Choose Your Cure: 3 Diverse Southwest Spa Resorts

Desert wellness comes in many forms. From a Japanese-inspired spa to an experiential luxury retreat to a family-friendly resort that caters to kids and adults, these three properties exemplify the diversity of wellness experiences in the Southwest.

Experiential Wellness at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa

Carefree, Arizona

You are lying on a mat on the floor in gym-sized room with a small pillow under your head and a blanket covering you. A facilitator guides all the supine guests in a Blissful Sleep guided meditation. An hour later, when you awaken from a snooze or deep relaxation, you smile at the thought that CIVANA is located in appropriately named Carefree, Arizona.

The next day, your first elected activity may be a hike in the dramatic desert landscape dotted with the outstretched arms of saguaro cactus (some are more than 100 years old), aerial yoga or walking on a narrow beam suspended 20 feet above the ground. The goal is to invite you to try new things and discover physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of yourself as you explore challenging activities, or just slow down, meditate and de-stress. In the latter category is an intimate class in designing and creating your own mala—a garland with 108 beads, a tassel and gemstones that you can carry or wear. You will practice moving your fingers along the mala as you repeat a mantra in Sanskrit. Only the index finger cannot be used for calming meditation because it’s employed too often in life to point to or judge others. 

The next workshop can be water-based at a nearby lake. You may choose to kayak or ride a stand-up paddle board. Want to try mountain biking? How about having fun while learning the conjuring secrets of cocktail blending in mixology? Perhaps you’d like an equine experience or a course in numerology to learn about your own sacred numbers and how they determine your personality and perhaps your destiny.

Another personal workshop invites you to create your own mantra and the result is transformative. Guests are asked to list things they don’t like about themselves. Sadly, the lists may sometimes be quite long. By the end of the session, they have transformed the negatives into things they appreciate or admire about themselves. Some participants weep from the relief of not indulging in self-blame and self-criticism.

CIVANA offers more than 100 workshops per week, most of which are free, and you can select two of those per day. Additional classes may be added for a charge.

The menu of offerings at the spa is extensive and unusual with options such as a Marine Superfoods Wrap, a Probiotic Facial, a CBD journey, an Ageless Hands treatment, or a treatment for dry scalp.  You may opt for a Sacred Time for Two couples massage, which includes chilled champagne, a magnesium-infused bath and a crystal singing bowl ritual. Or experience the intense muscle, tendon and ligament loosening Thai Massage, where the therapist stretches you on the massage table, and may even kneel or walk on your back.

If you’re not sure of which treatment to try, stroll past the gigantic purple geode outside the main building, and head to the spa. The staff will happily provide details, make recommendations, or see what is available in any time slot you choose.

If you are open to an exercise class you are unlikely to have taken before, then Myofascial Release may appeal to you. Those little balls you use look so innocent, but as you roll over them, they are guaranteed to challenge and release all those tight spots on your body. 

When guests at CIVANA want free and unstructured time, they sit and relax outside during the day or under the star-studded desert sky at night. They read, enjoy a drink, meditate, gently converse with travel companions or other friendly guests they’ve met. All appreciate the quiet, the calm and the sparse beauty of the Sonoran desert.

The resort offers two restaurant options. SEED is an informal café for enjoying smoothies, sandwiches, snacks, coffee, and Grab & Go choices. The other is TERRAS, where you can request a table facing the fireplace, windows, patio or a more secluded spot in the spacious, soothingly decorated, softly lit restaurant. Your servers may be like Yolanda, who has a degree in holistic nutrition and says she has been here many times before—in past lives. Your dinner menu includes dishes like charred octopus, strawberry and arugula salad, leek cassoulet, or blackened branzino. There isn’t a huge choice of entrees, but they are lovingly prepared and beautifully plated. In both restaurants, careful attention is paid to special diets and food allergies or sensitivities.

CIVANA is among the most luxurious wellness spas, and high-season rates are commensurate with the luxury. Off season, rooms—all of which feature balconies or patios—are much more affordable. And consider this: most of the classes are free, and if you want private paid sessions, you can arrange those too. And you can book your choices before coming.

—           Judith Fein

Learn more at civanacarefree.com.

Plan your Carefree visit at visitcarefree.com. 

Wellness and Family Fun All in One at the Grand Hyatt

Scottsdale, Arizona

Adults love to sit back and relax. Kids love to go, go, go. This is nothing new, of course. But when planning a weekend getaway that keeps both interests in mind? There’s the tricky part.

I’ll admit, when I ventured on a weekend getaway focused on wellness, revitalization and relaxation with young kids, my goal was a bit… overenthusiastic. But I quickly found that the key to this is a resort with all the right amenities, and that’s where the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort came into play. Here’s what my weekend looked like, and how the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort brought generational wellness into our weekend getaway.

The Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort recently underwent a massive $115 million renovation, and much of that included the “back yard” of the resort, specifically the pools. Being with the family, it was naturally the place we ran to after checking in. The first thing the kids noticed: “A beach in Arizona!” as they put it. And they were right. There is sand (real, imported from the beach) lining one side of the pool, with lawn chairs, and plenty of buckets to make sandcastles, and it extends into the shallow end. How they manage to keep the pool clean and free of sand in the deep end is beyond me, but they do!

