The Best Luxury Spas in the American West
People tend to think of places like Bali, Thailand or Costa Rica as the ultimate founts of wellness and transformation. But I’ve experienced shifts much more profound amongst the diverse landscapes of the American West. The region’s boundless nature plays a role. Otherworldly terrain, ancient parcels of land and farther-flung hidden places abound in this legendary region, from Colorado to California. They offer a quietude that makes us strain to listen—to ourselves and the universe.
Pivots happen organically in these western bits of paradise, whether during a forest-bathing walk through one of the Pacific Northwest’s aromatic evergreen forests or while you meditate beside an anthropomorphic saguaro cactus in Arizona. I’m always entranced by the whispering of aspen trees in the wind or the rhythmic gurgling of a burbling stream. I’ve yielded to new universal directions on a beach watching sea lions in California and softened to change and salubrity in New Mexico as a curandera whispered centuries-old words of wisdom in my ear.
The West has a way of capturing your attention and leading you to that personal bullseye. It can be your North Star or your threshold to a well-being moment that might reset you—or simply relax you, if that’s what you’re after. Besides unspoiled nature, thousands of years of Native American traditions, a plethora of curative indigenous plants, varied landscapes and a mix of vibrant cultures fuel the West’s wellness trove. Add in that the West symbolizes new beginnings, reinvention and experimenting outside the box, and it’s little wonder that this U.S. region holds some of North America’s most prodigious spas and wellness centers.
Here’s the lowdown on some of our favorite places to find your bliss in the American West.
Photo Credit: Mii Amo
Mii Amo | Sedona, Arizona
Not just the bailiwick of healers and seekers, but outdoorsy travelers, too, Sedona looks dramatic with its unearthly red rock buttresses, buttes and spires. But the northern Arizona town’s mysticism is more than skin deep. It’s also a purported energy hotspot, home to four deeply recalibrating vortexes: Cathedral Rock, Kachina Woman, Bell Rock and Airport Mesa. Delve into the hamlet’s gifts at Mii Amo, its award-winning Relais & Châteaux destination spa, situated within Boynton Canyon. Offering three-, four-, seven- or ten-night all-inclusive Journeys, the intimate hideaway with just 23 suites customizes ultra-luxury spa and wellness experiences that address mind, body and spirit-based personal goals. From basic massage to aura readings to ancestry memory retrieval to yoga (and other guided activities), the myriad options inspire guests in new directions.
Photo Credit: The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch | Avon, Colorado
On Beaver Creek Mountain, this festive hideaway exudes Great Camp or National Park lodge vibes with its oversized, three-story stone fireplace, log-cabin exteriors, rustically elegant aesthetics and grand back lawn facing the mountain. Expect lots of romping families and dogs in summer and the most chi-chi après-ski scene in winter. The tranquil 21,000-square-foot spa addresses mountain-workout fatigue and high-altitude hydration with a few rituals and spa nooks, including a red light therapy room. For sense of place, the Miner’s Mineral Mud Wrap does the job. It alludes to Avon’s mining history using charcoal mud sourced from local mines. Plan for time in The Grotto, a coed water sanctum, pool time at the outdoor lap pool and the resort’s range of guided mountaintop activities.
Photo Credit: Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado | Santa Fe, New Mexico
En route to this resort, which lies on the outskirts of town, a few minutes from downtown Santa Fe, you’ll pass a working ranch or two woven into the red-dirt, juniper-flecked hinterlands—a harbinger of things to come. Once you arrive, down empty roads that might be taking you to the ends of the earth—in a good way—you’ll see Rancho Encantado arise, a stately semi-circle of stand-alone, adobe suites that mimic a small village. The spa sits next to the pool, comprising a common area that I like to think of as the resort’s own plaza. The spa’s 10,000 square feet are meant to be enjoyed in small bites, a maze of interconnecting indoor and outdoor spaces like a desert-style garden. One step into the kiva-shaped foyer and you feel uplifted—just breathing the air here is a treatment. That’s because The spa is said to have been built atop an energy vortex. A bevy of treatments connect you to the land and the energy here, but I suggest the Spiritual Journey, which starts with a sage smudging ceremony, followed by a clay wrap, warm oil scalp massage and chakra-balancing.
Photo Credit: Alyeska Resort
Alyeska Resort | Girdwood, Alaska
At Alaska’s largest ski resort and favorite family summer playground, Girdwood’s Alyeska Nordic Spa warms the soul as well as the physical body. An ideal retreat to bookend a cruise, especially one that starts or ends in Seward or Whittier, it’s also a prime spot to glimpse the northern lights from September through May. Alaska’s first-ever Nordic spa, it boasts 50,000 square feet of hydrotherapy pools and wellness experiences. Book The Nordic Signature Massage, a relaxing ritual that taps hot and cold sensations, outdoor pine scents and the natural sound of rain.
Photo Credit: Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa | Sonoma, California
You may think of a long weekend in Sonoma County as being all about wine. But did you realize that long before it brought oenophiles to its vineyards and tasting rooms, Sonoma lured wellness buffs who visited the verdant locale for its geothermal mineral springs and detoxifying mud baths? This robust historic wellness heritage manifests best at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, located minutes from the town square. Healing waters burble from the ground beneath the resort, and the spa has been constructed with this water as its salubrious core. Luxurious, but executed with unfussy NoCal chill, the spa specializes in mineral baths, hydrotherapy, restorative treatments and repose. After your spa day, move seamlessly into Sonoma’s legendary wine and food experiences.
Photo Credit: The Boulders Resort & Spa
The Boulders Resort & Spa | Carefree, Arizona
One of the most sought-after golf resorts in the United States, The Boulders gets equal accolades for its exemplary spa complex and wellness programs. Hidden away in Carefree, a suburb of Scottsdale, aptly named to inspire you to leave it all behind upon arrival, the resort unfurls across magnificent Sonoran Desert landscape, where stately saguaros compete for attention with otherworldly, colossal 12-million-year-old rocks. Among them, find evidence of the Hohokam, ancient peoples who occupied the area before 1450, leaving only faint footprints behind in the stone. Their spirit lives on in The Spa at the Boulders Resort, inspired by nature and the property’s rich Western history. Take a Wellness Walk through the prehistoric desert, then unravel the knots with a massage or try an authentic Tipi Cleansing Ritual, which takes place in an authentic tipi. The treatment begins with a guided walk in the Labyrinth, then time in the tipi to set intentions and release unneeded angst and pain. My favorite, the Desert Rose Ritual, uses desert rose oils in an aloe mask and locally sourced prickly pear extracts to hydrate and repair sun-weary skin.
Photo Credit: Cal-A-Vie Health Spa
Cal-A-Vie Health Spa | Vista, California
You’ll be busy. A sunrise hike, ballet, yoga, a labyrinth walk, a facial, a nutrition lecture, laps in the Olympic-size pool, golf and stargazing—all fueled by three satisfying meals—that’s just a normal day at Cal-A-Vie Health Spa. Tucked into 500 private acres just north of San Diego, this pampering den of salubrity blends Southern California fitness passion with long-practiced European-style spa concepts. Its 5:1 staff-to-guest ratio means you’ll get the attention you need to launch a new beginning or simply experiment with untried modalities. Choose from more than 160 activities to fill your bespoke dance card during three-, four- or seven-night stays. Ideal for girls’ getaways or reunions, the wellness oasis now vaunts three new villas.
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