Canyon Ranch Tucson — Hotel in Tucson

I'm writing this review both out of a sense of sadness, and as a warning to those who may be contemplating a visit to Canyon Ranch Tucson.

Canyon Ranch is a legendary name when it comes to destination spas and wellness resorts - for years, it's been a hot spot for everyone from celebrities to first-time wellness-seekers to health aficionados, alike. On a personal note, over the years, my mom and I enjoyed several mother-daughter weekend getaways to CR in Lenox, MA – and each experience was nothing short of amazing. With such fond memories of Canyon Ranch Lenox, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit CR Tucson for the first time with my husband. It seemed only natural that the experience would be just as wonderful - if not better - in the place where it all began.

Sadly, I couldn't have been more wrong. From the moment we arrived, we were escorted to our bug-infested room with furniture so dusty we could write our names on it, and an AC unit which worked mildly, at best. We'd been promised a room upgrade by "Reservations Consultant" Doug C, but alas, no such upgrade was honored at check in. We were never really shown the property, or given any insider tips - and had it not been for my prior experiences at CR Lenox, we likely would've missed out on just about everything (e.g. pre-booking services and dinner, activities, etc.)

While our petite and dusty hotel room was uncomfortably reminiscent of that of a run-down Motel 6 - it was the poor service and food that really left us not only dissatisfied, but thoroughly disillusioned with the whole experience. With few exceptions, the staff was unprofessional, unpleasant, and wholly inattentive. Restaurant servers and kitchen staff frequently made mistakes in taking and executing orders - often presenting "flawed" food (e.g. a partially frozen peach tart) - but attempts to remedy the situation were virtually nil. Rather, servers would just apologize for the error - and then scurry away, with no real fix. I think I heard the phrase "I'm sorry" more often than "What would you like to order?"

The meals, themselves, were quite disappointing, too. CR had once been known for serving healthful, delicious meals - but this time, the food was unlike any CR cuisine I'd experienced before. Not particularly healthful or tasty, the food was tolerable at best – and a disastrously-executed, nightly “serve yourself pasta bar” seemed to replace what was formerly a focus on seasonal, versatile fare.

The rooms were cleaned with a lick and a promise - the same insects, dust spots, floor stains, and cobwebs that were present on our first night remained untouched throughout our stay. With the exception of Brad in the Outdoor Sports Department, not a single employee checked in on us during our stay - it was as though they didn't want to know, because they knew how flawed everything was. Frankly, for the hefty five-star fee of ~$2000/night, it's far from unreasonable to expect better, more attentive service - not to mention better lodging and food.

Since our time at CR Tucson, my husband and I have pondered why Canyon Ranch would, in fact, make some of the choices they made - from their "chase us down if you want anything or need help" approach, to the serve yourself pasta bar at dinner, to the low-functioning AC units in the rooms, the desultory housekeeping, to the cheap plastic water bottles they're still giving to guests, to the meager, largely overwhelmed and unhelpful staff - and it all comes back to this: it's cheap. Save a dime, and charge a dollar - it seems to be Canyon Ranch's motto.

I'm not sure if this disappointing experience is due to COVID, the pre-COVID ownership switch, or if there are other behind-the-scenes reasons for excusing such an unacceptable series of events. Here's what I do know, however - CR will only live off its former legacy for so long, and if guests experience what we "endured" during our recent stay, the day will not be long until the gates for CR are...

Canyon Ranch was an absolute dream. As a first timer, I had read a few of these reviews and was a little bit worried. But literally not one concern that had been expressed here was an issue. I am a seasoned, discerning traveler who has stayed at many high-end resorts, and everything from the shuttle service to and from the airport to the rooms (both renovated and not renovated) to the service to the classes and the spa was perfect. Every staff member our group of three women came into contact with bent over backwards to help make our stay the wonderful getaway that it was (I’m looking at you, Kayley from the Grill!).

The Rooms/Grounds: I had an unrenovated executive king. It was secluded, had a stunning mountain view, was huge, clean, and the bed was very comfortable. It really didn’t feel dated to me (and I’m a 30-something who is very picky about this). Instead, it just felt “western” and went with the whole vibe of the ranch. Now, one of my friends I went with had a renovated executive king, and she was the envy of all of us. The renovated rooms are GORGEOUS with huge soaking tubs, a washer and dryer.

The grounds were stunning. Mountain views abound, tiny lizards scurry about, the landscaping was all well done and in good shape, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk from my room to the main buildings each morning. DO NOT MISS the meditation gardens!

