"The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.
This week: Valley couple and their clients enjoy European getaways– without leaving Arizona!
“I usually don’t talk on the phone when I have the kids,” says Lisa Heil, as she tries to make plans with me to get together at the Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa. In the background I can hear her 2-year-old twins and she’s feeling guilty for not giving them her full attention. She wants to spend some quality time with them before her next business meeting within the next hour.
Yes, it’s a common juggling act, trying to balance a highly successful career and a new family. Ditto for her real estate agent/husband, who is trying to text me in-between his business calls and appointments. However, Lisa and Eric Heil, parents of 2-year-old twins and a teenager, have found a way to miraculously balance their parental and entrepreneurial roles and still indulge in multiple European getaways. In fact, the Heils can cross the continents and oceans without leaving Paradise Valley. That’s because they have a courtesy membership at the Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa. It’s just blocks from their Paradise Valley home, but taking even an hourly break in their day at the architecturally Spanish-inspired resort, feels like a European getaway.
“Although we own a villa at the Montelucia, we do not live 'on site',” explains Eric, president of Heil Properties. “We lease out our villa, but we still want to enjoy the great vacation type privileges and owner preferred rates at the resort,” he adds, pointing out how they’ve taken advantage of the resort’s wine tastings, jazz music, the Ahi Tuna at Prado, Crave Café for a Mocha Frappe or Iced Chi Tea, or taking the kids to the pools. When we’re there, we feel like we are guests of the resort and it’s great to get away from the work-related stress.”
In between their demanding schedule, the couple will “escape” to work out at the fitness center, relax in the Joya Spa or dine at one of the resort’s restaurants or cafes. “We’re constantly running into our Paradise Valley and Scottsdale friends who also live “off property” but have bought memberships to the fitness center and spa,” notes Lisa. “We will sometimes join them for mimosas by the private pool at the fitness center that overlooks Camelback Mountain, or shrimp cocktails later at the bar.”
“We have also been able to rent our villa at Montelucia because of the demand for its resort lifestyle,” adds Lisa, who, as vice president of Montebella Real Estate and Interior Design Group, is an interior designer. “As a designer, it was wonderful to be able to design the Montelucia Villa we bought from the ground up,” she says of the collection of 34 richly detailed Spanish-style luxury residences. Lisa and Eric's approximate 4,200 sq. ft. villa, with its European style decor and casually elegant ambiance, is especially appealing to renters because of the designer furnishings. “We’ve had success with renters who are remodeling their Valley house and are seeking an upscale resort-style rental,” says Lisa.
Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based writer. If you have a good item for The AZ Insider, you can email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
