Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort Tucson

With the raving reviews, our expectations were heightened. The biggest disappointment was the quality of the food. We are far from foodies, and some dinners were barely edible. The chicken was so dry and lacking any type of flavor.. It had to be abandoned. We found the outdoor cafe to be a better alternative. The spa service was at best, Ok Massage was delivered with minimal warmth from the therapist, good but very impersonal. As if this had been her 20th service of the day.. The biggest problem however, the incredibly musty smell of our room. It had to be ventilated for hours to get rid of the smell. It honestly smelled like it had been closed up for years. After 3 days it never really went away Overall, an average experience at best

I can't say enough good things about my stay at Canyon Ranch. I recently went for three nights, and it was my first trip there. Truly, everything I hoped it would be. Pure luxury, so relaxing and quiet, and just well-run all around. Nothing every feels crowded at Canyon Ranch, and I loved that. Everyone working there is so professional and nice. My room was basically one half of a duplex, so it's very private and quiet. It was clean, spacious (with tall ceilings), comfortable, and a beautiful view out a wall of windows. All the products in the room (e.g., lotion, body wash) smelled so good. Rooms are spread out around the resort (there isn't a central "hotel" with all the rooms), and I loved the location of my room near the edge of the property. It was about a 3-minute walk to the main spa and a 5-minute walk to the dining options, but in that beautiful landscape, I cherished the walk. And can I pause there for a moment to stress how beautiful the grounds are? Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina mountains, the views and landscaping are gorgeous, but it is all just so tranquil with native vegetation, water features, and so many quiet spaces to sit and read or just sit and enjoy the nature. As for the activities, there are so many to choose from and such a good variety. Most activities are free, but there are some for an extra $. There are multiple options for every hour of the day 6am-5pm (with a few evening options). The activities are very well run with good instruction, knowledgeable instructors, and pristine facilities. The activities start and end on time. Really appreciated that attention to time. The locker-room experience is also great with your own locker assigned at the beginning of your stay. Locker rooms are so clean, and easy access to personal care products, changing rooms, bathrooms, showers, jacuzzis and a cold dip pool, and the sauna. My package came with $300/night spa services, and I chose one spa service per day. Strong recommendation for the Desert Ritual. What a luxurious and pampered experience. All my spa services were great. I felt entirely comfortable with the staff, and they were very good at their jobs. I also liked that Canyon Ranch is truly all-inclusive with no tipping. That makes for a much more comfortable and smooth experience, although I would have liked to learn that up front instead of having to Google it and find it on the website FAQs. And the food. So good. You pretty much have access to food for most of the day. I didn't do in-room dining, but there's an option for that, too. I went to the Double U Cafe for lunch every day (and one breakfast), and I went to Vaquero for breakfast and dinner. So many good options for food at either location. Always easy to get seating out on the pool deck (or inside) at the Double U. Easy to get seating at breakfast at Vaquero, but you do need reservations for dinner. Service is so attentive and friendly. Food portions are great for not over-eating, but you can always order more if you're still hungry! So many menu options for starters, sides, and mains; some food options rotate each day, with many items on the menu every night. There's also a chef's station every night where the chef prepares food made-to-order. When I was there, we had a pasta station, pho station, and curry station. There's also a small salad bar. The food is tasty and healthy, and that's exactly what I wanted for my stay at a wellness resort. Though you cannot order alcohol in the dining room (which surprised me), there is a cantina where you can order a cocktail or wine or you can have wine service to your room. You also are allowed to bring alcohol from outside to enjoy in your room. Alcohol is not part of the all-inclusive, though my cocktail was very reasonably priced at $15. The stay at Canyon Ranch is expensive, no doubt, but for me it was worth every penny.

Canyon Ranch is a gift! The land and ground are healing places and then you add the amazing food, outdoor adventures, classes, and metaphysical offerings and you've got a magical place! I loved the bike ride in Saguaro National Park with cyclist guide Cindy. My astrology reading was an amazing experience (with Shivani). Yoga with sound healing was one of my favorites. If I could afford to stay longer, I would and I hope to go back.

Why is this called a luxury resort? It is old & needs to be updated. You are walking into the 80s when you arrive, nothing looks luxury & everything looks the way it looked 30 years ago. The experiences are great - the hikes, bikes, classes, etc. & the food is great but this is NOT a luxury resort. When you get there, you won't be saying WOW this place is gorgeous! It is not, it is basic looking hotel-ish. Luxury is 4 Seasons, definitely not this place.

Went in February on a girls trip. Overall, it was a fabulous destination. We stayed in Executive Queen rooms which were very nice - a big step up over the base level rooms. There was an incredible range of classes from which to choose and we loved all of them. They also offered an ample selection of off property hikes at all different difficulty levels and all without any added fee. There were a ton of food options and we really enjoyed all of our meals. Service was sometimes a bit slow in the main dining area depending on when you got there, but you are on vacation so the slower pace is not horrible. Really loved unique classes like the origami session and dj dance party. Don't miss bingo night, it was a really fun way to pass a couple hours. The spa treatments were all well done and there was a huge menu of services from which to select. I took advantage of the free shoe assessment and was determined to just take the information and not buy any shoes -- but they were so thorough and careful in finding me the best fit, and I was so grateful for how amazing my feet felt in the shoes, that I had to buy a pair. Loved the pickle ball class and that you can access a court whenever they are not being used for classes for free (they provide the balls and paddles). We also loved that there were free laundry facilities scattered around the resort so you didn't have to come home with a bag of sweaty work out gear. If I had to find fault with one thing, it would be the spa communal areas and waiting area in the women's locker room. This space is desperately in need of a rehab. The overall vibe is old and dated. The showers don't have a changing area so you really lack a lot of privacy. The room you wait to be called on for treatments is dark and looks more like a doctors waiting room than a spa space. This is the one big difference between Canyon Ranch and every other spa I have visited like the Miravals in Austin and Tucson where there are beautiful spaces with chaise lounges looking out at the mountains while you wait to be called. CR also lacks a nice outdoor area within the women's locker room - instead they have a small outside space with a couple dismal looking chairs that you can access from the locker room. For this reason, I wish that I could give CR 4.5 stars instead of 5. I have to believe that their long range plan is to update that spa space and if they do, they will truly be a five star destination.