Castle Hot Springs: A Magical Oasis in the Arizona Desert

As you bump your car down the rugged road that leads to Castle Hot Springs Resort, you get the sense that you’ve been let in on a well-guarded secret. This swath of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert is remote and barren, populated mostly by saguaro cacti stretching their arms to the endless blue sky, and there’s little to hint at the lush paradise waiting at the end of the lane, tucked away in a valley deep within the Bradshaw Mountains.

For generations, Castle Hot Springs has been a treasured hideaway for those in the know, its guestbook graced by iconic names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Roosevelt. And when you arrive, it’s easy to understand why it endures as a favorite with travelers who crave a pitch-perfect blend of serenity, warm hospitality and sheer indulgence. Every moment of a stay here reflects the property’s impeccable attention to detail, and the experience is nothing short of extraordinary.

Review and Highlights of Castle Hot Springs

History

The story of Castle Hot Springs begins, fittingly, with the springs themselves. Long before the idea of a posh resort took shape, these steaming waters were held sacred by the indigenous Yavapai people due to the healing power of the minerals within. In the late 1800s, local entrepreneur Frank M. Murphy recognized the springs’ tourism potential and transformed them into a wellness destination that saw almost instant demand despite the arduous five-hour stagecoach ride it took to get there. By the early 1900s, Castle Hot Springs had begun to lure a roster of elite guests — including President Theodore Roosevelt — who sought not only the curative benefits of the springs but also the calm of the desert.

The resort’s reputation grew, and during World War II it was repurposed as a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers. (Fun fact: One of its most famous patients was a young John F. Kennedy, who stayed in 1945 to recover from injuries sustained during his naval service.) However, fires in 1976 and 1996 destroyed much of the original infrastructure and forced the resort to shut down. It remained dormant for decades until a comprehensive, meticulous restoration effort brought it back to life. In 2019, it reopened as an exclusive retreat that honors its Wild West roots yet embodies the pinnacle of modern luxury.

TIP: The resort holds daily showings of the excellent documentary Castle Hot Springs: Oasis of Time, which chronicles the property’s past. You can also watch it online.

Accommodations

Castle Hot Springs’ charm lies largely in its tranquil and intimate nature. The resort has just 31 accommodations, most of them standalone cabins placed far enough apart to preserve privacy. There are two categories, and you can’t go wrong with either — Sky View Cabins, available with a king bed or two twins, have above-ground decks and telescopes for stargazing; the king-only Spring Bungalows are equipped with fireplaces and covered patios. Larger groups can opt for the three-bedroom, two-bath Historic Cottage, which housed some of America’s most august families in its heyday, or the three-bedroom, four-bath Top of the Lodge suite in the main lodge. (Know that Top of the Lodge sits directly over the restaurant and bar area, so if you go this route, you’ll need to be OK with hearing a bit of noise from below.)

The accommodations are thoughtfully designed across the board, featuring soft, neutral tones and tactile materials like leather, shiplap, hand-forged ironwork and rich woods. Vintage photos and advertisements from the property’s past are given a second life as prints adorning the walls. The design perfectly captures a sense of place while keeping the focus where it belongs: on the natural beauty just outside the door.

In-room niceties include binoculars for wildlife spotting; a basket full of well-chosen snacks; custom-blended herbal teas; Yeti water bottles that are yours to keep; and a small fridge stocked with soft drinks plus two complimentary half-bottles of wine. The shelves hold board games as well as books that suit the setting (my mini library ranged from a Willie Nelson memoir to classic Western novels). Whereas most luxury resorts provide plush slippers, here you’ll find sturdy slides that are much more practical for a visit to the springs.

There is no in-room TV, as Castle Hot Springs strongly encourages disconnecting, and you won’t miss it. Even the Wifi password during my stay (RUsureUwant2?) was a nudge to unplug and unwind. I whiled away lazy hours on my deck, which looked out to a communal firepit and a broad lawn that bustled with wildlife: cottontails sniffing the air, hawks swooping overhead and, once, a javelina (similar to a wild boar) trotting past.

Bathrooms are bright and spacious, done in the same rustic chic style as the sleeping quarters. The best feature awaits on a private patio out back: an open-air soaking tub and shower fed directly by the springs. It’s lovely to luxuriate in the warm water at nighttime, cup of tea or glass of wine in hand, and search for the Big Dipper or the Milky Way in the vast darkness.

The canary-yellow main lodge serves as the resort’s hub, erected as an homage to the original building that burned down in the ’70s. Here you’ll find the lobby, restaurant and bar as well as the swimming pool and a staffed activities desk; as the meeting point for many of the daily tours and excursions, it hums with comings and goings. Just uphill sits the reconstructed Stone House, home to a variety of onsite classes, workshops and wellness sessions.

Strolling the grounds is a treat for the senses and a study in contrasts: towering palms and low-slung cacti, manicured lawns and untamed shrubbery, rippling ponds and desert hills. Vibrant wildflowers, including poppies, brittlebush, chuparosa and marigolds, burst into color during spring and summer. At nighttime, lighting is kept low so as not to interfere with the spectacular stargazing, and the flashlight provided in your room will be very welcome as you find your way.

Natural Hot Springs

The earth-warmed, mineral-laden water that spouts from the Bradshaw Mountains is the common thread that ties every aspect of the resort together, from the creeks that trickle through the grounds to filtered drinking water and irrigation for the onsite farm and gardens. At the center of it all are the namesake springs themselves: a trio of thermal rock pools cascading down the slope of a natural canyon, each a little cooler than the last (the topmost pool is about 106º F while the lowest is about 86º F). Some guests linger in a single pool while others cycle between the three. Wherever you decide to dip in, the experience is simply blissful, with palm fronds rustling in the peaceful air and soft earth underfoot. You’ll emerge as a very content wet noodle, ready to melt into a lounger on the adjacent sun deck.

The springs are a 10-minute walk or so from the heart of the resort, though the staff can also whisk you up there in a golf cart. A bathhouse and locker room, complete with swimsuit dryer, make it easy to freshen up and head to another activity or to the lodge for a meal. Pools are open around the clock, so you can even soak at sunrise or in the wee hours if you prefer.

TIP: Several times a week, the staff offers an hourlong “Connecting with Water” tour that highlights the history, geology and restorative benefits of the hot springs, with an optional guided soak at the end. It’s quite interesting and provides great context for your stay.

Spa and Wellness

Along the path to the springs sits a cluster of private cabanas designed for spa treatments — choose from a full menu of massages, facials, body scrubs and wraps, and energy-based healing techniques such as reiki. Certain treatments can also be set up in your own room, either solo or for couples. Near the cabanas, there’s a dedicated thermal pool for aquatic therapies like watsu massage (a portmanteau of “water” and “shiatsu”), during which you float as a practitioner gently sweeps and stretches your body in a series of flowing motions.

Wellness is one of three pillars of Castle Hot Springs’ ethos, the others being culinary and adventure, and the weekly activities schedule includes complimentary yoga, tai chi, sound baths and guided meditations, all of which maintain a small and personal feel due to the limited guest count. More intensive one-on-one sessions are available for a fee; try Qigong, a cousin of tai chi that incorporates slow, intentional movements and breathwork, or delve into the elements of astrology, Ayurveda, mantras and chakra alignment.

Activities and Amenities

Castle Hot Springs has such a long and diverse list of things to do that you’ll be grateful for the activities staff to narrow down the possibilities. If you like to stay on the move, borrow a bicycle and pedal your way through the grounds, try your hand at archery and axe-throwing, head out for an e-bike tour of the desert or play a round on the pickleball courts (the staff offers lessons for beginners). The resort has more than 1,000 acres of land laced with private hiking trails at various difficulty levels, and you can explore them either on your own or with a guide. A moderate-to-challenging via ferrata course leads upward to a mountain summit, though you can skip the climb and simply trek to the course’s aerial walkway, which spans a plunging canyon below.

