The Best Spas in Phoenix: Embrace Vitalizing Desert Wellness in Arizona's Valley of the Sun
Phoenix, Arizona. [Photo credit: Colton Jones]
Arizona’s capital of Phoenix combines the liveliness of a sprawling urban hub and the vast beauty of an expansive Sonoran Desert landscape. The city has long been a draw for visitors and transplant residents, beloved for its year-round sunshine and warm weather—thus its nickname as the “Valley of the Sun.”
The area was originally the home of various Indigenous communities, beginning with the Hohokam people and followed by settlements of Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham, and Maricopa tribes. Following the end of the Mexican–American War in 1848, Mexico ceded what is now the Phoenix area and thus it and its residents became part of the United States.
Such a historical makeup of different cultures over time lends well to a present canvas of diversity that seeps into the city’s culinary, educational, and social scenes Phoenix is framed by a collection of mountain peaks and ranges, from the McDowell Mountains in the northeast and the White Tank Mountains in the west to Camelback Mountain in the heart of the valley.
Giant saguaro cacti dot the greater Phoenix landscape, a tall, prickly plant native to the Sonoran Desert and one of the most recognizable flora species in the area. Such panoramas double as distinct settings for recreation that runs the gamut from hiking and camping to lounging poolside or embracing desert wellness at an area spa.
Consider this a guide for such destinations that take holistic health up a notch and incorporate the Sonoran’s healing properties into their products, services, and treatments—in Phoenix, the desert never felt so good. If you’re looking for the best deals on flights to Arizona, click here.
Alvadora Spa at Royal Palms Resort and Spa
5200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018; (602) 283-1234
Royal Palms Resort and Spa, a 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival villa-turned-luxury-resort, sits at the base of Camelback Mountain to the northeast of downtown Phoenix. Encompassing an assortment of 119 guest rooms, casitas, estate rooms, and villas, the property embraces a Mediterranean aesthetic throughout its interior design; the region also inspires the menu at the resort’s restaurant, T. Cook’s.
Here, guests can dine on plates with flavors inspired by those of Northern Italy, Greece, and Spain, from focaccia and a signature pesto to huevos rancheros and limoncello creme brulee. Additionally, Royal Palms’ Alvadora Spa embraces a Mediterranean take on wellness, with its spotlight treatment being the Moisture Infusion Facial to replenish moisture while revitalizing the skin barrier.
The Citrus Ritual is recognized as Alvadora’s signature treatment, beginning with a full-body double exfoliation under a gentle cascade of water, followed by access to the rain shower, garden tub, and private patio, and concluding with a customized massage.
The Desert Sage Salt Stone massage centers on warmed Himalayan pink salt stones to detoxify the skin; while the Superfruit Antioxidant facial incorporates a cocktail of goji, pomegranate, acai, and bilberry to rejuvenate the skin and smooth the complexion. Guests can also partake in various nail services, or explore one of the several other body and facial treatments.
CLOVR Life Spa
100 E. Camelback Road, Suite 144, Phoenix, AZ 85012; (602) 675-0550
Located within Phoenix’s Uptown Plaza shopping center, CLOVR Life Spa displays a midcentury-modern design and is situated adjacent to a collection of restaurants and retailers.
In addition to a second outlet in Scottsdale, CLOVR Life Spa in Uptown Plaza provides an assortment of treatment rooms, The Chill Lounge for relaxation and meditation, and The Living Room for serene socializing. Services here include massage therapies, waxing, facials, and nail services, and guests will also find a series of after-care products for retail.
The Chocolate Cherry Facial uses a decadent cherry enzyme to help treat signs of aging and sun damage while also boosting antioxidants. The massage menu features the Triple Threat, the Quick Fix, and the Basic Kneads; while other facial options include the Blast and Glow, the Clear the Way, and the Elite Skincare Experience—the latter of which incorporates custom dermaplaning and red-light therapy to revitalize the skin and address the specific goals of each client.
Nail services include manicures and pedicures, while the waxing menu features brows, lips, leg, bikini, and Brazilian.
LeMonds Aveda Salon – Spa at The Wigwam
300 E. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park, AZ 85340; (866) 976-6894
The Wigwam has been a beloved Arizona resort since it opened in 1929, situated on 440 acres of lush Sonoran Desert landscapes with an architectural style inspired by adobe pueblos. In addition to its 331 guest rooms and suites, visitors can explore its assortment of dining options that range from historic Southwestern flavors at Litchfield’s to classic burgers at Red Allen’s Bar & Grill.
