The awards were voted on by more than 185,000 readers, according to the magazine, who cast 700,000 votes for hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines and more.
"The first-place Arizona resort was also the state’s original wellness retreat, founded in the late 19th century and later visited by the likes of the Rockefellers and Roosevelts," reads the text accompanying the award. "Castle Hot Springs, which moved up from No. 2 last year, offers 30 standalone cabins and cottages on 1,100 acres an hour north of Phoenix — a location chosen back in the 1890s for its natural hot springs high in magnesium and lithium, which now feed the resort’s three geothermal pools."
In addition to the hot springs, the resort offers a wide range of amenities and complimentary activities, including tours, lawn games, guided hikes, sound meditation and more.
“This is a magical oasis that we fell in love with the minute we arrived,” Travel + Leisure reader commented. “The history, the staff, the unbelievable farm, the food, the wine pairings … and of course, those hot springs!”
In the World's Best awards, hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the following criteria : rooms/facilities, location, service, food and value. For each aspect, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
The top 10 resorts in Arizona with their scores are:
- 1. Castle Hot Springs, Morristown, 95.71
- 2. Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, a Gurney’s Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, 93.64
- 3. The Hermosa Inn, Paradise Valley, 92.47
- 4. L'Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, 92.45
- 5. Enchantment Resort, Sedona, 92.00
- 6. The Canyon Suites at the Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale, 91.33
- 7. Royal Palms Resort and Spa, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Phoenix, 91.11
- 8. Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale, Scottsdale, 90.34
- 9. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, Scottsdale, 90.11
- 10. Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel, Sedona, 89.89
