Phoenix has a lot of natural beauty, and there is no shortage of places to take it in. From downtown to the outskirts of the suburbs, there are plenty of great places to stay in the region that offer world-class resort amenities along with the personal attention necessary for a great vacation.
The Wigwam
This Southwestern resort sits on 440 acres in Litchfield Park and combines posh luxury with an adobe-and-timber Southwestern feel. The plush Red Door Spa is the perfect place to relax whether you're there for saunas or manicures, and they have a four-acre water park with pools, a lazy river, waterfalls, and a waterslide. The golf courses are a large focus of the resort. The golf facility was established in the 1930s, and two of the three courses were designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. They pride themselves on having spacious, old-school challenging runs at the Wigwam.
Royal Palms
Royal Palms is situated towards the edge of Phoenix near Scottsdale, with 119 rooms, casitas, and villas in the midst of a gorgeous 1920s Spanish Colonial mansion. The architecture and landscaping is as much a part of the experience as anything else. The Spa Dehp day spa is geared towards insight and self-actualization as much as it is relaxation, and the Alvadora Spa has private spa suites that you can reserve, complete with fireplaces and in-room treatments available. That's right: Two spas. There's a lovely outdoor pool and a concierge service that's more than happy to plan day trips or make restaurant arrangements for you.
Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge
This sprawling Marriott resort is located in the suburbs of Phoenix, set amidst the Sonoran Desert. It's not particularly close to a jumping nightlife scene. It's more about taking it easy and taking in the scenery. Of course, there are things to do. There are several pools, lots of sightseeing, and several golf courses only two miles away. Also nearby is Westworld—not the Michael Crichton movie with the cowboy robots—the event center that hosts vintage car auctions and equestrian shows. There's also a fitness center, putting green, and on-site volleyball court, but the real feature is the gorgeous scenery and the spacious rooms.
Boulders Resort & Spa
Boulders is located in the desert near Carefree, Arizona. This self-described "desert playground" is large enough that complimentary golf carts are available to ferry you from place to place. Accommodations include casitas, executive suites, villas, haciendas, and the enormous Villa Retreat, all of which provide varying degrees of spacious sleeping areas. The haciendas include a designer kitchen and a fireplace for cool desert nights. There are two 18-hole golf courses with instruction available, a spacious spa with a labyrinth for meditation, eight tennis courts ranging in surface from hard to cushioned to clay, and three pools. Sightseeing includes actual rock climbing and tours by hot air balloon, horseback, ATV, or even Hummer, if you wanna be that guy.
Sanctuary
Sanctuary is aptly named. This luxurious resort is tucked away into the landscapes of Cambelback Mountain. If you want to look out over a crystal-blue infinitely pool while the sunrise creeps up over a majestic stone mesa, well, this is the place to do it. The rooms are comfortable and modern, standing in contrast to the natural beauty and adobe exteriors of the resort. Spa for a Dream will pamper you while donating a portion of the proceeds to Colleen's Dream Foundation for ovarian cancer research, and the Jade Bar is praised even by the locals.
