The Boulders – Ultimate Spa Resort Destination

The Boulders – Ultimate Spa Resort Destination

Lets face it, almost everyone loves a good Spa treatment, 5 star golf, and bakin’ in the sun. This place has all that and more.

Chuckwallas, lizards native to the Southwest, warm themselves on gigantic granite boulders. Jackrabbits and deer make their homes amid the desert landscape. Towering saguaro cacti reach for the blue sky, and the sun’s rays encourage wildflowers to bloom in vivid shades of magenta, gold and lavender. Ah, life at The Boulders is pretty much the same today as it has been for centuries save for the addition of world-class golf and the luxurious Golden Door Spa. And let’s face it, the spa is where you’re gonna want to go.

The Golden Door Spa at The Boulders blends Eastern and Western influences in its architectural design, healing methods, treatments and philosophies offers 24 spaces in which an array of treatments, including those incorporating indigenous herbs and rituals, can be enjoyed.  There’s also a labyrinth (a path to tranquility); an authentic Tipi; a fitness center; movement studio and classroom for wellness lectures; Vichy treatment rooms; hydrotherapy tubs; separate facial, couple’s massage, and shiatsu rooms; a yoga studio; tea room; full-service salon and spa café.  Bamboo accents, hand-sculptured water fountains, aromatic candles and Japanese gardens reflect the Golden Door’s Asian influences, while artwork by local artisans, cool desert coloring and indigenous plantings pay homage to the Southwest. You can’t go wrong.

The Boulders is situated in the foothills of Carefree, Arizona. Named for the 12-million-year-old granite boulder formations that dot the landscape, it’s a nature -lover’s paradise. The terrain and plant life have been left virtually untouched to allow indigenous plant and wildlife such as saguaros, mesquite, palo verde trees, coyotes, and deer to prosper. 

The resort’s dramatic and innovative architecture blends with the surrounding desert landscape. Stone-colored adobe-style structures are grouped in low-rise clusters throughout the property. The resort’s distinctive Southwestern interiors also provide a sense of place.  When guests arrive at The Boulders, they enter the main lodge through massive entry doors crafted from four different hand-rubbed woods.  Niches in the lobby walls display fine Native American crafts and original regional art by renowned artists.  Glass skylights and large fireplaces provide warmth and light to complete the ambience.

The Southwestern motif is carried through in the resort’s 160 guest casitas as well.  These spacious units feature hand-hewn wood-beamed ceilings with fans, wood-burning fireplaces, wet bars, large dressing and bathroom areas, and private patios or decks overlooking the sun-streaked desert or emerald-green golf course.  Earth-tone furnishings, glazed tile, Indian artifacts and regional art complete the effect.  Resort guests can also choose from 60 one-, two- and three-bedroom patio homes and a new 5,000 sq. foot Villa Retreat.

Just as the resort’s architecture and interior design are in keeping with its Southwestern locale, so is its cuisine.  The six restaurants range from elegant to casual and feature innovative, Southwestern cuisine made from the freshest local ingredients and the resort’s Organic Garden. Care is taken to prepare dishes in a wholesome and healthy manner.

Carefully placed within the midst of this desert hideaway are amenities that afford guests unparalleled recreational options. Two Jay Morrish-designed championship golf courses provide 36 holes of challenging golf.  The courses are considered some of the most demanding in the Southwest, and are known for their rugged beauty and breathtaking panoramas.  They continuously receive numerous awards including Golf magazine’s“Platinum Medal” award and Golf Digest’s “America’s 25 Best Resort Courses.”

For the adventurous, The Boulders’ concierge staff will arrange hot-air ballooning, gliding, mountain biking, moonlight bicycling, hiking tours, bi-plane flights, horseback rides, desert jeep and Grand Canyon tours.  Rock climbing clinics are also available through the Golden Door Spa. A destination not to be missed.