7 Romantic Getaways in Arizona for a Spa Retreat from Scottsdale to Sedona

For old-world luxury with a side of romance, it’s hard to top the Arizona Biltmore which is also a revered Phoenix wedding venue. Opened in 1929, the Biltmore has been a landmark property for nearly a century. If the architecture reminds you of a Frank Lloyd Wright, that’s because his colleague Albert Chase McArthur modeled the property in a similar style. (The stained-glass skylights in the lobby are particularly impressive.)

After checking in to your spacious room or suite, take a stroll around the beautiful grounds. Set on 39 meticulously landscaped acres, you’ll find open walkways, colorful flower gardens, and flowing fountains. You can cool off afterward with a dip in one of the eight onsite swimming pools.

Need a rush of adrenaline? Take a ride down the 92-foot-long waterslide. There’s also a swim-up bar to celebrate your romance with a round of Tequila Sunrises (the cocktail was first mixed at the Biltmore).

When it comes time for pampering your body, mind and soul, head to the award-winning Spa Biltmore, which offers customized massages in the couples suite as well as a range of treatments. Afterwards, you can continue detoxing in the sauna, steam room, and whirlpool.

Set on the banks of Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona is a romantic destination resort that’s also dog-friendly. The property features elegant digs in luxe cottages that come with romantic amenities like working fireplaces and outdoor cedar showers that are completely private but give off a slightly risque vibe when used tandem.

Away from the rooms, you’ll also find two excellent restaurants. The award-winning Cress on Oak Creek is open only for dinner and then exclusively serves three, four or six-set-course menus. Etch Kitchen & Bar is open for three meals a day and is the more approachable option, although for a romantic getaway, couples should experience both.

You can reconnect with nature at the L’Apothecary Sedona Spa, which offers a Forest Bathing experience inspired by the Japanese practice designed to enhance overall wellbeing. They also offer a number of integrated energy treatments.

L’Auberge runs a number of different packages that are couples focused. For 2019, check out a package they put together to celebrate the centennial birthday of Grand Canyon National Park. It includes a flight to the geographical wonder and a guided, on the ground day with Pink Jeep Tours before flying back to the Sedona property. If you’re considering popping the question, this would be a pretty epic way to propose.

Scottsdale and the Paradise Valley are one of Arizona’s premier spa resort destinations, and indeed, some of the state’s most acclaimed properties are found in this is part of the Greater Phoenix metropolis. One of the top resorts here is The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa. Set on 53-acres, the five-star property lures active couples with desert hiking, running, and cycling trails both onsite and in the surrounding area. The resort is also known for its tennis program that’s been running for more than 60 years and features championship courts and professional coaches. Or check out one of the personalized fitness classes including SUP Yoga in the infinity edged swimming pool.

When it comes to celebrating love itself, The Sanctuary has a Romance in Paradise package that adds one dinner for two at their elements Restaurant and a rose-petal turndown service served with a bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. You can also book Asian-inspired treatments like the Sumatra Coconut Body Ritual with your loved one at the full-service spa. The Zen meditation garden is great for post-treatment reflections.

Also in Scottsdale, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has a sexy southwestern cowboy vibe. The Spanish colonial style property sits on lushly landscaped grounds adorned with palms and cacti and is also known for its swimming pools.

But many guests come purely for the pools. There are six onsite, all of which are heated and some of which are themed. The Sonoran Splash pool features 200-feet of water slides. At Sunset Beach, you can lay out on beach chairs atop some of the 830-tons of actual sand they imported to create what Fairmont calls “Arizona’s only white sand beach” that leads into a splash pool area.

There’s also an award-winning Well & Being spa onsite where couples can try everything from the latest Aerial Yoga craze to customized aromatherapy massages. And when it comes time to dine—be it breakfast or dinner—there’s plenty of diversity with five on-site restaurants and lounges to choose from. Head to La Hacienda for acclaimed chef Richard Sandoval’s modern Mexican creations and tequila cocktails made from a 200 strong selection. While Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar has more than 150 rum selections on its menu.

Tensions evaporate the moment you arrive at the Boulders Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton Scottsdale. The desert oasis blends imperceptibly into a landscape of natural rock formations, cacti, and big blue skies.

If golf is on your couples’ getaway wish list, then this is the resort for you. The on-site Boulders Golf Club is listed as one of the best in the U.S. with two award-winning Jay Morrish-designed courses stretched across the rocky desert grounds.

After a day practicing your swing, it’s time to enter The Golden Door Spa for some serious pampering. Set in a massive 33,000-square-foot space, it offers a range of stimulating and rejuvenating treatments from massages to facials. There are also steam rooms and saunas for detoxing pre or post-treatment and a labyrinth for a desert meditation session. Also onsite are three swimming pools and a few different dining and drinking choices, such as the Spotted Donkey Cantina, which serves Mexican classics and 46 different types of Tequila.

When it comes time to up the romance ante, ask the concierge to arrange a special activity. These include flights over the Grand Canyon, stargazing with a professional astronomer, or horseback or rock-climbing adventures in the surrounding mountain desert environs.

At the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale Troon North desert romance is combined with outdoor adventure and elegant luxury. The adobe resort sits on grounds naturally decorated with the region’s famed saguaro cacti and is nestled into the base of Pinnacle Peak, which offers hiking, biking, and running trails through a craggy high desert mountain landscape. The resort is also just a quick shuttle ride away from two renowned golf-courses at Troon North Golf Club.

Get your endorphins going with a couples-focused adventure package. A favorite is the Sip, Cycle And Soar Tour, which is an exhilarating, guided day trip combining an aerial tour of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The cycling trip heads through the region’s vineyards and stops for wine tastings and an outdoor lunch.

When you return to the Four Seasons, relax with an Arizona-inspired treatment at the spa followed by dinner at one of the resort restaurants, like Talavera for a contemporary Spanish steakhouse. After dark, one of the most romantic experiences is to simply sit outside and look up at the night sky, wishing on one of the stars shooting through the sky.

Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia sits at Camelback Mountain’s base and features extraordinary views of the craggy peak rising from the Sonoran Desert’s hauntingly beautiful floor.

The swanky rooms and suites in this Paradise Valley resort draw inspiration from Spain’s Andalusia region and have a romantic Old World appeal with a side of desert opulence about them. Some rooms even feature with private swimming pools, which are what you’ll want to book if you’re hoping to put a ring on someone’s finger.

Two of the three swimming pools are adults-only here, which is just one of the ways the resort caters to couples. There’s also the super sexy, Moroccan-designed Joya Spa onsite, which feels like stepping into Spain’s Alhambra Palace and offers a range of signature massages and other treatments. There are also three restaurants and an all-day cafe onsite. (Don’t skip the free wine tastings at the Prado restaurant.)

For activities, you can go horseback riding up Pinnacle Peak or take a hike through the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which has more than 120 miles of trails. Scottsdale’s famed Desert Botanical Garden is also worth exploring.