The Spa at Camelback Inn Review: A Modern Desert Sanctuary Inspired By the Natural Rhythms of the Sonoran Desert
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is an award-winning luxury property in Scottsdale. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
The Spa at Camelback Inn is one of Marriott International’s very first resort spas, located at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. Having first opened in 1989, this spot has always been known as an early pioneer in today’s thriving Southwest wellness scene and an ongoing, fundamental part of the property’s identity.
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Today, this core element of the resort has been completely reimagined in a recent refresh, overhauling everything inside during a $25 million transformation. The Spa at Camelback Inn describes its new era as a “modern desert sanctuary,” guided by “ariVéa, a holistic philosophy inspired by the natural rhythms of the Sonoran Desert.
In this 32,000-square-foot space with 20 newly designed treatment rooms, including three double suites, visitors can choose among four personalized Pathways to Well-Being: Detox, Soothe, Harmonize, and Restore, which touch every part of the spa experience, from design elements to treatments to wellness circuits.
The Spa at Camelback Inn recently underwent a $25 million refresh. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Time seems to slow down once you’re inside, and you’ll likely find yourself not wanting to go back to real life, outside the doors of this calming cocoon. The materials used to build and decorate the interior spaces are chosen to make it feel as if the boundary between indoors and outdoors blurs, inspiring a sense of introspection and reconnection with yourself and the elements of the Earth.
The intentional architecture and design elements make it feel as if the natural aura of the peaceful Sonoran outdoor scenery is gently ushered inside (without any harsh sun or desert dust). Immediately when you walk in, you’ll be ensconced in a spacious lobby outfitted in warm colors — anchored in French limestone that’s complemented by clean limewashed plaster walls.
Custom stone mosaics and layers of warm colored travertine and creamy Jerusalem Gold limestone are combined with soft, linen-like textiles, layered over the invitingly warm walls. All of this is paired with live greenery that naturally adds a touch of vitality and brings the desert’s natural presence indoors.
The 32,000-square-foot wellness sanctuary features soothing desert tones and soft, linen-like textures throughout. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Be sure to pay attention to all of the art as soon as you step through the doors of the spa. Each of these pieces is a key part of the new design. I found myself admiring two favorite pieces in particular.
The first is a sculptural installation consisting of hand-molded ceramic cacti by Southern California artist Dustin Gimbel, which you’ll find at the bottom of the stairs in the lobby, as a sort of “welcome gesture.” Each piece in this work was glazed specifically for The Spa at Camelback Inn, mirroring the subtle hues of the surrounding terrain.
The second is a lighting installation that seamlessly reinforced the spa’s connection to nature — a set of striking S-shaped chandeliers crafted from natural agave fiber that seem to drape overhead, as if you’re beneath an ethereal spa tree.
The Wellness Circuit is a newly-debuted experience that includes a salt sauna, cold therapies, and more. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Make sure to ask someone about a newly-debuted immersive journey, the Wellness Circuit. This experience features a thoughtfully sequenced circuit through a Himalayan salt sauna, aromatherapy steam cavern, experiential cold therapies, limestone infrared loungers, and a sunlit solarium with a vitality pool.
There’s also a lineup of spa-wide wellness programming and fitness offerings, including a brand new Wellness Studio with a rotating calendar of classes (yoga, sound baths, guided meditation, breathwork) and outside the four walls of the spa building, indulge in a pathway-aligned program like a detox hike, soothing breathwork, or a sound bath.
The Spa at Camelback Inn also offers extensive wellness programming including sound baths and guided meditation. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Mustard pretzels, date bites, trail mix, banana chips, a variety of teas with “build your own additions” like fresh blueberries make the snack station somewhere you’ll definitely be revisiting at least once.
For a more filling, nourishing meal, step into Ora Café, which serves a nutritionist-guided, pathway-specific menu with healthy meals and adaptogenic beverages (the best part is you can dine here in the ultimate feeling of comfort — comfy spa robe and all).
The restaurant is helmed by Arizona native and Scottsdale Culinary Institute – Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Chef Jennifer Mikhaiel, who uses regional ingredients to create a menu of wellness-driven cuisine. For those who want to feed their specific pathway, the all-day menu features icons indicating which options align with each intention — Detox, Soothe, Harmonize, or Restore.
