The Boulders Epitomizes a Premier Vacation

By Chris Duthie

What personifies a premier resort experience? If you’re a frequent traveler, as I have been for more than 30 years, the answer is pretty straightforward: It’s vacationing at The Boulders Resort & Spa, the iconic enclave located just north of Scottsdale in Carefree, Arizona.

Encircled by 12-million-year-old granite rock formations on 1,300 acres of Sonoran Desert landscape, The Boulders symbolizes the pinnacle of luxury, class and sophistication, much of which has been rewarded with an ever-increasing stack of honors like Travel + Leisure Magazine’s “Best Hotel in Arizona” (2017), Golf Digest’s “Best Golf Resort in the Southwest (2017), Sunset Magazine’s Best Wellness Resort in the Southwest (2016), Andrew Harper Hideaway Report’s “#4 Best Golf Resort in the U.S. (2016)” and a Colorado AvidGolfer CAGGY for “Best Resort Experience” (2016).

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More remarkably, the 33-year-old property is poised for even more celebrity thanks to a multi-million-dollar rejuvenation that was completed in 2017. Among the impressive upgrades:

• All 160 adobe-styled casitas have been generously reappointed, underscored by uber-pampering bathroom enhancements, Native American-influenced furnishings, wood-burning fireplaces and private outdoor patios.
• The 33,000-square-foot spa has been newly refurbished — including the 24 treatment rooms, café, sun suites, fitness center and yoga studio —plus a new outdoor deck has been added to the expansive organic garden.
• A spectacular new golf clubhouse anchors the resort’s celebrated golf facility, which includes a top-ranked academy and two Jay Morrish-crafted desert courses that have earned Golf Magazine’s prestigious Platinum Medal. Players are further pampered with a stylish new Grill Kitchen and Bar that offers expanded outdoor terrace seating.
• In fact, all of The Boulders’ five dining options have been revamped including the award-winning Palo Verde restaurant, renowned for its chic al fresco experience directed by celebrity chef Brian Archibald.
• The newly designed main lodge spoils with an inviting new lobby, retail shop, concierge reception and discovery lounge, plus additional meeting space (there is 50,000 square feet of conference space property-wide) that takes full advantage of the property’s breathtaking foothills scenery.

With more than 200 courses in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area, golfers are never far from a top-ranked layout. Nearby notables include Grayhawk, Legend Trail, Talking Stick, TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, We-Ko-Pa and Westin Kierland.

Looking for even more Boulders memories? Sign up for hot-air ballooning, rock climbing, mountain biking, moonlight bike tours, desert hikes, horseback rides, desert jeep tours, fly-fishing, stargazing, Grand Canyon excursions and more.

The Boulders Resort & Spa is a member of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio as a Curio Collection by Hilton. For more information, go online to TheBoulders.com. For detailed information about Scottsdale tourism, visit ExperienceScottsdale.com.

RELATED LINKS

Troon Expands Booming Caddie Services

New Reasons to Visit Scottsdale

Fabulous Golf Fare in Phoenix

Spring Training Guide: Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tempe

Top 5 Phoenix Area Golf Clubs

Chris Duthie is a Durango-based contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.