Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa Reviews

Great service, and the staff was very helpful. The casita we stayed in was very nice too.

Absolutely incredible place. High levels of service. Large luxurious rings. Plenty of pools and activities, plus full spa facilities (I had an excellent deep tissue massage). Lots of local wildlife around including bunnies and birds

The spa was beautiful, serene, relaxing, etc., etc. The staff was extremely attentive, responsive, and very friendly. The faculties were impeccable. The masseuse was especially attentive to my ticklish spine, making my massage enjoyable, rather than an ordeal, like I'm used to. The facial was amazing! She used the most wonderful products. My experience at the Boulders Spa was wonderful.

I will start by saying the service staff was excellent, as was the breakfast food at the restaurant. Our room had a horrible musty, old smell. The room was sorely outdated and nowhere near worth the money they charged per night. The jacuzzi at the pool was broken, we had to call service to get hot water in our sinks in the bathroom, and there was no couch in the room to relax and watch TV. I wouldn't go back again; too many other lovely places to stay in Scottsdale.

GREAT experience. Classic desert and incredible golf with stunning views.

Love this place. Great location and nice amenities. Highly recommended.

Not as nice as it used to be. The employees are great and really take care of you but the facility itself is getting run down so it no longer seems worth the price you pay. The landscape is beautiful and the golf courses look amazing so I supposed the price is all location location location. 3.5 stars until they get some renovations in the casitas.

Place was beautiful and every single employee there super nice....

3 stars because in the first night there was a huge rat in our room. The staff there was on top of it and exchanged our rooms. But it was 2am and I didn't expect it from a nice hotel, a bit of inconvenience.

There was a guard on duty that was very unprofessional. He was extremely rude, impatient, unable to communicate without being hostile as well as refusing to wear a mask. During this pandemic he should be wearing a mask especially when speaking with people. If you come within so close to a person and spread it if he is A-symptomatic. That is very much not okay!!

The Spa is fantastic. Loved the Yoga with live music.

The resort was nice, 4 star, but so spread out that you either had to dress for a hike or call the golf cart guys to get anywhere.

The spa is showing its age. 3 star at best. They need a designer to get in there and rip the place apart then bring it up to date.
2 massages - 1 finished early, the other talked at me for 15 minutes before she started.

The services and amenities provided were top notch! We had some issues with the villa that were not repaired during our stay until the last day. Our washer functioned properly but the heating element in the dryer did not. Took 4 or 5 cycles to dry a single load. This was not treated as a priority and was not fixed until the last day of our 8 day trip. Other than the issue with the delayed repairs, everything else was phenomenal. The spa is incredible and the golf courses are pristine!

Beautiful place and so much to do. Would be 5 star but it is a bit expensive.

Absolutely beautiful. Loved the room, the wildlife, and the breakfast was amazing!

Amazing experience. Came for my honeymoon back in December and the staff was amazing. Originally was supposed to do one night only but ended up staying an extra night. Beautiful surroundings

Played on Thursday Afternoon on the South. Left my range finder in the 17th fairway just before the waste area (about 140 yds in) Went back to retrieve after noticing it missing on 18th fairway. Finder was gone. The next group behind us was 3 holes behind. Maintenance personal must have grabbed it. Left info in pro-shop. No phone call. Unacceptable.

What a beautiful, and peaceful property. I'm glad we were here on a slow week, it was so quiet and natural. Super courteous, friendly, and attentive staff. Well done Hilton

Awesome and relaxing
Attentive staff. Great getaway. King suite is very comfortable. Will be back for sure.

Bad experience with a massage i ended up waiting over an hour after it was scheduled and when i alerted management i was not reimbursed or given a credit for another massage. With how much i paid for this massage to have it and the service be so mediocre is unacceptable. Im very disappointed.

very quiet and relaxing, a true arizona ambiance, located in the heart of the desert.

This is a lovey place. The Crew took great care of us. The Accommodations and the Golf were terrific.

Gorgeous property, incredible views, friendly & helpful staff. Dusty set the bar in hospitality, very high. Large property with parking away from the villas, but 24 hour shuttle service. This place is overall better than the Biltmore and is just a smidge better than Tapitio Cliffs. Keep it up!

