As a nonstop planner and doer, I’m finally good at relaxing on vacation (with active workouts placed strategically throughout, of course). Over the holidays, my friends and I were looking for a health and wellness resort not too far away from Austin where we could connect, laugh, move our bodies, clear our minds, and not have to plan too much, as you know I am someone that dives really deep into research around food and hot spots not to miss when I travel. I found Civana Resort, which ironically happens to be located in a town called Carefree that’s 40 minutes away from Phoenix. I didn’t even realize this when I booked it!
Carefree Living at Civana Resort + Scottsdale
CHECKING-IN:
It’s pretty simple — when you check into this resort, there is no need to ever leave. While most fitness classes, activities, and other workshops are included with your room fee, the food is not, which isn’t a big deal at all. We checked in on Dec. 30 ahead of New Year’s and explored the beautiful grounds full of sunshine, blue skies, healthy cacti, and other Arizona-style landscapes, plus drapey trees right over our room that made it feel lush. The pool is centered in the perfect spot to see the sunset each day or have a meal right in front of it.
We ordered lunch out on the patio, which is scattered with heaters that we barely needed, and enjoyed one of the best soups I’ve ever had, a pureed Golden Beet Miso Soup. This was my favorite thing I ate at the hotel, and luckily, they had it available for both lunch and dinner because I sure got it. We had veggie salads topped with grilled chicken (a tad dry but we are in the desert I guess 😉), and they have a plethora of cocktails such as a Cucumber Martini and Spicy Hibiscus Margarita.
Then, we skipped over to our first class called Numerology. Our teacher Angee guided us on the concept of numerology and how the numbers in your birthday add up to Life Path Number, which can describe attributes about you and things in the world that you can work on as your purpose, as well as your Personal Year Number, which applies to the year that it is and where you are in the cycle. For example, after adding things up I am finishing my 1 year, which is for seed planting, and moving into my 2 year, which is all about communication and relationships. I guess I’ll be meeting my future husband this year — that’s how that works, right? The year 2025, which adds up to 9, represents completion. Anyway, you can look up online how to figure your number out, and it was a fun class to educate ourselves on a concept I had never heard of. Next, I took a Yin Yoga class before almost falling asleep and resting my body, a great thing to do after a day on the plane, while Kenzie and Liz did a Sound Bath.
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
On New Year’s Eve, we kicked it off with a Yoga Sculpt class, taught by a teacher named Megan, that I loved! She was very in tune with the class energy, and this was probably my favorite workout of the trip aside from our uphill bike ride into the town of Carefree after where we explored a bit and had lunch. I had the best time with Kenzie and Liz who really like to travel the same way I do wanting to be active, chatting about life, talking about all the ideas and options we can do each day, and just being a joy. Our rooms were equipped with complimentary bikes and baskets, which made it very easy for us!
After that, we came back for the Journaling for Manifestation class — obviously, it was New Year’s Eve! We sat in a circle and introduced ourselves in a fun way, not a creepy, school-like conference way, and found out most people there were either from DC or California and looking to escape some time from their stressful jobs. I loved seeing how many couples were there together, groups of girlfriends like us, and solo people looking to start their year well. We journaled about our thoughts from 2024, wrote down what we want for 2025, and considered some small goals on how to get there, which felt very smart and achievable vs. just thinking you can go from zero to 100 for a big goal. However, the part that was most beneficial for me was writing about Limiting Beliefs. When someone asks you to do this, your brain really goes in and admits things to yourself you really didn’t think could be you. I’m grateful I saw this mirror and am working on knowing I can have it all!
Then, we skipped Carefree to go to Scottsdale for dinner at a new hot spot (see full review under food section below) before coming back to Civana for the late night 11 p.m. dance class with famous dancer Joshua Pelatzky…. Now, this dance class was a hoot! He was basically a comedian, and my friends, and I could not stop laughing, twirling, and following along. It felt very on brand for me that they offered this as I have been religiously going to Melody DanceFit classes this fall to try something new. Full circle!
We also wrote out things we wanted to let go of before moving into 2025 and found a fire pit by the pool to burn them in before we went to bed. On Jan. 1, we kicked off the new year with a tough Bands and Buns class before giving ourselves a day at the spa. Another class I really liked was the Core class. It took place outside surrounded by all the beautiful landscape, and the teacher told us a lot of fitness facts mixed in with giggles. All the teachers here are fun and know their audience.
