Visit the Grand Canyon without the Crowds

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed)
Jul 17th 2009 at 3:02PM

It's that time of year when the National Parks beckon, and the mother lode of those parks is definitely the Grand Canyon. But if the idea of battling crowds in ill-fitting shorts, wielding dripping ice cream cones makes you a little queasy, the InterContinental Montelucia in Scottsdale has a better plan in mind.

The Grand Canyon Spectacular Package starts aboard a private jet, for the couple-of-hundred mile journey to the park. Then you board a helicopter below the rim, for champagne and h'ors d'oeuvres on the Colorado River.

Okay, that wasn't exactly a workout, but the package includes a full day of spa treatments with as many treatments as you can squeeze in. Joya Spa wasn't just an afterthought at Montelucia, it's a destination in its own right -- it would be a stretch to say it's the Grand Canyon of spas, but it's really big: 31,000 square feet, and all done in Moorish theme, as is the rest of the property.

As part of this package, your unlimited treatments are executed in the spa's biggest private suite, the Grand Palace, which has its own wrap-around deck and a view of Camelback Mountain. The package also includes four nights in the hotel's signature suite, car service to the airport, dinner at the resort's well-regarded restaurant Spanish restaurant Prado, with wine pairings. Cost: $9,995 (double occupancy) excluding tax and service charge.

Tags: grand canyon, GrandCanyon, hotel, hotels, packages, scottsdale, spa