Flowers outside the lobby of the Arizona Biltmore bloom without admiration from hotel guests. The entrance of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building is absent the buzz of activity it would normally see from valets and bellhops eagerly helping guests check in on a beautiful day in April.

Instead, the driveway is empty, blocked off to the public. The last guest left on March 27, and now the lobby doors are locked.

"When it empties out you realize what makes it special is not the architecture. It's not its age and all of those things," said Sheila Foley, the hotel's general manager.

"It's really all the people who are in there that create great experiences for our guests."

So while most of the resort sat in silence on Friday, Foley and other managers and executive team members launched into action to show those staff members their appreciation by handing out care packages of groceries.

The driver of each car would pop the trunk. A volunteer wearing a blue mask would then pack one white shopping bag filled with chicken, beef, vegetables, fruit, eggs, a gallon of milk, toilet paper and Easter candy inside before closing the lid.

As each staff member drove away, coworkers exchanged smiles and waves, separated by the glass of a car window.

"Being able to see them and they see us, and lend a little support is awesome," said Ryan Fitzgerald, the Biltmore's resort manager.

Makiko Brandon, furloughed from the Biltmore's finance department, brought her dog Spike with her, bringing a little joy as she drove through the pickup line.

She said she appreciated the care package and the excuse to get out of the house on the third day of her furlough.

"I do miss them," she said about her coworkers.

Biltmore closes for first time since 1973

Brandon is one of 650 Biltmore employees furloughed as the property became the latest Phoenix-area resort to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move is temporary, with the resort hoping to welcome guests and team members back after the crisis has passed. Foley noted that the temporary closure might strike even those unconnected to the resort as personal.

"For so many families in this area, (the Biltmore) is a part of their personal history, whether they were married here or celebrated their bar mitzvah here," she said.

It's also a part of Phoenix history. The Arizona Biltmore opened in 1929 and hosted every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. The tequila sunrise was invented there. Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas" while lounging at the Biltmore's pool. That pool was also a favorite of Marilyn Monroe.

In its early years, the hotel closed seasonally. This is the first time it has completely closed to the public since 1973, when a fire ignited by a spark from awelding torch caused $2.5 million in damages.

It took the resort 82 days to renovate after the fire.

For subscribers: The Arizona Biltmore then and now

The COVID-19 pandemic will be another chapter in the 91-year-old resort's colorful history, one that Foley hopes they can turn the page on and reopen sooner than later.

"We are anxious to see things go back to normal," she said.

You can connect with Arizona Republic Consumer Travel Reporter Melissa Yeager at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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