Scottsdale, ArizonaBoulders Carefree
Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale, Curio Collection by Hilton
Sonoran adobe lodge
Boulders Carefree Scottsdale, Arizona
Renovated
2016
Price
$$$
Rated for
Wellness Resort DesignOutside the door
The house
HiltonSonoran adobe lodge
The lodge was planned to leave the terrain intact, so quiet desert paths and native wildlife set the daily rhythm.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
A 33,000-square-foot spa complex with an outdoor meditation labyrinth and Japanese soaking tubs.
Notable
Low-slung adobe buildings contour directly into massive twelve-million-year-old granite boulder formations.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
Today the resort is built around that spectacular view. When you can tear your glance away, rustic-elegant casitas with wood-burning fireplaces beckon, as do the award-wining golf courses.
“Although the Boulders, with its casita accommodations blending into the landscape, its championship golf courses, and its upscale shops, is as luxurious as any resort in the Scottsdale area, it’s also where guests are most likely to feel they are truly in the desert.”
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
In the Sonoran Desert foothills near Carefree, set across 1,300 acres of prehistoric granite boulders.
The rooms
Casitas are scattered among the boulders, with wood-burning fireplaces and private patios facing the open desert.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The curved pool sits beneath massive granite boulders behind the main lodge, flanked by sun loungers and cabanas.
The spa
A shamanic tipi hosts cleansing rituals on the grounds, and the tea room looks out across granite boulders.
Bar
Discovery Lounge
An indoor-outdoor fireplace warms the lounge, where floor-to-ceiling glass looks out over desert rock formations and a waterfall.
At the table
Palo Verde serves Southwestern dinners beneath a hexagonal wood dome, and patio tables look out across the fairway lake.
How it began
Architect Bob Bacon lived on the land for a year, studying the sun and terrain before designing the lodge.
Scottsdale
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.