Staying and golfing at the Boulders is an incredible experience! The attention to detail is next level, and the scenery is beautiful and tranquil. Highly recommended for a weekend getaway!

Beautiful but soul-less. Great for corporate golf events or large weddings. Poor for an independent traveler.

Rooms are amazing. Wildlife is unreal say a herd of javelin and a bobcat. Awesome place.

I have played The Boulders once or twice a year for several years. It has gone downhill the last few years, but this year it went over the cliff. I don t know where to start. Tee markers haven t been moved for days, so it s just dirt on the Par 3 Tees. Fairways look like sheep grazing terrain. Green collars are being overtaken by quack grass. Greens are bumpy and slow. They are like walking on a moss bed. You leave a footprint with every step. I can t imagine that they have been aerated or top dressed in the last few years. It s like playing a poorly maintained $15 Muni. At one time this was a First Class Resort. The owners and management should be embarrassed with the product that currently exists. No one should pay over $25 to play this place. There are much better options.

Played front 9 on North and South courses. Great shape and beautiful greens to go with the beautiful scenery.

2nd time here and have really enjoyed both stays. Great facility!!

The Boulders was phenomenal! I can't recommend it more. Climbing up the Boulder trail and seeing the Arizona mountains was breathtaking. I loved walking the grounds and seeing little squirrels and rabbits running around in the peaceful dessert. And the service... TOP NOTCH.

Very nice place, but they lost my reservation (I scheduled one and a half months in advance.) even after calling a week before to ensure it was reserved. They did comp me lunch, but I ended up saying 3 hours longer for my spa service.

An extremely prestigious golf and spa resort, the swanky decor is left up to Mother Nature at the Boulders, as it's impossible to complete with stunningly surreal 12-million-year-old rock formations, spanning 1,300 acres of the Sonoran Desert, ultimate natural rejuvenation is promised at their massive spa compound, and their two golf courses which are world class. There's also an iiber private gated villa Retreat for celebs seeking anonymity. PR rep Deborah Bridge says, "Our clientele is among the wealthiest in the world, but we're not allowed to talk about who our VIP guests are until they're dead". That says it all.

The property is in a beautiful setting but seemed to be dated and little things here and there that were in need of repair like broken lenses on pathway lighting etc.. Was not a fan that the mini fridge in the Casita was fully loaded with over priced drinks and candy with no room left for us to put our own bottled water. The staff was very nice but for the price we paid, I would expect better accommodations. We prepaid for the room a month in advance of our trip to get a better rate and when we got home we discovered we had been billed again for our entire stay. When I called to have it corrected I was told it would take 3 weeks for the credit to show on our credit card. It only took a few key strokes to double charge us but it takes 3 weeks to credit it back???? We will not be staying at The Boulders again.

Used to be 5 star, now no one cares (or there's no adult supervision here). This used to be a girls weekend luxury vacation. My BFF and I would come for 3-4 days every year (been multiple times) and it was amazing. The casitas were awesome, quiet and cute. The spa was fantastic. The service was impeccable. That was then. This is now.

Keep in mind that we also like to be left alone to our own bumbling ways so we tend to not raise a ruckus. So keep that in mind here. First, we did ask to be moved from our first room when it was clear (at 5:30pm on a Friday) that fratboy central was next door. There was literally hooting and hollering. Perhaps our first sign that it's gone downhill. So we were moved graciously and quickly. We were very appreciative. Until there was a dead rat about 3 feet from our new front door. HM, a sign to come? We just asked that it be moved and forgot about it.

And then...the room. Large dead cockroach in the bathroom (feet up) surrounded by lots of other bugs? Check! A few other dead bugs around on the general floor? Check! Did I kill 3 spiders in the room that night? Check! Were the shutters broken so they didn't close entirely? YUP! Did I almost step on a clear plastic shard from the shower door in the bathroom? YES. It was less than an inch from my foot when I saw something glinting. I could have cut myself really badly. Do you want your shower to drain? Then this is NOT the place for you. Do you want your sink to work? Also not the place for you. Yes, we get we are in the desert and things happen, but the maintenance is simply not there. It's like professionals forgot to teach this team how to take care of business.

