JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa evaluate

The phrases “The place time stands nonetheless” adorn the foyer’s exterior at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, and I’ve to say, there actually is one thing distinctly time-stopping about this crown jewel of Marriott resorts set within the magical Sonoran Desert. You are feeling relaxed from the second you step onto the property — and that sense of leisure simply grew to become much more elevated.

After dwelling close to the resort for shut to twenty years, I have been an enormous fan for a very long time. However this specific go to had me much more excited than ordinary as a result of I used to be the primary journalist to tour this storied resort’s beautiful reimagined spa after a yearlong closure and a whopping $25 million renovation.

Take into account this your unique sneak peek because it lastly reopens to the general public this week.

What’s the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort and Spa? 

The historic Camelback Inn opened Dec. 15, 1936, with 75 casitas (all constructed with handmade adobe bricks) at a value of simply $75,000. Arizona’s sunny, heat winters attracted rich guests from throughout the nation to benefit from the newly constructed luxurious resorts equivalent to The Arizona Biltmore, Royal Palms and Camelback Inn. Hollywood stars and enterprise tycoons — together with the likes of Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis and J.W. Marriott Sr. — flocked to the resorts in Scottsdale.

The Marriott household’s love of the resort dates again to the Nineteen Forties, earlier than they ever owned the property. In truth, Invoice Marriott nonetheless visits his “favourite resort” with household yearly on his birthday. I do not blame him — it is a favourite of mine, too.

Now often called the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, the property is about to have fun its ninetieth anniversary in model with a superbly reimagined spa advanced, elevating the resort’s choices but once more.

A $12.5 million room renovation was accomplished simply earlier than the resort’s eighty fifth anniversary, with soothing desert tones and weathered wood accents respiratory new life into the lodging. And now, because the property enters its ninetieth yr of hospitality, the resort has undertaken a $25 million full renovation of its iconic vacation spot spa.

The property options 453 casita-style rooms (together with 26 suites) starting from 410-square-foot rooms to a three-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot Manor Home with a non-public pool. Unfold out over 125 acres, the property affords aromatic, colourful gardens tucked between attractive views of Mummy Mountain to the north and Camelback Mountain to the south.

For these in the hunt for a golf getaway, Scottsdale is understood all over the world as a golfer’s paradise, and Camelback Inn’s two 18-hole championship golf programs needs to be on each golfer’s bucket listing.

An unique first have a look at the reimagined Spa at Camelback Inn

I used to be fortunate sufficient to be the primary journalist to tour the reimagined 32,000-square-foot Spa at Camelback Inn after its exceptional $25 million renovation. I’ve lengthy been a fan of the spa in its earlier iteration, however I have to say that the brand new design and facilities have elevated the expertise in methods I by no means might have imagined — incorporating all the most recent expertise and therapy choices.

Scheduled to debut this week, The Spa at Camelback Inn options 20 thoughtfully appointed therapy rooms, together with a custom-designed Vichy desk, immersive hydrotherapy swimming pools and serene meditation areas that invite visitors to disconnect and unwind. 4 pathways to wellness will information spa experiences: detox, soothe, harmonize and restore.

Rooted in its desert environment, the spa expertise highlights desert-inspired therapies crafted with indigenous elements equivalent to adobe clay, prickly pear and agave nectar. These domestically influenced therapies join visitors to the pure components of the area whereas selling holistic wellness. The artwork and structure all through the up to date area — limestone and travertine, a soothing desert palette and cacti sculptures — additionally complement the calming ambiance.

“The brand new menu at The Spa at Camelback Inn permits visitors to actually customise their spa day primarily based on their private pathway to wellness,” mentioned Shelley Narath, who has been spa director on the resort since 2020. “Whether or not somebody needs to focus totally on detox — choosing each service aligned with that intention — or prefers to combine and match, equivalent to pairing a detox therapeutic massage with a soothe facial, the choices are deliberately versatile.”

This customized wellness journey additionally permits for full customization and suppleness for visitors with ingredient sensitivities.