I tried the Shakshouka, made with cage-free eggs and spiced tomato stew — it was savory, and nourishing, but not overfilling. I also tried the Power Bowl, which is made with herbed quinoa, avocado, and chipotle chicken. It was an ideal balance of light but satisfying.
I appreciated the open kitchen concept and the vibrant wallpaper and decor, featuring desert plants and bright natural scenes, that made the space feel invigorating and full of life.
Ora Café serves a nutritionist-guided, pathway-specific menu with healthy meals and adaptogenic beverages. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
You can’t visit this spa without spending ample time in the Stillness Lounge, where you’re brought after your treatment and feel like a cocoon of deep, meditative sensory restoration.
You’ll relax in a Mind-Sync Harmonic Wellness Lounger with a weighted blanket, eye mask, and noise-canceling headphones listening to audio that’s specifically designed to reduce stress and improve sleep.
The Stillness Lounge offers guests a restorative space to relax in after their treatments. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
The new treatment menu is organized into four Pathways to Well-Being and is an individual journey, depending on what you seek to heal.
Detox is rooted in the Sonoran Desert’s natural elements, offering purifying rituals such as the Juniper Sage Grounding Massage and the Adobe Clay Detox.
Soothe gives spagoers a chance to pause and invest rest into nervous-system recovery with treatments like the Sonoran Rose Facial, harnessing rose and gold extracts to restore positive energy, and Lipid Body Renewal — a warm oil cleanse and rich lipid infusion for rest rejuvenation and hydration.
Harmonize is meant to align and balance the body, inspiring internal energy to flow in its natural rhythm with offerings like the Return to Balance Massage, which focuses on the head and feet to instill peace, and the legacy Bindi Body Balancing treatment, featuring ancient healing herbs and oils to release energy blockages.
Restore gives a sense of fresh invigoration, with treatments meant to inspire an inner and outer glow, hydrating and brightening the mind, body, and soul. Signature Restore experiences include the Cellular Renewal Facial to awaken the skin’s vitality, and the Body Radiance Treatment — a total body exfoliation with colloidal gold to promote cell repair and inner glow.
The spa’s new treatment menu is organized into four Pathways to Well-Being and is an individual journey, depending on what you seek to heal. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
I enjoyed a 60-minute treatment from the Detox pathway selection of offerings, the Juniper Sage Grounding Massage. This medium-pressure massage utilized a combination of warm salt stones and Juniper sage oil to purify and relax my body — as well as my mind and spirit.
The 60 minutes healed my internal energy, leaving me feeling as if I were simultaneously well-grounded and blissfully floating on a cloud.
Another treatment worth trying is The Harmonize - Ultimate Hydrafacial, which starts at $375 for 60 minutes, and is an advanced medical-grade facial with soothing, instant results and no discomfort or downtime. This treatment includes cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, hydration, and a Vortex Fusion of antioxidants, peptides and hyaluronic acid.
It’s technically part of the “Harmonize Pathway,” but it can be a perfect splurge to counter the dry, dusty air of the Sonoran Desert outside.
The spa has 20 newly designed treatment rooms, including three double suites. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
My favorite place to spend time inside the spa was The Sanctuary. The serene co-ed relaxation space features enormous floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of Camelback Mountain and ample natural light.
I felt like a flower that was soaking up sunshine and coming back to life after my treatment, spending time in this safe, peaceful space. There are games, a few books, and snacks here — it’s a wonder they can ever get anyone to leave!
The Sanctuary is a serene co-ed relaxation space with views of Camelback Mountain through floor-to-ceiling windows. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Tip: Book the earliest treatment times in the day, if you can! This way, you’ll get to spend more time inside enjoying the peace and tranquility of the spa’s amenities and shared spaces before it gets too crowded — and while it’s still quiet.
For more information and to book your next treatment, visit The Spa at Camelback Inn’s website or call 480-596-7040. For deals on your next stay at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, click here.
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is located at 5402 E Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85253.
[Photos courtesy of JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa]
Molly has lived on both coasts from Massachusetts to California, studied abroad in Barcelona to perfect her Spanish minor, and earned a degree in journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before moving to Denver where she currently resides.
She's passionate about health and wellness, and happiest when she's traveling or writing (even better if it's both at the same time!)
As a creative hobby, Molly runs her own Etsy shop "BeautyTransformed" with personally handmade necklaces, from which a dollar from every purchase goes toward the National Alliance on Mental Illness." Follow her on Instagram: @metropolitanmolly