The spa/pool. This is our fav. It's really nice and quiet (sensing a theme here? Yup). First, they aren't cleaning the cement around the pool, it was covered in food from the prior day (both days we were at the pool). The only good thing about it was that it gave us something to throw to the birds. Would you like to step on screws? Yes? I almost stepped on two. They are coming from either the chairs or the umbrellas, but seriously. Both days! The poor girl manning the pool menu/food situation was all alone on day one with about 30-40 people. Yet the second day with 8 people? She had a helper. Does no one know how to staff? Also, on the second day, we never received a bill. Yet we were charged. Sorry, what policy is it to charge someone without an approval or signature? In the end the bill from the pool was correct, but that's ridiculous. Then there's the rest of the pool staff. The pool closes at 6 on Sundays. There was not a private event. At a bit before 5, three younger adults (?) start coming in and literally screeching to move all the chairs and everything around. They even got right up to us within 6 inches to settle out the other chairs. Relaxing? NO. Rude? YES. It's the end of a weekend, we want to enjoy the last of the pool, not feel shoved out and literally pushed out of the area. It was ridiculous.

Our floors in our room weren't cleaned the entire time we were there. Seriously. Even after we told them the floor was dirty.

One last note - it now seems that there's a rather LEGIT sewage smell at various locations around the place. You can't get to the spa/pool without going through at least one heavy nasty smelling area. It's bad. I mean, cover your mouth bad.

None of this is premium on ANY level. I have pictures, btw. The screws, the bugs, the shards, all of it. It's really, really a bummer. We LOVED this place and we've been to them all in the area. It truly feels like a disjointed experience with no one looking out for what it is supposed to be.

Just for fun, after fantastic round of golf amongst the borders are just before dinner, the spa and pools are awesome.

Great service. Everything was perfect and our room incredible with a beautiful view and nice fireplace.

Beautiful surroundings, peaceful, quite, awesome views, room was clean and comfortable! Can't wait to spend more time there! Thanks to our friends for introducing this place to us!!

Great place to relax. Good food. Good drink. Hang out at the pool and have everything brought to you.

One of the most beautiful settings for a hotel I've ever seen. Excellent service, especially from the bellmen. The resort is very spread out, and going to the parking lot or lobby usually requires a golf cart ride - which is not especially convientant (but I suppose its part if the charm!).

The location is outstanding! The casitas are great. They load you and your luggage on a golf cart and drive you to your casita. The rooms are spacious and well taken care of. The only part that needed attention was the deck. It is outside, so understandably it will be a little dirty, but I had to put a towel on the chair to sit on it. The staff is happy and helpful. All together it's a great place to stay, unlike any other around!

When we arrived there was a little confusion regarding our reservations. Lisa was very quick to evaluate the situation and went above and beyond to ensure that our Mothers Day activities continued. She worked within the schedule and the available options that they had and we could not have left happier. We had a very enjoyable day , that at the beginning could have ended up very disappointing. Honestly she could not have done a better job to ensure we enjoyed our visit. Her heartfelt dedication to the Boulders guests was displayed to the utmost. The Resort should be very proud to have such an employee and the staff genuinely wanted to be the best they could be. They where a team from the moment we arrived to pull it all together. Totally impressed!
Vicki Luster & Shanna Kauffman

Place is too big to walk around. Room is nice. Landscape is beautiful

Beautiful property and golf course. Unfortunately, the spa facility wasn't open because the owners don't want to open it. Staff service was not 100%. Front desk giving outdated info. Spotted Donkey and The Grill both messed up our to-go orders. Waited long time for shuttle pick up. Overheard one employee say he just forgot. Biggest issue is with the pool at the clubhouse. Local members feel they own that pool in the mornings. It may be awhile before we go back to The Boulders.

