Casting a Spell ~ The Spa at Camelback Inn
I believe the magic comes from tradition. Staying here makes you feel like you are part of something. Despite the long list of celebrities who have stayed at the resort (built in 1936), the tradition is much simpler than that. It is based on family. J.W. Marriott Sr. loved taking his family to the resort so much he bought it in 1967. It is a multigenerational summer camp.
Guest rooms are strings of bungalows that line the lush pathways, providing private space while still being connected. Rita’s Kitchen and R Bar are loaded with comfy oversized chairs, lounges and outdoor fire pits that invite “staying a while.” Fantastic happy-hour specials and reasonable meal prices encourage that too!
For the active types, Camelback Mountain presents a vigorous climb, with a spectacular view of the Phoenix area from the top. The inn also offers a tennis club, 36-hole golf course, and a 31,000-square-foot spa with its own pool and restaurant.
You can sit by the pool, sip cocktails and nibble on healthy tidbits before (and/or after) your treatment. Or if you prefer, smiling pool attendants will bring you ice water all day, with nothing added to your checkout bill except Vitamin D.
The spa itself is super efficient, which would be very helpful to a novice spa-goer. The efficiencies begin with the tour of the ladies’ locker room, with every amenity explained right down to how to make the key work in the locker.
My Signature Facial included an amazing pumpkin mask. The enzyme in pumpkin is a natural exfoliant. Yes, I did ask, you can reap the benefits at home with canned pumpkin—but not with pumpkin pie. The very relaxing facial included a foot and hand massage, a brief extraction, and several layers of moisturizer and sunscreen for the dry desert air.
Who would not enjoy a vacation at the Camelback Inn and a trip to the spa? It would be wonderful for romance, a girls’ getaway, a work retreat, or even a family trip. The resort truly has more than enough to please everyone and promote that amazing “I am on a holiday” feeling.
The Camelback Inn brings together couples, families and even companies in the warmth of a family resort. Today people still want to feel connected and grounded. After 75 years the Camelback Inn & Resort Spa provides exactly what everyone is looking for.
The Spa at Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Arizona
~ Joanne Johnston, Spas of America. When not experiencing spas in Arizona, Joanne prefers to spend her time exploring her favorite cities on foot.
