Welcome to the Family
Higher Ground
The Mountain House Lodge at Sereno Canyon
Tom’s Thumb Trail is a popular hiking route in North Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. It leads to the peak of the 3,830-foot Tom’s Thumb mountain, from which the view extends for miles in every direction. The road to the trailhead winds through spectacular desert scenery that, 20 years ago, was considered remote.
Nowadays, with population growth in the Valley of the Sun — which includes both Phoenix and Scottsdale — having exploded over the last two decades, open land for residential development has pushed further and further from the city centers. North Scottsdale, in particular, has gone from being “out there” to being among the most popular and exclusive areas to live.
Enter Sereno Canyon and Troon-managed The Mountain House Lodge at Sereno Canyon.
“This is a 400-home luxury private residential community and resort being developed in one of the most spectacular settings in the entire area,” said General Manager Steve Rosen, referring to the community’s uninterrupted views of Tom’s Thumb and surrounding desert. “It is also one of the last developments that will be allowed in this part of North Scottsdale.” The community is bordered by the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, a 21,099-acre natural preserve popular for hiking, horseback riding, biking, and other outdoor pursuits.
What sets Sereno Canyon apart, aside from its unparalleled setting, is its magnificent, 20,000-square-foot clubhouse that opened in April called the Mountain House Lodge. Designed by SWABACK Architects + Planners — whose founder, Vernon Swaback, apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright — the Mountain House Lodge is a true resort-style community centerpiece. Its stone, glass, and steel-beam construction and art-filled interior is inspired by the area’s boulder-strewn mountains, with amenities that might be found at a five-star resort.
Inside, residents and guests find Alterra — an upscale casual dining restaurant and bar specializing in artfully crafted New American Cuisine, along with an open kitchen pizza oven — a fitness center, spa and treatment room, men’s and women’s locker rooms, event space, and a private dining area. Outside is a pool with cabanas, a Zen Garden, yoga lawn, and ample room for family fun.
“Our chef is tremendously creative,” Rosen said. “He goes out of his way to source local ingredients to use in the restaurant, including beef, chicken, honey, and more. He even makes his own ricotta cheese and marinates his own fruit for the bar. It’s those little touches that make a huge difference in the food he serves at Alterra.”
Another major differentiator at the Mountain House Lodge is a boutique resort, which will soon debut six cottages (750 to 1,550 square feet) available for overnight stays. Lodge guests will have many of the same benefits as owners, including use of the fitness center, swimming pool, restaurant, and spa.
Sereno Canyon is being developed by Toll Brothers and marks the second Arizona collaboration between Troon and the respected home builder, the other being Sterling Grove in Surprise.
The good news is that all owners at Sereno Canyon receive a Troon Twosome Card, and one of Troon’s flagship facilities, Troon North, is only a couple of miles away with its 36 holes of premium golf.
“We are a residential community with a resort component managed by Troon,” said Rosen. “It’s the best of both worlds.” —George Fuller
For more information, www.MountainHouseLodgeatSerenoCanyon.com
