Scottsdale Spas & Fitness

Sure, spa days are still about beauty, but more and more frequently, folks are using a Scottsdale spa visit as a way to celebrate or prepare for life’s landmark moments, or to address bigger issues than wrinkles or bad cuticles. Much in the same way that many visit the desert for a little clarity and purification, they visit spas hoping to cast off what they don’t want and focus energy in a new way. Thanks to its abundance of luxury resorts and health-minded community, Scottsdale offers every imaginable spa experience from week-long yoga retreats down to a simple manicure.

The names say it all: The Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain; The Centre for Well-Being at the Phoenician; Revive Spa at JW Marriott Desert Ridge…We’re talking transformational experiences on every level. You can sample from meditation sessions, homeopathic consultations, fitness and nutrition classes, detox treatments of every imaginable approach or for the brave, a little facial rejuvenation acupuncture. Mothers-to-be can enjoy pre-natal massage therapy, and brand-new moms and babies can enjoy massage or yoga classes together.

The Phoenician Resort & Spa is known for lavish decor and accommodations, a world-renowned signature spa, a $25 million dollar art collection, and a 27-hole championship golf course.

Gone are the days when spas were only about kicking back and having nice stuff done to you. Active classes are part of nearly every Scottsdale destination spa’s menu, including the standards like pilates and yoga, tai-chi, various kinds of dance and new fusion activities like kinesis (a mind-body workout). Team these up with chakra balancing or a tarot card reading and you’ll be ready for some downtime from your downtime.

In the midst of all the self-improvement strategies, relaxing and beautifying body treatments are still center stage at most spas,

using herbs, minerals, and amazing stuff that frankly you’d never dreamed of having slathered on your skin. The winner in that category would have to be the Centre for Well-Being’s Myoxy Caviar Facial with hibiscus, pearl extracts, and…wait for it…caviar!

Scottsdale Spa Treatment with Local Desert Botanicals

To have a uniquely Scottsdale desert spa experience, try a treatment with local desert botanicals like aloe, sage, jojoba, red clay, or cactus flower extracts. The Revive Spa offers a tempting substance called ocotillo root body butter as well as an exfoliating prickly pear cleansing buff.

At nearly every local spa, it’s possible to end your day in a lounge chair by a tranquil pool watching the sun’s last rays bounce off the desert mountains and get absorbed into the aquamarine evening sky. That’s the one truly priceless item on any spa menu.

Scottsdale offers every imaginable spa experience from week-long yoga retreats down to a simple manicure.