Narath recommends the Return to Steadiness therapeutic massage, which is impressed by the legacy therapies of the resort’s previous.

“It serves as a connection to our roots — an acknowledgment of the place we got here from. This deeply restorative service brings the thoughts and physique again into concord, instilling a profound sense of peace with vitality‑balancing methods that promote full renewal,” she mentioned.

She additionally means that visitors make time to discover the indoor wellness circuit, together with distinction bathing. This includes transferring via the aromatherapy steam cavern, chilly therapies, a Himalayan salt sauna and ending in limestone infrared loungers.

“The heat of the infrared loungers is very comforting,” she defined.

This balanced hot-and-cold expertise helps leisure and restoration.

For deep psychological and sensory leisure, the Stillness Lounge affords a tranquil, meditative setting that includes Thoughts-Sync Harmonic Wellness Loungers. Classes vary from 5 to 60 minutes and incorporate weighted blankets, eye masks and noise-canceling headphones to assist cut back stress and nervousness whereas enhancing relaxation and sleep.

Friends can take pleasure in Wellness Waters, an outside pool area providing a trio of tranquil hydrotherapies. Customized-designed and the primary of its sort in Arizona, this expertise blends soothing water components with the calming affect of the desert setting.

The spa sanctuary additionally affords thoughtfully designed separate and coed lounge areas, together with a devoted couple’s therapy room for shared leisure. For a extra unique expertise, The Villa supplies a non-public poolside retreat full with a double therapy room, patio and lounge space — ultimate for {couples} or small teams of as much as 10 visitors.

Wellness continues past the spa with a brand new studio providing sound baths, yoga and mindfulness periods, in addition to a 24-hour health middle geared up with Peloton bikes and Technogym tools. Friends can even take pleasure in Ora Cafe, a placing new wellness-inspired eating idea developed in collaboration with a licensed nutritionist; it affords nourishing choices that complement the general wellness journey.

The spa was reenvisioned by DesignOne-Studio and EDG Design via a lens of pure supplies and class. (Its different purchasers embrace Montage, 4 Seasons and Mii Amo in Sedona.) The design celebrates the rugged great thing about the Sonoran Desert, with supplies and particulars that blur the road between indoors and outside, encouraging leisure and a reconnection with nature. I might say job properly executed — it is breathtaking in each means.

Rooms on the JW Marriott Camelback Inn

On this go to, I stayed in a mountain-view, one-bedroom suite adorned with Southwestern decor. It featured one and a half baths and a front room with an adobe-style gasoline fire. The eating space had a espresso maker, a full moist bar and a stocked minibar. I appreciated the 2 totally different patios: one off the lounge and the opposite off the bed room. This was pretty for having fun with the morning dawn view over Camelback Mountain with a cup of espresso.

The suite affords ample sleeping area for a household of three or 4 folks, that includes a king mattress and a pull-out couch within the bed room.

The massive rest room — separated from the bed room by double sliding doorways — included a bathtub, a separate bathe, a double self-importance and a full closet. Tub facilities pay homage to the calming scents of the desert, courtesy of Aromatherapy Associates London.

The mattress was decked out with the unique JW Luxurious Bedding Bundle, which features a lush pillowtop mattress, feather pillows and quilt.

A cushty mattress is at all times a spotlight of any resort keep, and this hit the mark. For a restful sleep expertise delivered to your room, strive “the Dreamery,” a brand new night turndown amenity ($79). The set consists of crimson gentle remedy, soothing soundscapes and calming aromatherapy — complemented by a silk sleep masks, a pillow mist and a melatonin-infused patch.

Eating at JW Marriott Camelback Inn

Rita’s Cantina

You possibly can’t go fallacious with a Sunday brunch buffet, lunch or blissful hour at Rita’s Cantina, full with stay music on the patio — excellent for having fun with the attractive climate. Order the poblano queso ($18 and add chorizo for $6) whereas having fun with the namesake Rita’s margarita ($18).

