SANCTUARY CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN RESORT AND SPA
5700 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ, 85253, 800-245-2051,
Rates: start at $519 a night for a mountain casita and $569 a night for a spa casita; mountain suites start at $619 (in summer, of course, rates go down substantially — $199-$249). WiFi and valet parking are included, as well as use of the spa lounge (steam bath, whirlpool) and movement classes in the fitness center (yoga, Pilates).
Stay here if you: are looking for a relaxing environment in Paradise Valley close to Camelback Mountain that includes a top-of-the-line spa, tennis and pool experience.
It’s close to: Camelback and Scottsdale (10-minute drive).
The rooms are: quiet, which is a blessing in the Phoenix area, where helicopters and planes make everything feel like an airport landing strip. They’re also Asian-style, minimalistic, functional and pretty, set up as separate linear spaces sprawled across this large property rather than hotel rooms. The mountain casitas have Camelback and Paradise Valley views, goose-down feather beds, sofas and flat-screen TVs. The spa casitas offer a sitting area, oversized bathtubs and a raised table at the window perfect for setting up your laptop. Many of the rooms have patios and some have lava rock fireplaces; the mountain suites sport kitchens with the basics (full layouts of pots and pans can be delivered upon request).
They put all of the money into: everything. The place is just beautiful and lush with foliage and calming spaces, from the meditation areas lined with bamboo and palm trees to the inviting spa, which has rooms that open up to exterior courtyards and a reflecting pond. The infinity pool area has been arranged with kicking back and peaceful recreation in mind. The five championship tennis courts and an enormous fitness center packed with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as experts ready to help you navigate it all, make it hard to leave the property for the area’s stellar outdoor activities. And new chef Beau MacMillan has turned Elements Restaurant into a draw for Arizonans; check out his work on “Worst Cooks in America.”
The bottom line: This is my favorite place to stay in the Phoenix area — my breathing slows down and I can feel my stress start to slough away the second I step onto the property. I’ve had the best massages and fitness evaluations here, as well as some of the most amazing meals, including my most recent one in the reworked restaurant Elements (the truffle meringue on the foie gras pudding appetizer and the char and niragi entrees were ridiculously delicious). You also can’t beat the bikeable proximity to the mountain. In addition, note that Sanctuary doesn’t nickle-and-dime you to death — they charge the nightly rate and then give you the experience, including above-average pampering and true service (greeting you by name when you get to the front desk, making sure you know where things are as you move about the property, exceptional but not simpering pool service).Kyle Wagner
