Hilton Resort in Phoenix drops slur from hotel name

The managers of Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort said they are dropping the controversial word from the property’s name and it will now be called Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak.

The hotel, at 7677 N. 16th St. in Phoenix, said the announcement is the result of more than a year of planning to reposition the 27-acre, all-suite resort.

“We wanted to consider the values and perspectives from our associates, guests and the community when determining what was most important in the name,” Michael George, chief executive officer at Crescent Hotels & Resorts, said in an emailed press release.

The resort bears the Hilton brand name and is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, which operates hotels, resorts and conference centers throughout the United States and Canada.

“Now that we’ve attained all necessary approvals and we’re nearing the finish line on updating all of our branding, we’re excited that we can finally announce the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak,” George said.

Why hotel’s name was changed

The Merriam-Webster dictionary says the word is an offensive term used to refer to an Indigenous North American woman.

The term is considered both a racial and sexual slur.

The move follows other name changes related to the term in Phoenix. The city renamed Piestewa Peak in April 2003 to honor Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat and a member of the Hopi Tribe.

She was killed in the Iraq War in March 2003. In May 2003, State Route 51 was renamed the Piestewa Freeway.