I simply went off reviews and didn't do my homework. So I own it. But here is a review, as of January 2020, as I wait in the Airport to go home. Truthfully, the property left a lot to be desired in terms of facility condition, dining options/quality, Upon checking in, at 12 AM, the security guard spent a good 5-10 minutes laughing at how to pronounce my last name. Read the faces in the car, we just want to get to our room. Bellman greeted us, and told us where to park temporarily to go get our room keys. The check-in agent was very friendly and welcoming, thanked me for my Diamond Status to Hilton. Gave me the run down of the property. Then advised to proceed back to the bellman who showed us to where to park our vehicle, and then we loaded our bags onto the golf cart. I call this out- as this seemed inconsistent across the property- when we got to our room, we did the luggage ourselves up a flight of stairs to our room. Not a big deal, but not 4-5 stars. Other's have said the Queen didn't feel like a queen, we didn't experience this. The rooms are modest, but dated. Log fire (not gas like the Four Season's). Shower's are nice, but the grout is cracking. We didn't experience the tub drain issue others have commented on. Our room had some hip lighting, but the glass was incredibly dusty. Cob webs in the rafters. The hotel does provide very nice robs and we enjoyed sitting on our balcony each morning, evening. Then, we got guests below us. With windows closed, we could hear everything they were saying and doing on their patio. Likewise, as others have complained, I imagine they heard us "stomping" (simply walking). The property is STUNNING, and beautifully situated- its too bad other aspects are so lackluster and showing its age. Jesse at the SPA was great, each day we visited to steam away the day; and he got to remember our name and greet us with it. The SPA itself, while smaller than the Four Seasons, is in desperate need of an overhaul. Black mold and peeling paint above the steam room door. Major cracks in the walls by the Steam room and a sloppy attempt to patch some with the wrong paint color. As others have mentioned, you do need to prepare to walk everywhere, or have a golf cart shuttle come get you. We didn't find it too much of an issue as the weather was great, but I could see how in the rain, or extreme heat, it could get old waiting. As others have called out, the complimentary continental breakfast is weird- you have a menu of limited items at the restaurant, then the regular menu. You cannot get credit for not having the continental, and pay full price for the menu items. The continental menu was a bit limited to your choice of 1: muffin, toast, bagel, english muffin, granola, frosted flakes, or cheerios. Your choice of 1: fruit, yogurt Your choice of 1: juice Your choice of 1: hot drink (tea or coffee). Overall Palo Verde's food was okay- to be expected resort pricing, but was just average. Spotted Donkey was delicious. And the pool side burger was good. In all, okay. Likely wouldn't return unless I scored some screaming deal. The difference we found in condition of the facilities is significant between Four Season's and this- the property is showing its age, and helps explain in part why Waldorf Astoria is no longer in the naming.

The resort was very peaceful and accommodating. The shuttle and cart service to the various dining locations and other amenities was much appreciated considering the resort is pretty spread out through the lovely desert setting.

Beautiful property and nice employees, however because someone was injured last week by a pool umbrella they wouldn't let you put them up on this 110 degree day. There was barely a breeze and we paid a lot to be at the spa and didn't get to enjoy the pool long. It was more dangerous getting burned than a freak umbrella accident. Very disappointed in their ridiculous policy. Not sure I if I will be returning.

Great golf, tough course. Bring extra balls. Restaurant was good as well.

The staff was friendly and attentive. The resort is Beautiful, this will be a place we visit often in the future.

Friendly staff. Great service. Clean Rooms. Very Relaxing. We really enjoyed our long weekend getaway at the Boulders Resort. We arrived a little later than expected but were greeted by a very friendly and informative front desk employee. Then a driver quickly escorted us to the parking lot where we loaded everything up and were taken to our room. He even went back out to get ice for us. The pool was nice and refreshing and they did have pool service. 2 restaurants were open for dining in which we took advantage of. It was wonderful from day one! We ll be back for sure!

Recently booked at the Boulders . Most of the restaurants are closed , despite being a Diamond member our room was not ready , the grill at the golf club took 30 minutes to bring us the order I saw our waiter 2 in a two hour span , took 30 minutes for drink refills ! Awful service and experience!

We loved this area and the customer service. The spa is very relaxing and the boulders are a beauty that is well worth the stay. Enjoy!

Spectacular desert views. Our favorite weekend getaway

Room 277. A/C doesn't work well. Various room items don't work. Room has been empty since 9:30 and still hasn't been serviced. Service at the bars is pretty slow. For the $, I would never spend my own $ staying here. Seriously over priced...And I've stayed in castles in Scotland and some of the best hotels in Mexico and the PNW, including Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria.

Rooms are spacious. