Boulders Resort & Spa

Scottsdale, Arizona

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Roughly 20 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona, the Carefree Highway slips away off Interstate 17 and runs due east toward the desert foothills. It ends at a hulking mound of 12-million-year-old granite rocks as haunting as the monuments of lost civilizations. It's as if the Earth itself had heaved up a great dam against the urban sprawl that is rapidly devouring acre after acre of the Valley of the Sun.

Hidden behind those rocks is a 1,300-acre resort sensitively designed to preserve the raw power of the surrounding Sonoran Desert while cradling guests in uncommon comfort. Dubbed The Boulders, it takes the very shape and color of the rocks as an architectural model. The main lodge blends so well with the stones behind that from a distance it seems to be part of the landscape itself. So too do the 160 generously sized rooms, which have fireplaces, traditional viga ceilings, leather chairs, and private patios or balconies. Scattered below that pile of rocks, they occupy low, pueblo-like casitas the color of adobe and are thus themselves barely visible among the saguaro cactus, feathery palo verde trees, and the rest of a botanical garden of desert foliage. Rabbits, quail, and roadrunners scurry across paths and in and out of the foliage.

No less impressive are its two sterling golf courses—both the North Course and the South Course rank among the top 75 resort courses in the nation—and its tennis club and spa. There are also nature trails and paths to the top of the rocks and sunset views of the Valley of the Sun, and still more around the grounds and circling behind the rocks to El Pedregal and its restaurants.

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Sponsor

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 480-488-2570

The tennis and pickleball complex also basks in that desert landscape. Its tennis and pickleball courts cluster below the golf clubhouse, where they share space with a swimming pool, fitness center, and modest tennis pro shop with views to the west of that riveting pile of rock. It is 10 to 15 degrees cooler in this part of Scottsdale than it is in Phoenix, which encourages guests and members to play. And tennis director David Rogers and his staff follow the hotel's policy of providing attentive service, which on the courts means working assiduously to set up games.

Tennis Staff. Rogers played four years of college tennis at the University of Missouri. He had, however, gotten an introduction to teaching in his teens at a junior academy in Georgia. In his 40-plus-career since, he has run tennis programs in such notable resorts as the Snowmass Club in Aspen, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, most recently at the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage in California, where he was part of the Executive Management team headed by former Davis Cup Captain. Tom Gorman.
Tennis Programs. His weekly roster lists tennis instruction and drill clinics every day of the week, side-by-side with a growing pickleball program(Rogers is also a certified pickleball professional) focused on bringing new players into the game, offering clinics at all levels, and funneling those who've already discovered it into social play .
Much of the activity at the courts is designed with local or seasonal members in mind, including leagues, tennis exchanges with local clubs, and special events. Guests, however, are welcome to take part in most of these activities, and every other week or so Rogers stages a social mixture, which also brings locals and guests together. Court Complex. The five hard courts and 12 pickleball courts spill down several levels through the natural desert landscaping and of plots of yucca, ocotillo cactus, and desert flowers in reds, oranges, and purples. Bike rentals for use around the resort are also available here. The courts lie perhaps a quarter mile from the rooms, along a nature trail through a botanical garden of desert species—though a free shuttle is available for those who choose not to walk. Mornings are generally busier than afternoons. Court fees: $25/court-hour.

Ratings (177 Reviewers)
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Other Recreation

Golf Courses. Boulders has two 18-hole golf courses, Jay Morrish designed both to draw their power from the surrounding desert landscape.

Spa & Fitness Center. At 33,000 square feet, the Zen-inspired Spa at the Boulders delivers a broad range of treatments and services variously focused on relaxation, healing, and beauty using aromatic scents, organic ingredients, and therapeutic intentions.
Within the spa is a well-equipped fitness center spanning several rooms. A suite of Cardio workout equipment has been strategically placed to face windows that frame view of the desert foliage and rocks. Those are supplements an array of LifeFitness stations and free weights. Classes are offered in Pilates, Tai chi, yoga, and water fitness, as well as spinning, Zumba, stretching, TRX, and more.

And ... Other options include guided hikes, boulder climbing, guided mountain biking tours, and nighttime bike rides along the golf cart paths while wearing night-vision lenses.

Restaurants

Palo Verde in the main lodge spills out onto a terrace that overlooks the golf course and duck pond. Its menu runs to contemporary Southwestern-inspired cuisine, sourced, as much as is feasible, locally. Alternatively, guests can dine at the Kitchen Grill and Bar in the golf clubhouse near the tennis courts, which serves everything from burgers and sandwiches to seafood and dry-aged steaks; at the Spotted Donkey Cantina in El Pedregal a popular hangout for Mexican food and tequila just a short walk or shuttle ride from the resort; or the Spa Cafe, which serves healthy, nutritious breakfast and lunch options prepared, when possible, from ingredients in the resort's own gardens.

at the Spotted Donkey Cantina in El Pedregal ** just outside the resort entrance, change to just a short walk or shuttle from the main resort is a popular hangout for Mexican food and tequila; or the Spa Cafe, which serves healthy, nutritious breakfast and lunch options prepared, when possible, from ingredients in the resort's own gardens.

See Also

If you like Boulders, but want a different sense of style—with or without the golf—also look at:

• Montage Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina
• Meadowood Napa Valley, California
• Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Florida
• Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, California

Reservations

Boulders Resort & Spa

The lodging options at The Boulders begin with the  550-square-foot casita suites scattered through the desert to the north and south of the main Lodge, its restaurant, and swimming pool. Fresh from a total renovation, these spacious digs now sport flagstone floors, big leather chairs facing wood-burning fireplaces, viga ceilings, and outdoor patios or balconies with views of the desert and its foliage. Each has a huge bath with walk-in closet, separate tub and shower (the walls of the latter faced with a mosaic of colorful pebbly stones), twin sinks, and bright lighting. Guests needing more space or teams and groups of players can opt instead for one-, two-, or three-bedroom villas or even larger two-to-three-bedroom haciendas all with fully equipped kitchens and a range of luxury amenities.

34631 North Tom Darlington Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85377

Travel Essentials

Seasons. Year-round, though most comfortable from September to June.

Travel Instructions. By Air: The nearest major airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), roughly 20 miles to the south.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau website or contact them toll-free at 877-CALLPHX or email visitors@visitphoenix.com.