 guest casita, a dining room and re-landscaped the 30 acres. They maintained much of the original architecture and heart of the Cooke home. Royal Palm Inn opened for winter visitors on February 1, 1948, room rates were $35 a day.

Various owners now of the Royal Palms Inn added riding stables and tennis courts, in addition to 35 casitas.

Property was sold to Fred Renker, and other investors. They kept Royal Palms Inn open September – June. An additional 32 casitas were added to the property.

Property was sold to Charles Alberding, a Chicago-based investor and hotelier, for $1 million. Alberding added a 9-hole golf course, while updating the pool, expanding the dining room and adding new meeting rooms and lobby.

A two-story hotel room building was built, with 68 units and parking garage.

The Alberding family sold the 9-hole golf course to Doug Sandahl, a custom home developer. The family sold the rest of the property to Jennifer & Fred Unger, saving the 120-room Inn and started on a multi-million dollar renovation.

The Unger’s temporarily closed the Inn for the renovations. Royal Palms reopened June 1997, introducing T. Cook’s.

The hotel was sold to Destination Hotels & Resorts.

After being renamed in 2003 to Royal Palms Resort & Spa, the resort was sold to Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, becoming the sixth property to join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

Royal Palms Resort & Spa celebrates 75 years of being a hotel.