In the mood for gentler pursuits? Settle in by the springs-fed swimming pool next to the main lodge and watch hummingbirds hover at the flowering shrubs, take an alfresco painting class with a local artist or sign up for a mindfulness workshop to make sun catchers, body scrubs and other takeaway mementos. Bocce, lawn chess, cornhole and other games are on hand for your amusement whenever you like.

My favorite experience of all was the farm tour led by the resort’s lead agronomist, Ian Beger — both fascinating and fun! Castle Hot Springs is committed to growing as much of its own food supply as possible, and you’ll learn about the huge variety of crops they harvest as well as their sustainability practices. Peek into the kitchens, wander through the gardens, pop inside the greenhouse and inhale the delightful scent from the citrus trees that flank the drive. At the tour’s end, a little tasting plate awaits, full of fresh-picked tidbits like leafy greens, tiny tomatoes and the blue spice basil flowers used to brew the iced tea that’s served at check-in. Schedule the farm tour for your arrival day if possible, as it will help you appreciate just what goes into every mouthful you enjoy at mealtime.

The staff can also coordinate excursions such as horseback riding, off-roading, helicopter tours and hot air ballooning. Golfers have access to a club about half an hour’s drive away, and there’s a small green at the resort to practice chip shots and putts.

Note that some activities are included with your stay and others incur an extra cost.

Dining

Harvest, the onsite restaurant, is an epicure’s dream — I didn’t have a single meal that was less than exceptional. Helmed by chef Chris Knouse, the kitchen sends forth imaginative takes on seasonal dishes and unusual flavor combinations that blend in perfect harmony. Service is sweet and attentive, and the staff strikes just the right balance between polished and personable. It’s fine dining without the fuss.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all offered in the ground-level dining room, a cozy expanse of open-grain woodwork, warm hues and Arts and Crafts top notes. Start your day on the light side with overnight oats, yogurt and fruit, or go all out with pancakes, a breakfast BLT, a Benedict or a Southwestern-style hash. Just off Bar 1896, the lounge upstairs from the restaurant, there’s a lovely outdoor deck where you can choose to have lunch overlooking the pool (I highly recommend the wood-fired pizza topped with mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, barbecue sauce and a fresh egg, though the menu also holds an array of appealing salads and sandwiches).

Dinner is the high point, and the five-course tasting menu changes every evening, built in large part around what the culinary team fancies from the farm — there’s a good chance the produce on your plate was picked shortly before you sat down at your table. During my stay, the selection included wagyu beef lapped with mushroom espresso cream, white corn grits with leek confit, a cacio e pepe Caesar salad with charred lemon and purple moon cauliflower, and a truly exquisite strawberry mousse bar underlain by grapefruit ganache.

Harvest has a first-rate wine list peppered with uncommon selections, and sommelier Sarah Foote is happy to point you toward the ideal bottle. She also oversees wine pairing dinners and hosts tastings a couple of times a week — if you’re a wine enthusiast, these should be high on your activities list. And the extensive menu of bubbly, from French Champagne to interesting sparklers sourced in places like Spain and Mexico, is the perfect reason to raise a glass to an unforgettable stay.

Things to Know

• Castle Hot Springs is about an hour north of Phoenix, and most guests fly into PHX airport (though the resort has its own helipad should you prefer to arrive in splashier style). The seven-mile road that leads to the entrance is unpaved and very bumpy — the staff recommends an SUV or another vehicle with high ground clearance, and I was happy I had taken their advice. There’s virtually nothing in the immediate area, so guests typically stay put for the duration; the property is so alluring you probably won’t be tempted to leave regardless.
• Room rates include all meals and snacks, nonalcoholic beverages, most gratuities and service charges, access to the hot springs and some tours and activities. Each guest receives a $25 daily beverage credit as well.
• To help maintain the restful atmosphere, arrivals and departures are scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays only.
• Castle Hot Springs welcomes guests 18 and up.

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Ciao Bambino received a media package in order to facilitate our review. As always, our opinions are our own. Photos by Lisa Frederick except where noted.

Editor’s note: This post was accurate when published. We advise checking independently for the latest information and updates. Ciao Bambino does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in, or for any actions taken based on, the information presented.