Canyon Ranch is losing its long held top position as a spa which has value, service and excellent ambiance. I have been a repeat guest at the ranch for twenty years or more and have found it to be an excellent place to relax and refresh oneself while enjoying healthy food and interesting classes. My last experience there, however, was very disappointing, and in reflecting upon my last few stays there I realize I have been disappointed in the quality of classes, food, and attitude of the personnel at the ranch.
I think there are a lot of repeat guests like me who return to the ranch year after year without really noticing the shabby nature of the rooms, the disorganization of the front desk staff, nor the lack of interesting classes.
There have been definite cutbacks at the ranch and unfortunately this has happened without much consideration for the guests. My friend and I found the food to be unpalatable at many meals, and we both were extremely uncomfortable during our massages. My friend said he had never experienced a worse massage in his life. My massage felt as if someone were stroking my body without any knowledge of what to do.
During our check in process the staff claimed they had no record of my ten minute conversation requesting adjoining rooms and I had to ask for the manager to have this corrected. (BTW the ranch was only 50% full) At checkout they stated that my deposit taken almost a year prior to this stay could not be found which caused me a lot of stress. They later stated it was there and had been misfiled.
At no point did a staff member apologize for the inconvenience caused to us or attempt to represent Canyon Ranch in following through.
At our final check out a manager came and spoke with us and was extremely courteous and professional, handling the issue with grace and respect for us. We both spoke later of how nice it would have been if everyone we encountered had been as professional.
The problem with Canyon Ranch in my humble opinion is they have no incentive for returning guests like a reduced room rate or providing a guest with a room in a location they preferred. Even a complimentary spa service would be nice. Airlines build loyalty by doing this very successfully. It would be good to give incentives to the staff to behave with more personal responsibility when dealing with the guests. I noticed many of the long term staff had left and a few of the really wonderful doctors in the medical department had moved on. In general the staff we encountered was disinterested in our wellbeing and rude or unresponsive in their communication with us.
In observing the other guests, we saw a population comprised mainly of women who were in their fifties or older. My prediction is that Canyon Ranch will slowly wane in popularity as it already has. Without being able to attract a younger clientele, the older clients will return to find fewer and fewer services, classes and rooms that are not acceptable. Miraval will continue to be the first choice of spa goers as it provides all the things that the Ranch does not. We visited there for dinner and a tour and sadly agreed that our next spa trip would be to Miraval as the rates are far lower and the service, accommodations and staff far nicer.

The people and energy of Canyon Ranch were the most spectacular things about my four day stay. Employees go out of their way to be courteous and helpful, and what the restaurant staff may not have in experience or food knowledge, I believe they make up for in attentiveness.

My room was very clean with a nice flat screen television, DVD player and iPod dock. The bed was really comfortable. During the night the noisy heater would come on every few minutes and wake me. Finally I just bundled up at night and turned the heater off. The bathtub stopper didn't release allowing the water to drain. And there were mildly annoying inset florescent lights in the ceiling but they were on a dimmer which allowed me to minimize the harsh lighting. The small private safe was a nice touch. Of course they had wireless Internet available in the rooms.

The gym is well equipped, and there are all sorts of classes you can take that are included in the quoted price such as stretching, yoga, meditation and spin. Basic hikes and bike rides are included too. You can pay extra to have private lessons in golf, tennis, biking, etc. The spa is great. They have lots of body treatment/massage options. I had a Nature Ritual. It was a bit pricey but it was glorious. The saunas and pools are included in the package price. They also have a entire metaphysical menu of services like astrology and clairvoyant readings.

They offer a nice, complimentary do-it-yourself laundry room stocked with all the detergents, dryer sheets, etc that you will need. Great for those sticky workout clothes at the end of the day.

Canyon Ranch food focuses on low fat, healthy fare as you can imagine. It is fresh but usually lacks much flavor. Thankfully there is salsa and other spice condiments that you can request on the side. The portions are small, and at first it looks rather odd on the large dinner plates but I noticed after I returned home that I didn't feel like filling my plate as much as I used to. That's a good thing.

My biggest surprise/criticism came when my girlfriends and I ordered room service one night so we could watch the Golden Globe awards on television. The adorable waiter arrived at my door with his arms laden with covered plates galore. Where's the table on wheels for us to eat on, I asked? We don't have anything like that, he answered. I was shocked. Canyon Ranch consistently ranks very high in resort listings but this is a glaring omission they need to correct. We finally pieced together foot stools from the other rooms to create a very funky table arrangement.

The intention in creating Canyon Ranch according to the plaque at The Gathering fountain was to bring healthy living in physical and spiritual form together. They have certainly accomplished this. The sculpture throughout the grounds are thoughtful, and I found the handmade Native American simple arts and crafts that were carefully laid on tree branches and by the streams especially endearing.

Canyon Ranch is an expensive place to relax but I enjoyed it for the most part.

Canyon Ranch refuses to live on its reputation. Cenyon Ranch continues to provide excellent food and service with a total emphasis on heathy life styles.

The rooms weren't my favorite but then again you are never in your room except to pass out after a fun filled day of activities. My last day I hiked on the trail around the resort and it was a perfect ending to a perfect week.