The Food: We were a little bit worried about being starving the entire time we were here or eating "rabbit food," but this could not have been further from the truth. Everything is “unlimited” and delicious while remaining very health conscious. You can order multiple portions at either restaurant, half portions, etc. The main restaurant has a great salad bar and a made-to-order pasta bar that rotates its offerings nightly. In the morning, it’s an omelet bar and there is a small continental breakfast bar with fresh fruits, yogurt, nuts, etc. that you can have in addition to the meals. Every bite of food we had was awesome. ALSO… there is dessert, and it’s all fairly healthy and all so, so good. We thought we were going to have to keep a secret stash of chocolate somewhere, but we were well satisfied. We also appreciated that the food came out quickly at both dining establishments, since we always had something coming up on our schedule!

The Classes/Activities: We took advantage of so many of the classes, and all were wonderful. One thing that I noticed was that all of the instructors quickly became familiar faces. I loved Juan in particular, and we took multiple classes with him (desert drumming, drum circle, Bosu 3D Extreme, and World Dance) and had a BLAST every single time. His energy was infectious. The TRX classes were another favorite. We also partook in meditation, yoga, tabata, spin (AMAZING playlist and awesome challenge, even for a very seasoned spinner), and core classes, all of which were well done, challenging, and the instructors were fabulous.

We zip lined at night and ABSOLUTELY LOVED our guides (Randy and Adria, if we recall their names correctly) and the experience itself was super fun and different than many zip lines we have experiences in the past. We would highly recommend it.

Bingo and Canvas Painting were great fun and the perfect way to spend our evenings.

The Spa: I had many services at the spa, and everything was divine. The spa facilities themselves were great, everyone working in them was lovely and helpful, and the service providers were very talented. (Hey Sandy… I’ll be dreaming of your massages!)

Customer Service: We really weren’t a needy bunch, but there were several times we had requests here and there, and we were never, ever told no. Ever. We didn’t encounter one unfriendly staff member, and if someone didn't know an answer to a question (which was rare), they found someone who did.

I can't stress enough what a beautiful stay we had at this resort, and the only downside...

I can't say enough good things about my stay at Canyon Ranch. I recently went for three nights, and it was my first trip there. Truly, everything I hoped it would be. Pure luxury, so relaxing and quiet, and just well-run all around. Nothing every feels crowded at Canyon Ranch, and I loved that. Everyone working there is so professional and nice. My room was basically one half of a duplex, so it's very private and quiet. It was clean, spacious (with tall ceilings), comfortable, and a beautiful view out a wall of windows. All the products in the room (e.g., lotion, body wash) smelled so good. Rooms are spread out around the resort (there isn't a central "hotel" with all the rooms), and I loved the location of my room near the edge of the property. It was about a 3-minute walk to the main spa and a 5-minute walk to the dining options, but in that beautiful landscape, I cherished the walk. And can I pause there for a moment to stress how beautiful the grounds are? Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina mountains, the views and landscaping are gorgeous, but it is all just so tranquil with native vegetation, water features, and so many quiet spaces to sit and read or just sit and enjoy the nature. As for the activities, there are so many to choose from and such a good variety. Most activities are free, but there are some for an extra $. There are multiple options for every hour of the day 6am-5pm (with a few evening options). The activities are very well run with good instruction, knowledgeable instructors, and pristine facilities. The activities start and end on time. Really appreciated that attention to time. The locker-room experience is also great with your own locker assigned at the beginning of your stay. Locker rooms are so clean, and easy access to personal care products, changing rooms, bathrooms, showers, jacuzzis and a cold dip pool, and the sauna. My package came with $300/night spa services, and I chose one spa service per day. Strong recommendation for the Desert Ritual. What a luxurious and pampered experience. All my spa services were great. I felt entirely comfortable with the staff, and they were very good at their jobs. I also liked that Canyon Ranch is truly all-inclusive with no tipping. That makes for a much more comfortable and smooth experience, although I would have liked to learn that up front instead of having to Google it and find it on the website FAQs. ||And the food. So good. You pretty much have access to food for most of the day. I didn't do in-room dining, but there's an option for that, too. I went to the Double U Cafe for lunch every day (and one breakfast), and I went to Vaquero for breakfast and dinner. So many good options for food at either location. Always easy to get seating out on the pool deck (or inside) at the Double U. Easy to get seating at breakfast at Vaquero, but you do need reservations for dinner. Service is so attentive and friendly. Food portions are great for not over-eating, but you can always order more if you're still hungry! So many menu options for starters, sides, and mains; some food options rotate each day, with many items on the menu every night. There's also a chef's station every night where the chef prepares food made-to-order. When I was there, we had a pasta station, pho station, and curry station. There's also a small salad bar. The food is tasty and healthy, and that's exactly what I wanted for my stay at a wellness resort. Though you cannot order alcohol in the dining room (which surprised me), there is a cantina where you can order a cocktail or wine or you can have wine service to your room. You also are allowed to bring alcohol from outside to enjoy in your room. Alcohol is not part of the all-inclusive, though my cocktail was very reasonably priced at $15. ||The stay at Canyon Ranch is expensive, no doubt, but for me it was worth...