Add another item to the wish list. Together with the Range Rover, the $10,000 Pinarello bicycle, and the closet full of Dolce & Gabbana clothing, etch Miraval Spa into your slate of extravagant desires. This all-inclusive resort is not at all haughty, it is just really expensive.
Your pampering will run upwards of $600/night per couple (hard to stomach with fantastic options costing a quarter as much listed below), but these prices afford everything under the Tucson sun. Top-of-the-food-chain delights include spacious, Southwestern style accommodations, 3 gourmet and healthy "all you can eat" meals a day, hundreds of interesting activities and classes (from rock climbing to sex therapy), round-trip airport transportation, unlimited access to the resort's fitness facilities, and one of the following for each hedonistic night: spa service, private wellness consultation, or golf round on a Tom Weiskopf designed course. Whew, that's a lot!
Miraval's exercise center will not blow you away, but its sufficient supply of new cardio and weight equipment will get athletes through any workout. Life Fitness cardio machines are the brand of choice, so those hoping for other top manufacturers will have to broaden their horizons. TV multi-taskers must settle for the view or a good book, because at Miraval it's all about being mindful of your body and fitness, and television is deemed an unnecessary distraction.
Swimmers will find the 6-lane x 25-yard pool adequate and can rely on pool-bottom stripes to keep straight as floating lines are absent. Fortunately, a pace clock, kickboards, and pull-buoys are available.
If you are familiar with Miraval's competitor Canyon Ranch, forget it. Miraval's rates may be pricey, but Canyon's are even higher and typically require a 4-night minimum stay. Miraval is the calm to Canyon Ranch's storm: more zen in its approach and philosophy.
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