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| - Last year, my husband and I brought some friends to the Royal Palms Mix Up bar for drinks and appetizers. The property was so beautiful- flowers and archways and cozy outdoor fire places everywhere- and our experience at the bar was so great, we decided to keep it on our list for future staycation. Yesterday, I brought my mom to the spa for a mother-daughter day. We left in silence- not a good sign after a day at the spa.
To preface- I love spas. I like going early and try to make a whole day of it (yoga, steam rooms, lounging at the pool, etc). So I was really excited to try a new place out.
First, I was shocked at how small the spa was. My bedroom is about the size of the locker room. You could not have more than two people change in there. We walked in at the same time as three other women, and we had to awkwardly wait for one another to get dressed. So my mom and I put on our heavy spa robes, looked around, and realized there was really nothing we could do to "spa" besides the steam room. There are no fitness classes, the jacuzzi is outdoors (not happening in 115 degree weather), the women's only relaxation area is also outdoors, there is no sauna, cold plunge, nothing. So we put our robes back and went out to the hotel pool, where we hung out for two hours until our appointments.
The waiters at the pool were the best part of the day. They were amazing. They were incredibly attentive and sweet. We ordered drinks ($15/each) and split a sandwich (~$13). The pool is very pretty but it was small (we were VERY close to the other guests in the pool) and dirty. The water almost seemed filmy and there were lots of little leaves and bugs in it. While at the pool, I overheard two people talking about their underwhelming spa appointments, so I quickly lowered my expectations.
My massage was "fine"- my mom said her facial felt like a little massage on her face. There was nothing special to set it apart from any other massage or facial.
Overall, it was just ok. The grounds are beautiful. I would go back for drinks and dinner, for sure. I think you could enjoy the massage more with nicer weather since several of the amenities were outdoors... but given the choice of resorts and spas we have here in Arizona, I have removed the Royal Palms from my staycation bucket list.
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