It was one of those lucky days when you open up your email and there, waiting for your reply, is an invitation. This invitation was from Kim Cole (PR Director Extraordinaire) at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. It was for a weekend at the resort with dining and a spa visit. I took with me my trusty sidekick (and art director at the magazine) Michelle Renee Adams.
When we arrived on Saturday morning we were given a short tour of the property via golf cart and then taken to our accommodations. We stayed in a luxurious one-bedroom suite, complete with 2 kiva-style fireplaces (inside and out), a telescope for stargazing, breathtaking views, an outdoor garden shower and a private plunge pool!
After a bit of relaxing we ventured out for lunch at Saguaro Blossom, a casual alfresco restaurant adjacent to the main pool area. I was having a hard time trying to decide between, crisp salads, sandwiches and 3 “bento” options (translates to: goodies in a box). Michelle chose the Seafood Cobb Salad (an excellent choice) with ample amounts of crab, grilled prawns, lobster salad, bacon and assorted veggies. I chose the Mediterranean bento, a colorful divided tray with hummus, mixed olives, Manchego cheese, caprese and Spanish chorizo. Needless to say lunch was amazing and we walked around a bit to help digestion and decided to peek in on Kids for All Seasons at The Children’s Center before heading to the spa.
Kids for All Seasons is a complimentary program offered to guests ages 5-12. There is a game room with four plasma televisions with video games, a separate Wii game room, a movie theater with reclining chairs, ping-pong, pool and foosball tables and a place for creative play and crafts. There are planned activities every day, aimed to entertain and educate, and at least one supervisor per six children. Kids also have the option to “check out” games and take them back to their rooms in the evening. If you are traveling with even smaller guests, the resort has cribs, strollers, playpens and all kinds of baby amenities – at no charge! This is a great service so that guests don’t have to travel with all those extra baby accoutrements.
This being Michelle’s first official spa visit, we arrived early to soak up all of the ambiance it had to offer. Donning luxurious robes and slippers we sat in the sauna then on to the relaxation room to await our treatments. I chose a facial from the Omorovicza product line. This line features products rich in minerals harvested from thermal waters in Hungary. Even though there are no fragrances added, the moor mud used to clarify and nourish the skin had a delightfully fresh smell to it. I was so relaxed when the hour was up I didn’t want to leave, but she coaxed me up with a chocolate-dipped strawberry. I met Michelle in the hallway. From the glazed look in her eye, I knew she had enjoyed her Swedish massage as much as I had my facial! We dressed leisurely and took a different path back to our suite, enjoying the artwork displayed in the landscaping along the way.
When we arrived back we had a surprise waiting for us. A pitcher of sangria, chips, layered bean dip and shot glasses filled with diced fruit. The perfect snack after a wonderful spa visit! After our snack we slipped into our swimsuits and lounged in and around our private plunge pool. The pool is a bit larger than a spa, with gently circulating water that can either be heated or not. We chose unheated due to the outside temp, and it was perfect. To dry off, we just had to lay on the terry-cloth covered chaise lounges – ingenious invention!
With dinner reservations waiting, we changed and headed to Talavera. The restaurant was decorated in colors of the desert and we were seated next to a beautiful painting of a cactus flower that caught Michelle’s artistic eye. We were about to embark on a culinary journey of epic proportions. Michelle ordered the prime bone-in rib eye with potatoes, cipollini and asparagus in lobster butter on the side, I ordered the prime filet with heirloom carrots, porcini and sautéed spinach on the side. With a fine wine to round out the meal – we were in epicurean heaven. I lost count of the times Michelle uttered “Wow!” while my filet was melting inside my own mouth. While I was reveling in how truly content I was, Michelle was negotiating how to propose to the chef (alas, he is married). Needles to say it was an absolutely perfect dining experience. When we managed to get back to the room, we retired to those terry-cloth covered chaises again to gaze at the stars and call out to the local wildlife.
As the saying says about “all good things coming to an end” we awoke knowing that check-out was fast approaching. We did get to enjoy one last dining experience, this time at Crescent Moon (actually, Crescent Moon was named after the original ranch that occupied the property in the 1940s). We opted for the buffet with ample offerings of pastries, specialty sausages, egg dishes, an omelette station, protein smoothies, fresh fruit and waffles. With satisfied tummies, we took one more walk around the property before heading out – and I had to grab one more complimentary glass of prickly pear iced tea to sip on the drive home – hoping to prolong the magical spell of this resort that looks as if it was gingerly placed into the desert foothills.
