Welcome to The JQ List Wellness Weekly, I’m Katie McAleer the Lifestyle Editor here at and I am spa enthusiast. If there’s is a hot new wellness trend or beauty treatment, I want to try it. I am all about looking and feeling great while paying someone else to do the work, what can I say I’m not a DIY girlie? This week we are headed to the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale.
I’ve spent tons of money over the years on at home beauty treatments and new gadgets to build out my wellness routine. But I travel too much and am way to ADHD to stick to any kind of regular routine. Eventually the dry brush, the at home red light wrap, the at home laser hair removal tool, and the gua sha all ended up in a draw in the back of my vanity.
Because I am constantly on the go, I am always looking for treatment studios, spas, salons etc. in the cities I travel to. I love finding businesses with locations in multiple cities so I can revisit my favorites whenever one is nearby. I love finding hotels and resorts that I can plan a whole wellness weekend around. I’ve tried it all, from massages in Cambodia and sound healings in Scottsdale, to body wraps in Boston and Botox by the beach.
Lasers, waxes, scrubs, stretching, saunas there is so much out there! Wellness Weekly will help you sort through all the trends and the must try treatments the beauty industry is raving about, and we’ll tell you what’s worth splurging on, what’s worth making time for regularly, and what you can skip and save some $$ on.
For our inaugural Wellness Weekly I am sharing a very special experience, a Wellness Weekend at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale.
And before you hit the road, check out our top summer travel accessories to order on Amazon before your trip!
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
Checking in at a Four Seasons property is always a treat. Located in the Troon North neighborhood of Scottsdale this Four Seasons offers a desert oasis with plenty of wellness activities and beauty treatments to leave you feeling relaxed and pampered.
The property is gorgeous, the views and stunning landscape alone will make you breathe a sigh of relief. Once you’re settled in, peruse the activities calendar, every day the resort hosts a variety of classes and experiences. My first day I did the “Soul & Sound” experience, a 1 hour sound bath. It starts with some light stretching, grounding, intention setting before the instructor begins playing the quartz bowls for the sound bath.
It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. While you’re at the spa and fitness facilities book yourself a treatment at their world class spa! I recommend the Nopal Massage. During this massage the therapist will use warmed paddles from a prickly pear cactus, cut in half they will be applied directly to your body to transfer the cactus gel on to your skin. This was easily one of the best massages I had in my life, the masseuse was excellent, he made me very comfortable throughout the experience and provided the peak expertise and professionalism you expect from the Four Seasons.
The spa facilities include a sauna, a steam room, and a relaxation lounge complete with adult coloring books (I forgot how meditative coloring can be!)
I filled the rest of my wellness weekend with smoothies by the pool, pro-tip you can enhance any smoothie with collagen peptides so you are glowing from the inside out! On my last morning I took a gentle “Stretch & Relax” class in the fitness center where we moved through a variety of slow, long hold yoga poses to loosen up.
Things I loved:
- The sound bath session on the activities calendar.
- The prickly pear-peach smoothie enhanced with collagen peptides.
- The walking trails through gorgeous desert landscape.
Things that could be improved:
- I wish there were descriptions of each activity on the calendar. Most of them just had the name and you had to reach out to the concierge or the spa to learn what it was.
Cost and value:
- A stay at any Four Seasons property is pricey, but I firmly think it’s worth it for the level of service and the quality of experience they provide.
- If you want to get the spa and wellness experience but can’t swing a full stay at the property you can book a spa treatment without being a guest. Spa guests also get a day pass for the pool which is fabulous!
What I thought about the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is a beautiful property with tons wellness and beauty offerings. For me the standouts were the Soul & Sound session and the Nopal Massage. But little details like adult coloring books in the relaxation lounge and being able to add collagen peptides to any smoothie are what make this destination a must visit in my books!
If this inspired you to hit the road for a wellness getaway check out our top summer travel accessories to order on Amazon before your trip!
For more wellness getaway ideas read all about the best wellness getaways to attend this year around the world and for more on Scottsdale read our guide to Arizona!