There are plenty of other kid-friendly features at the pool, too. There’s a raised splash pad area built directly into the water, which honestly made me jealous I hadn’t discovered this concept when my kids were toddlers. Parents can stay cool in the pool while still keeping an eye on little ones. The kids spent nearly all day climbing up, splashing down and repeating the process over and over again. There is also a slide and games on the lawn, including foosball, ping pong, even rock climbing. On the other side sits a larger pool, an “adults only” pool and a bar that offered poolside service.

The part that truly kept us outside: a day rental of the poolside cabana. This was a shaded area with seating, a mini fridge, air misters and a TV. Renting these out also came with chips and salsa or fruit platters, a bucket of beer of your choice and servers who checked in and could order extra meals for you as well. It gave us a cool, quiet place to reset between swims, hydrate, eat lunch together and take breaks from the Arizona sun without having to head indoors. I actually calculated it afterward, and we spent more than 10 hours outside that day—with no sunburns.

If you aren’t at the pool, you’re probably at the onsite Spa Avania. Especially since the spa area has its own mineral pool, a truly serene area that is filled with algae-filtering plants and minerals for a cleanse before or after your massage. A cold plunge area was also available, though I did not indulge.

For families, there are supervised kids’ activities you can take them to while you sneak away to the spa if you plan it right. I did a 90-minute signature massage that uses your choice of essential oils depending on your desired outcome (for me, it was a lavender-infused relaxation blend) and a massage therapist who was truly excellent. The spa included a steam room, sauna and gym center where you can take your time on whatever wellness aspect you’re focused on, be it physical recovery, mental rest or simply uninterrupted quiet.

My least favorite part of a vacation? Trying to get everyone to agree on somewhere to eat. Everyone has an opinion that tends to become stronger as the “hanger” kicks in. This didn’t happen here (miracle, I know), because of the onsite dining. There was La Zozzona, a modern Italian restaurant serving steak, fish, pasta and wood-fired pizza. The family’s favorite was easily the giant mozzarella sticks that practically require two people to pull apart just to witness the gooey cheese stretch in all its glory. This restaurant is helmed by “Next Level Chef” co-host Richard Blais. There are two other dining spots onsite, one being Tiki Taka, a Japanese sushi and Spanish tapas fusion restaurant.

The best part about wellness at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort was that it wasn’t presented as something rigid or exclusive. It felt approachable for families. Kids could burn energy outdoors, parents could recharge, and everyone left feeling a little more rested than when they arrived.

—           Bailey Badillo

To book your stay, visit hyatt.com/grand-hyatt/en-US/scott-grand-hyatt-scottsdale-resort.

Plan your trip to Scottsdale at experiencescottsdale.com.

Japanese-Inspired Serenity at Ten Thousand Waves

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Ten Thousand Waves blends comfortably with the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which rise dramatically to the northeast of Santa Fe. Since 1981, the spa resort’s aesthetic has been one of quiet serenity inspired by the customs of Japan’s onsens.

Over the decades since its founding—with only a small bathhouse and eight hot tubs—the original rough-hewn and rustic nature of Ten Thousand Waves has grown organically into the style of a small Japanese mountain village, blending wood and stone structures with forest views and water cascading over rocky waterfalls into koi ponds. Guests relax wearing yukata robes, bathed in the aroma of piñon and juniper trees of the high desert air. 

In the spa, guests can reserve a variety of private hot tub facilities that include other amenities like saunas, showers and more, similar to an authentic Japanese bathhouse. Or they can enjoy the communal Grand Bath (by reservation), a tide pool with jets, sauna, cold plunge and more amenities.

The rest of the resort features a full-service experience resembling a Japanese ryokan, or inn, with lodging in the Houses of the Moon, 16 unique rooms spread across 20 acres of forest. Each of the private hot tub suites is different, but most include a Japanese soaking tub, a wet/dry sauna, a cold plunge pool and private showers and bathrooms with unlimited time in the Grand Bath. 

Eighteen massage rooms and 75 therapists offer a wide range of styles of body work, from face, hand or foot massages to complete head-to-toe spa treatments. All of the massage treatments offer soaking time in the Grand Bath, with or without lodging, and special pricing on combinations of a soak, massage and lunch are often offered. Shiatsu is one of the signature massages offered, but Ashi Amna, a traditional finger or foot pressure massage can be combined with a traditional oil massage for an extended grounding effect.

For stress relief, nothing beats a stone massage, with alternating temperatures, adjustable pressure, deep penetration of muscle tissue, relaxing the entire nervous system. Warm oil, optional aromatherapy and relaxed muscles create a profound release.

For dining, Izanami, a James Beard-nominated restaurant, serves up izakaya-style fare featuring sharable small plates of innovative Japanese cuisine along with the largest collection of premium sake in North America. From daily selections of temaki hand rolls, ancho chile-shoyu braised wagyu short ribs, raw bar sashimi selections, to wagyu beef ishiyaki, servers are trained to recommend pairings of different styles of sake with each dish. A huge array of artisanal microbrew cold sake allows specific pairings with much of the lighter or spicier fare, and various rich, earthy, warmed-in-the-bottle are available as a great match for any of the grilled items. The cocktail meu features Japanese spirits, including an extensive menu of Japanese whisky, craft beer, and premium green teas from Shizuoka.

—           Roger A. Ward