[1] Ground was broken in March 1956 by Gilbert & Dolan Construction Co.[2] Developed by Ernie Uhlman, the hotel opened on November 16, 1956, with the Scottsdale mayor and Miss Arizona in attendance.

[6] The resort was the headquarters for both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles baseball teams during spring training in the late 1950s.

The hotel featured the French Quarter nightclub, and a 24-hour coffee shop, and the Gracious Dining restaurant.

At the time, the Safari's restaurants employed 250 employees and claimed to have the highest volume of food sales in the state of Arizona.

[9] The resort closed in September 1998 with a proposal to redevelop the site with a $143 million Marriott hotel, and the buildings demolished in 1999.