The Saguaro Spa, Scottsdale

Pink- and salmon-colored walls, saffron accents, and verdant plants contribute to the Southwest and Latin atmosphere that pervades The Saguaro Spa. Amid regional wood and leather furniture, candles in tin holders, and folk art, therapists lead guests into partitioned or private treatment rooms to perform spa services inspired by the healing traditions and history of the desert. They stroke guests' backs using pressure-point and relaxation-massage techniques, often adding heated stones or wild-desert-herb compresses to melt tension. During body-wrap treatments, aestheticians swaddle bodies in organic, Southwest-inspired botanicals such as lime and aloe or chilis and chocolate.

Aestheticians also rejuvenate busy patrons with 30-minute mini treatments such as a prickly-pear sugar scrub and an orange-blossom neck massage. When they’re not soothing skin and faces, staffers can be found leading guests and gnomes in open-air yoga classes that take place amid cool breezes in an adjacent garden.