Three on-site golf courses amount to 54 holes to play, or take a dip in one of three outdoor pools (or all of them!). The resort’s LeMonds Aveda Salon–Spa then provides a space for respite, centered on natural ingredients sourced from the earth and sea.
Among the services available here, the massage menu ranges from custom therapies tailored to each individual guest, to the Chakra Massage and the CBD Fire & Ice Ritual. The latter includes a soak in a private tub, body massage, and facial massage.
Signature facials run the gamut, and one to note is the Himanadi Facial, which focuses on revitalizing dehydrated skin using a deep cleanse, cold therapy, and innovative massage techniques. In the salon portion of the spa, guests can consider a series of hair and nail services.
The NOW Massage Phoenix Camelback
4869 North 20th Street, Suite B29, Phoenix, AZ 85016; (602) 853-4262
Known for its high-quality, affordable massages in a relaxed Tulum-inspired setting, The NOW Massage Phoenix Camelback is located within The Shops at Town & Country and offers a tranquil space where one can experience relaxation and rejuvenating through the healing benefits of massage therapy.
Owned by area residents Tricia and Nick Karabas, who also own the North Scottsdale location, The NOW features a menu of retail products and customizable massages with add-on enhancements such as hemp calm balm and herbal heat therapy.
The NOW also offers a Ritual Membership, which offers guests the opportunity to incorporate massage into their regular self-care routine with special packages that include discounts, perks, roll-over credits, and more.
The Phoenician Spa at The Phoenician
6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; (480) 941-8200
[Photo credit: Mark Boisclair Photography]
Set against a breathtaking desert mountain backdrop, The Phoenician embraces luxury on the northwestern outskirts of downtown Phoenix as a Forbes Four-Star property. Guests will appreciate its collection of 585 rooms and suites in addition to on-site amenities such as eight food and beverage outlets, an 18-hole golf course designed by architect Phil Smith and framed by Sonoran Desert flora, and the Forbes Five-Star Phoenician Spa.
The Phoenician Spa features an expansive menu with services ranging from traditional massages to exclusive signature programming. Facilities include a rooftop pool, sauna, steam room, cold showers, hot tubs, and treatment rooms. All treatments here begin with the Energy-Balancing Ritual, a gentle service to balance the body's energetic pathways and restore a sense of holistic equilibrium.
The spa’s signature relaxation massage, the Body and Soul, incorporates organic lavender, sage, and arnica flower extract to target and treat aches and pains. The Phoenician’s Finest Facial uses Biologique Recherche skin care products, keeping them chilled to encourage draining and firming in the skin via cold therapy.
Other services to note include the Fire & Ice Massage, Hungarian Moor Mud Detox body treatment, the Hydrafacial + Oxygen Infusion Facial, and a collection of cosmetic regimens.
Tierra Luna Spa at Arizona Biltmore
2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85016; (602) 955-6600
A most recognizable facet of the Arizona Biltmore is its architecture, designed by Albert Chase McArthur with a strong Frank Lloyd Wright influence. What’s more, the property has been a haven for innovation—the resort’s master bartender Gene Sulit invented the Tequila Sunrise cocktail here in the 1930s—and the elite, a getaway for presidents, celebrities, and musicians like Frank Sinatra.
Today, the Arizona Biltmore houses 705 guest rooms as well as eight food and beverage outlets, activities like yoga and pilates, seven swimming pools, and Tierra Luna Spa. A Forbes Four-Star destination, Tierra Luna Spa has a philosophy centered on transformative wellness through the connection of the earth and the moon, as its name honors.
Its treatments and services are grounded in locally-sourced botanicals, indigenous muds, and native scents, complemented by healing crystals and an on-staff astrologist available for energy readings. The Sonoran Signature Massage uses classic Swedish techniques to ease away tension, while the Chakra & Sound Massage uses the sensory benefits of a tuning fork to enhance a massage with essential oil blends.
Scrub away impurities with the Sage & Desert Salt Body Scrub, which incorporates desert and Dead Sea salts to purify and restore the skin. The Tierra Luna Dream Table Experiences combine massage therapies with light and heat therapy on high-tech tables featuring quartz or water surfaces.
Facial services range from the Luminous Quartz Cryo & Thermal Facial to the Ocean & Oxygenating Facial, and the Sun Worshipper Mud & Alchemy Experience orchestrates energy flow and chakra balance in the body in the spa’s Sol Garden.
[Photos courtesy of spas and resorts]
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Amanda Christensen is a writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with experience covering a range of business, lifestyle, and tourism topics. She has a passion for traveling and experiencing the world through a multitude of lenses, using her work to share with readers how they might best accomplish that themselves. View her work at amandachristensen.journoportfolio.com.