FOOD OVERVIEW:
There are two spaces to eat on property. One is the main restaurant called Terras, open for all meal periods, and then, Seed is the grab-and-go smoothie, coffee, salad, and snack situation open until 4 p.m. Dishes I loved at Terras — Roasted Beet Hummus; Grilled Caesar Salad with hemp seeds, pistachio, fennel; and Golden Beet Miso Soup, which again, I had at every lunch and dinner. The Roasted Chicken Breast was the juiciest chicken, especially in comparison with their add on Grilled Chicken for salads. It had castelvetrano olives, artichokes, capers, fresno chile, and chicken jus. I also liked the side of Spaghetti Squash with marinara. Now, at healthy places like this, it can sometimes be hard to find flavor in the food or a variety of different cuisines. These dishes above were the standouts. I just advise you as a seafood lover to not order seafood here. At Seed, I didn’t get to try too much, but I did enjoy the overnight oats A LOT and the Recovery smoothie as well with banana, almond milk, dates, turmeric, and clove.
Some waiting rooms in spas feel icicle cold to me, but not here at Civana. Again it’s the dessert brush, décor, and plants that make you feel a part of the earth. If you participate in a massage, energy therapy, water therapy, skin care, or the salon, you’ll have access to all the spa offerings all day long. These include the second outdoor heated pool with great views, hot and cold plunges, sauna, and steam room inside. I didn’t think it would be possible to spend that many hours relaxing there, but we checked in around 1 p.m. ahead of our 3:30 p.m. treatments and had just enough time to enjoy everything. The waiting rooms before your massage are so loungey, and if you time it right, you can watch the sunset over the mountains on the top outdoor deck overlooking the pool after your service. I did the Biodynamic Bodywork massage which offered a range of releasing of the fascia with RAD rollers, balls, hot water, and other tools to release sore muscles, increase blood flow, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
SCOTTSDALE:
We skipped to Scottsdale on New Year’s Eve to splurge in style at a fun dinner at the newly opened Bar Bambino, which is the bar underneath Elephante, an LA-based restaurant with an all-day, Australian-inspired menu. The sexy bar was decked out in disco balls with a DJ, and they had fountain service for drinks like an Aperol Spritz that were a-flowing. The food menu was perfect for drinking or rocking out in style with Fried Chicken, Lobster Rolls, Burger, Fries, and the ultimate and best vanilla soft serve I’ve ever had. You can’t come to Scottsdale and not enjoy a night out here. My guess is it’s the best nightlife here!
After checking out of Civana, we checked into The Scott Resort & Spa which blew me away design-wise as soon as we entered the lobby. It doesn’t even feel like a hotel, but a fun Miami vibe getaway that could be your stylish friend’s fancy second home. The combination of giant ceilings, wicker chairs, plants, adorable and kind staff, and plenty of fun seating for guests to lounge and feel comfortable made it feel like home and very fun.
While I’m not one to eat at a hotel in a city full of restaurants, we tried lunch at their Canal Club, and I really was transported to Miami with the Cuban-style menu. I will think about the Squash & Pomegranate salad with arugula, goat cheese, roasted butternut squash, pistachio dust, and pomegranate vinaigrette. I felt so inspired by how they delicately plated the cheese on the bottom of the greens so you could enjoy a little spread of it in every bite. The Pollo al Horno really sealed the deal for me with the tender chicken thigh, black beans, and brothy and flavorful rice. We enjoyed the nice patio seating by the pool, but the interior of the restaurant was so beautiful that I took photos on my phone to save for future interior design inspo. The mustard-color half-moon seating booths, artwork, plants, and airy room make it a restaurant I’d recommend to anyone visiting Scottsdale — yes, even though it’s in a hotel! To be honest, I think it’s difficult to find restaurants here that aren’t a chain and are doing something unique, and I highly support The Canal Club.
I also love that The Scott offers a complimentary shuttle anywhere within a 3-mile radius, so you can get a nice ride to Old Town, neighboring restaurants, shopping, and even to a hike! On the morning of our return flight, I realized I had about an hour to kill, so I asked the kind staff if they could drop me at the Cholla Trailhead Camelback Mountain because I saw it was only a few minutes away. Hiking is my favorite activity so being able to get up on a mountain on such short notice and hike to the top before my flight was the best way possible to end my wellness trip and start the new year. The mountain is rocky and open with views of the city and when I got to the bottom I called the hotel and they were there to pick me up in a jiffy. So nice!
I highly recommend visiting Arizona if you are looking to chill, relax, disconnect, reconnect with yourself, and have fun with friends. For some other Arizona therapeutic hotel recs, check out my guide on Castle Hot Springs and Enchantment Resort.