HotelChatter

Standard rooms come with either one king or two queen beds with pillow-top mattresses, feather duvets and Frette linens, as well as floor-to-ceiling soundproofed windows. They range from 430-580 square feet including patios and balconies, and contain chairs, a writing desk, two televisions including a 42-inch LCD, and high-speed internet for a fee. The bathrooms are all marble, with double vanities, lighted makeup mirrors and some have separate shower-tub combinations.

Casita guestrooms are larger, while the suites can range up to nearly 1,200 square feet and have sleeper sofas in the separate living room areas. The décor is mostly a creamy muted palette with dark wooden furnishings, but there are also whimsical southwestern touches like cowhide chairs and bed coverings with Native American-inspired designs.

As for the resort itself, it sits up in the Tortolita Foothills on 850 acres of beautiful desert terrain…except for the 27-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The property also encompasses 20 miles of hiking trails, and areas for biking and jeep tours. After their fitness activities, guests can relax at the 17,000 square-foot spa whose menu centers around treatments that balance elements of “wood, fire, earth, water and metal.” That means options like a “Desert Moon Alignment” that uses lunar energies to focus you (far out!), and Desert Aloe Veil that combines aloe and tea tree oil to rehydrate your skin.

Since the resort is a good distance from anywhere else, guests can also find some dining options like the sophisticated “True American” menu at CORE Kitchen and Wine Bar, which uses local and regional produce as well as citrus fruits from the hotel’s on-property grove. There are also the more casual options of the Turquesa Latin Grill serving mostly Tex-Mex specialties, Cayton’s with a menu of all-American classics, and TO/GO with, well, to-go options.

Finally, in the lobby, guests will find the Ignite cocktail lounge in the lobby, which specializes in scotches that are served with imported English Hildon Natural Mineral Water “to maximize the tasting experience.” Sounds to us like the sixth element here is scotch.