7 of the Best Arizona Resorts for Luxury Travelers

Arizona is a state of varied natural beauty, from the mountain woodlands of the north to the Saguaro-stippled desert of the south. Its great resorts reflect this variety, taking cues from and embracing harsh surroundings while immersing guests in unique atmospheres of comfort and discovery. When seeing, hiking, biking, eating, drinking, and exploring Arizona, consider these seven luxury resorts for your stay.

Castle Hot Springs

Why We Chose It

Castle Hot Springs offers a complete high-end escape into the Arizona wilderness and an elite hospitality experience that lives up to its mystique and history.

Notable Amenities

Exclusive access to the hot springs, guided hikes, scenic e-bike tours

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: No
• Room rate selection: $$$$

Hotel Description

Since 1896, travelers have journeyed to Castle Hot Springs for the rehabilitative powers of the springs that make this boutique resort in the Bradshaw Mountains a longtime gem. The property was deserted in the late 1900s and reopened in 2019. Today, the clear springs sit between roomy, sleek, immaculately designed modern bungalows and cabins with stone fireplaces, wet bars, and telescopes for stargazing. Yes, you can still soak in the springs. The warmest spring reaches 106 degrees and is flanked by waterfalls. By day, enjoy activities like rock climbing, guided hikes, shooting, archery, horseback riding, and meditation. Afterwards, treat yourself to some of Arizona’s leading farm-to-table dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. An onsite three-acre farm grows 150 edible plants, and many of them inspire the progressive restaurant’s artfully composed plates. 

CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa

Why We Chose It

Civana offers a casual wellness-focused getaway to the peaceful fringe of greater Phoenix, all components from hydrotherapy to food deeply contemporary. 

Notable Amenities

A Guest Experience team for personalizing a wellness schedule, vegan and vegetarian dining flexibility, dozens of complimentary fitness classes a day

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: No
• Room rate selection: $$$

Hotel Description

Civana has already earned accolades as one of the top wellness resorts in the U.S. since it first opened in 2017. The sparse, 20-acre property on the northern edge of greater Phoenix features a spa with 22 treatment areas. Hydrotherapy options are state of the art and many. Approaches to healing at this resort are immersed in the Sonoran Desert and range from ancient to modern. Guests are encouraged to sample from across this spectrum, creating a varied experience. Civana also offers a range of outdoor fitness options, including morning hikes, aerial yoga, and TRX training. Pools include a Watsu therapy pool and a 25-meter pool, ideal after an active morning out exploring the semiarid terrain.

Canyon Ranch Tucson

Why We Chose It

Canyon Ranch allows guests to craft their ultimate wellness getaway while keeping Tucson and its desert charm within easy reach. 

Notable Amenities

The kitchen can personalize your diet, free immersive events with doctors and other health experts

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: No
• Room rate selection: $$$$

Hotel Description

The original Canyon Ranch property in Tucson, one of four Canyon Ranch locations in the U.S., makes targeted personal improvement the focus of your visit. Guests can have their all-inclusive stays curated as Pathways. These personal itineraries are tailored to specific wellness goals, which include weight loss, reset, optimal health, rediscovering joy, and several others. Wellness experiences fall into numerous categories, such as “nutrition & food" (cooking classes) and “mind & spirit” (crystal sound treatment, hypnotherapy). The resort is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, home to cinematic stretches of Arizona’s vibrant southern desert and some legendary mountain biking trails. If guests crave the taquerias and food trucks of Tucson, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, those are a short drive away.

Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort

Why We Chose It

The Arizona Biltmore stands apart as an architectural unicorn that channels a more glamorous past era of the desert while delivering a first-rate modern pool party. 

Notable Amenities

Live music some evenings in the Wright Bar, a 500-gallon smoker and barbecue options at the signature restaurant, unlimited access to the giant waterslide

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: No
• Room rate selection: $$$$

Hotel Description

Since its grand opening in 1929, the Arizona Biltmore remains the most original and visually arresting resort in the state. Designed by Albert Chase McArthur, Frank Lloyd Wright's protege, the Biltmore’s signature tall, right-angled gray buildings are composed of concrete blocks fired from local sand into 34 different geometric patterns. Lush green grounds and pool areas outspread over 39 acres of Phoenix’s Paradise Valley neighborhood, and golf courses surround the resort. The main pool is a true party, with cabanas, tropical cocktails, and a 65-foot slide. If you can leave the pool, there is a spa where you can get massages, facials, nail, and hair services. Don’t miss the old-Hollywood vibes of the lobby’s dim, opulent Wright bar, where the tequila sunrise was invented in the 1930s. 

The Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North

Why We Chose It

The Four Seasons at Troon North provides guests top-notch versions of Scottsdale’s signature attractions: nature, golf, wellness, and food and beverage. 

Notable Amenities

Shuttle to nearby golf courses, access to a Champagne breakfast on a hot air balloon, garden showers

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: No
• Room rate selection: $$$$

Hotel Description

Tucked into hills of saguaro, brittlebush, and creosote in the quiet of far North Scottsdale, The Four Seasons at Troon North offers an escape to the natural world. One of Arizona’s most lauded golf courses, Troon, is a short drive away, as is the McDowell Sonoran Peserve’s 225 miles of pristine hiking and biking trails. Take the switchback trail two miles up to the famous rock formation known as Tom’s Thumb. After a day in nature and a dip in the hotel’s two-level pool, enjoy a meal at Talavera, the hotel’s modern Spanish-influenced steakhouse with sweeping views of the surrounding parched mountains. Here, travelers and food-loving locals sip sherry and eat Iberico pork shoulder into the night.

Enzchantment Resort, Sedona

Why We Chose It

The Enchantment embraces its stark terrain of red canyons to become the premier resort in one of the American West’s bucket-list towns. 

Notable Amenities

Pickleball court and paddles, onsite trailheads, presentations on Sedona’s energy vortexes

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: Yes
• Room rate selection: $$$$

Hotel Description

Sprawled in Boynton Canyon, this Northern Arizona resort lives up to the magic of its name. The Enchantment positions guests at the heart of the red-rock wonderland that is Sedona. Numerous trailheads are close, and some can even be reached by walking from the resort’s casitas. Nearby, you can also bike, ride in hot air balloons, or take bumpy jeep tours through the high-desert wilderness. The centerpiece of the resort is a show-stopping pool, a teal rectangle stretching below a towering red rock wall. Lounge while the tunes of a Native American flute master filter up from the grounds and tennis courts of below. The main restaurant, Che Ah Chi, serves New American cuisine using Arizonan ingredients.

Arizona Grand Resort and Spa, Phoenix

Why We Chose It

The Arizona Grand brings a high-flying waterpark adventure for people of all ages and close proximity to fun towns and idyllic desert nature. 

Notable Amenities

Full waterpark access with resort fee, lazy river, 25-person hot tub, private cabana rentals

Key Specs

• Free Wifi: Yes
• Resort fee: Yes
• Room rate selection: $$$

Hotel Description

In South Phoenix, near the pristine tangle of trails carving through South Mountain Park and Preserve, Arizona Grand Resort and Spa is giving new meaning to “oasis.” The resort’s main attraction is water, more specifically, a sprawling 7-acre water park. Slides as tall as eight stories wind seemingly everywhere through the property. Palm trees sway over six pools, including a giant wave pool. These pools stay open from 7 a.m until well after sunset, and both kids and adults can enjoy them all day. Between pool and slide sessions, guests can hit the spa, athletic club, or a links golf course with dramatic changes in elevation and knee-weakening vistas. For when the need to venture off the property strikes, downtown Phoenix and Tempe aren’t far.