Mystery at Resort of Rich and Famous

Castle Hot Springs was once the getaway for presidents and others of that ilk. (Turns out they were just using it so they could drink without their parents knowing.) Now, it's the subject of a real cliffhanger: Who's buying it and what are their plans?

CBRE's David Headstream helped auction off the former Castle Hot Springs resort in Yavapai County and tells us the 200-plus acre former resort was once the vacation spot for such illustrious American names as Roosevelts, Vanderbilts, Wrigleys, and the Astors. (Those used to be people, not just college libraries.) David was not able to divulge the buyers, but a check of Arizona's corporation registry indicates they involve Arizona equipment rental moguls: Water Movers' Christopher Nute and Howard Nute and Sunstate Equipment Rental's Michael Watts. While not revealing the new owners' specific plans, David says the property could be ideal for a corporate retreat or even a private estate.

Its famous visitors might have sent you this postcard from 1908. The property fell on hard times after The Great Depression and the burning down of the former Palm House hotel (above) in 1976. The site never again achieved its former glory, David says. But now—with a giant swimming pool, tennis courts, and a three-bedroom guesthouse with views of the Bradshaw Mountains—it's in the hands of owners who may eye the property as a corporate retreat or a private homestead, he says.

The price they paid at auction? Just shy of $2M. Most recently, Garrett Hotel Consultants owned the property, but in 2012, it was taken by Swedbank, which decided to auction it off. “Nobody could quite swing what the bank's expectations were,” David says. What the new owners plan is a mystery. (Angela Lansbury refuses to take the case, because apparently Murder, She Wrote was "just a TV show" and she doesn't solve mysteries.)