Breakfast favorites embrace a standard southwestern fare like huevos rancheros ($24) or one thing nutrient-rich like salmon lox ($22) served with herb cream cheese, cucumbers, pickled onions, dill, capers and usually served on a alternative of bagel. My scorching tip: Ask if the chef has any domestically made Noble sourdough bread available and order it open-faced with the lox — it is scrumptious.

Dinner at Lincoln Steakhouse

Take pleasure in a glamorous dinner on the stylish Lincoln Steakhouse alongside views of Camelback Mountain at sundown. We totally loved the starters: beet salad, Duroc pork stomach and a lobster “escargot” in scampi butter. Restaurant chef de delicacies John Fraser advisable a ribeye from the restaurant’s Josper oven, and it did not disappoint — medium uncommon, in fact, with a trio of sauces. (Do not skimp on the perimeters: potatoes au gratin with drunken mushrooms.) Simply you’ll want to save room for dessert — Invoice Marriott’s favourite, JW cheesecake.

Facilities and issues to do

Improve your stick with a couple of of those can’t-miss experiences and actions to benefit from the attractive climate and Sonoran Desert location:

• Remember to go away time to take in some vitamin D on the Jackrabbit pool. (Sure, the swimming pools are heated within the winter.) Sip a La Fresa of Tito’s Handmade vodka, lime, strawberry puree and soda ($17) from Hoppin’ Jack’s Poolside cafe. Poolside cabanas can be found for hire beginning at $300 per day, and daybeds can be found from $100.
• Meet the resort’s falconer and find out about desert hawks day by day on Rita’s patio from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m.
• Get in a fast recreation of pickleball (one hour) or tennis (two hours) — provides and courtroom time are included within the day by day resort payment.
• Hit the hyperlinks on one among Camelback Golf Membership’s two 18-hole championship programs. Did not pack your golf equipment? Taylormade membership leases can be found.
• Artists will rejoice in regards to the portray kits and easels, which can be found to arrange on the resort’s lush grounds or in your visitor room patio ($68).
• Electrical bikes can be found for visitor use, they usually supply a good way to discover Paradise Valley and the close by outlets at Camelback and forty fourth Road.
• For outside adventures off the property, the concierge might help you e-book desert horseback using excursions with Cave Creek Outfitters or off-roading experiences with Stellar Adventures and Wild West Jeep Excursions.

e-book your subsequent keep on the historic JW Marriott Camelback Inn

Charges for the resort begin at $499 (plus taxes and costs) throughout busier months or from $199 within the summertime, which is off-season. These utilizing factors can discover rooms bookable from 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time in the course of the off-season and 77,000 Bonvoy factors per night time in the course of the peak season.

The resort can also be a member of Amex’s Positive Lodges + Resorts program and The Edit by Chase Journey℠. Each premium packages supply perks and advantages equivalent to early check-in, breakfast for 2, late checkout and room upgrades if obtainable.

Accessibility

The resort is compliant with the Individuals with Disabilities Act, because it affords pool chair lifts, large door entrances and large pathways. The principle constructing has a ramp to the entrance entrance, too.

There are visible, auditory and mobility accessibility choices for visitors in accessible lodging. As at all times, TPG suggests contacting the resort instantly with any particular questions or considerations.

Another useful issues to know:

• Accessible casitas and suites can be found.
• The spa is totally accessible.
• There are chair lifts on the pool and within the scorching tub.
• Golf cart transportation is on the market to all areas of the resort for many who want help.

Trying out

The historic Camelback Inn is a midsize resort with 453 rooms, and it doesn’t have the biggest pool or a waterslide advanced as different resorts within the valley do. Nonetheless, it exudes luxurious and affords quiet, calm environment, making it the perfect place for whole leisure. The resort is family-friendly and affords a wide range of actions for everybody, however when you’re searching for nonstop motion or a youngsters membership, there are many different factors properties close by. The reimagined spa expertise right here is just a recreation changer, enhancing an already stunning resort that gives distinctive service.

I am going to take my spa weekend, pickleball and studying on the patio (and I am going to e-book my youngsters for a water park weekend one other time).

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