The Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain
Phoenix, Arizona

In the long, low light of a desert evening, a greenish palo verde tree throws its leafless summer shadow onto the low rectangle of a gold wall. Next door, the shadow of a skinny-armed ocotillo adorns a curved copper-colored fence. Imagine the scene in the spring when the palo verde blooms gobs of bright yellow and the ocotillo sports tiny, shiny green leaves.

This bit of artistry is, I doubt, accidental. After all, would people who go to the trouble to have gorgeous, curvaceous drain spouts be slap-dash with their desert plantings? I’m at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain finding out if a refuge can actually exist this close to the explosion that is downtown Phoenix. Sanctuary melds the old John Gardiner Tennis Ranch with a new spa and new spa casitas. Hugging Camelback, it climbs towards the praying monk, a rock formation, and faces expansive views of the McDowell mountains.

Sanctuary’s design is simple and simply elegant. Here a meticulous regard for detail combines a harmony in design and execution with the spirit of this location—its history and its environment. The casitas’ squared, low lines and cast concrete walls are reminiscent of Indian pueblos. Their colors—terracotta, gold, sage and putty—reflect the desert’s own colors and a deep azure apes the evening sky.

The influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, the area’s defining architect—nearby Taliesin West was once his winter home and is now a school of architecture—is clearly seen in the rugged stone work and low horizontal cantilevers of the older buildings. The new casitas pay tribute in many details. For example, cast concrete is a Wright innovation; as is creating an uninterrupted view by butting two glass walls together at a corner.

The casitas take their names from the elements: gold, emerald, silver, copper. I’m in Gold X across from Gold 0. We share a small tower entryway where Gold X’s highly-polished maple door leads to a Japanese bench where tatami slippers wait. The front hall curves to a view of a small garden inside the tower and a Zen-like wet bar. The cast concrete floors, hearth and wet bar had stain incorporated into them while the concrete was still wet giving them warm, mottled tones.

Several steps down, the living room ends in a glass wall that looks out to the view or can be veiled with lustrous sheers. The hearth of the fireplace—able to be fired-up with a single switch—extends through the glass to form a porch seat in a most Frank-Lloyd-Wright fashion. A wall of blond maple contains the many techno accoutrements of our age and two high-backed ebony chairs strapped with bleached rawhide frame an ebony table. The center is given over to a lush rug, a big cushy arm chair, and for the one-two punch, a 50’s style bright azure blue couch flaunts a magenta-colored throw.

Sleeping, dressing, and bathing chambers are off to the left. The platform bed, piled high with down and fine linens, has a headboard of woven black leather. Dramatic, six-foot-tall lamps with wicker shades are backed by a silk grass cloth wall of pale gray-green, just a shade different than the pale green carpet, and the chenille-covered reading chair. Still another shade of sage shows up in the gauzy wrinkle- striped sheers. In each instance, the color changes in value and in texture to create a gentle, alluring quality. A silk obi (the sash of a traditional Japanese dress) decorates the bed. It’s so gorgeous I yearn to wear it to dinner.

While preparing my toilette, mirrors and travertine marble, luxe towels and fine bathrobes surround me. Erno Laszlo makes toiletries exclusively for the Sanctuary. They’re called “neroli citrus.” Neroli oil is distilled from orange flowers and the toiletries exude its essence. Long, luxurious baths are the province of the casita’s high-wall-enclosed back patio. Here, a large tub sits in the open for cool baths on sunny days or warm soaks under starry skies.

Outside, a pathway of smooth black river rock and volcanic glass winds past yellow desert daisies and penstemons of orange and purple sitting at the feet of palo verde, ocotillo and paddle cactus. It passes a pool flowing off to infinity and arrives at the Sanctuary’s inner sanctum, her spa.

A cool cavern of a room shelters the spa’s reception from the glare and heat of the desert. A tall, narrow window frames Camelback’s praying monk and his reflection on the water garden in the spa’s central courtyard.

Engulfed in thick terry, sheer curtains stirring in the desert breeze, I slow down and prepare to be polished. I have to admit, at first, polishing sounds a bit too, well, automotive, but I reconsider when I remember the ridiculous (to me) care with which my neighbor polishes his Porsche.

Annette Greiman, my therapist, greets me and leads me to the Vichy shower room. Once comfortable on a waterproof table, Annette slathers me with a goo of fresh coconut blended with sandalwood, jasmine, vetivert (the essential oil of vetiver, of course, an aromatic grass from India) clove and bamboo sand known as the Sumatra Coconut Polish. I have chosen this polish, developed especially for the spa, because it is, they say, ideal for sensitive skin. Next comes the polishing part, a brisk rub with coconut goo, smelling splendidly like a tropical smoothie. Then, my favorite part, seven tickly-gentle sprays of warm water nuzzle me tip-to-toe spotless.

Annette leads me to a courtyard room where glass doors are partially obscured by deep-burgundy crushed-velvet curtains. The desultory strings of spa-pop accompany Annette as she anoints me with a sweet-citric potion and administers a masterful massage. It’s a virtual relaxing three-day-weekend condensed into ninety minutes.

I re-engulf myself in terry cloth, reject the steam room and jacuzzi as too active and go lounge in the garden. Sipping cool lemon water, I stare into the reflecting pool and watch the water elicit sparkles from the muted-gray stones. A water run flows down the center of the garden and forms a small falls which whispers me into a deep meditative state. It is just such details that create this Sanctuary—near, yet light years away, from downtown Phoenix.

By Kate Crawford         July  2002

LINKS WITH ATTITUDE

Here is the Sanctuary on Camelback website. 

Scottsdale Art Galleries are varied and fun to visit, see if they are holding a special event on their web site.