What to expect: A wooden ceiling, fireplaces, skylights, and Native American art give the lobby a relaxed, desert lodge feel. Two championship courses attract golfers to this 1,300-acre oasis. Couples enjoy a full range of spa treatments and the individual casitas with private patios, while parents appreciate the opportunity to introduce children to unspoiled desert and the adjacent Heard Museum.

Amenity highlights: Eight tennis courts with two different surfaces join two Jay Moorish-designed golf courses offering 36 holes of championship golf. The 33,000-square-foot Golden Door Spa offers a long list of treatments and exercise options. Outdoor activities such as rock climbing, moonlit mountain bike tours, and guided scenic hikes take advantage of the rugged desert location.

Insider tip: The adjacent El Pedregal Festival Marketplace has 41 shops displaying Southwestern art, jewelry, and home accessories. It's also host to a branch of Heard Museum of Phoenix, with samples from its world-renowned collection of Native American arts and crafts.

What to expect: Harmonizing with its high-desert setting, this 54-acre resort is planted with saguaro cacti and other native flora and provides scenic views from most angles, encouraging an outdoor experience. Overlooks with seating areas highlight sunset views. The lobby hints at the Old West with studded red-leather chairs, rock walls, a fireplace, and cowhand-style light fixtures. Vacationing couples and families with pets are a growing part of the guest list at this conference-oriented resort.

Amenity highlights: Daily scheduled activities include nature walks, hikes, and nightly campfires with flavored s’mores. A singing cowboy on horseback makes an appearance on Friday nights. Guests can also learn the art of glass making and hone their barbecue skills.

On site are two pools, five lighted tennis courts, a putting green, and bicycle rentals. The spa offers an array of treatments, including the Southwest Soother body wrap and Desert Sundance body facial.

Insider tip: Carefree is 1,000 feet higher than Phoenix. The climate is slightly cooler, and the setting far more rural. Resort staff report sighting quail along the road and say they often hear coyotes and have seen javalina, or wild pigs, on the grounds. The holes in the saguaro may be nests of cactus wrens, and a 165-year-old saguaro stands near the hotel entrance.