R.D. Olson Breaks Ground on $116M Senoa Resort in Sedona

R.D. Olson Construction has broken ground on Senoa Resort & Spa, a $116 million, 70-key villa resort on 11.5 acres along Oak Creek in Sedona, Arizona, with an opening targeted for late 2028.

Why it matters

Sedona has one of the most restricted entitlement pipelines in the Southwest, and R.D. Olson Development, which owns the project alongside Senoa Investment Partners, is billing it as the last luxury hospitality site the city has approved. For a construction audience, the file is notable for what it lacks: no hotel brand is attached. R.D. Olson Construction is building it as an independent boutique property, meaning the general contractor carries schedule and cost risk without a franchise PIP or brand construction-standards team overseeing the build.

The numbers

The resort spans 29 freestanding, villa-style structures at 150 Schnebly Hill Road, with room types ranging from 600-square-foot king bedrooms to a 1,300-square-foot presidential suite. Amenities under construction include a two-story creekside restaurant, a 5,500-square-foot spa, 3,200 square feet of meeting space and 90 valet parking spaces. R.D. Olson Development and Senoa Investment Partners are the ownership group; R.D. Olson Construction is general contractor. The builder’s release puts job creation at more than 150 hospitality, health and construction positions once the property is operating.

What’s next

Construction is proceeding in two phases: the first covers demolition and remediation of existing structures on the site, along with grading, drainage, utilities and certification of building pads; the second covers new villa construction and finishing site work. Bill Wilhelm, president and CEO of R.D. Olson Construction, said the site was chosen so guests could reach Sedona’s red rock formations and Oak Creek “without having to get in a car.” Neither company’s release names a structural system or a permit valuation from the City of Sedona, so the total project cost carried here is the $116 million the developer and general contractor have both put on the record. Watch for the phase-one site package to close out before vertical villa construction ramps toward the 2028 target. See the national market for the rest of the file.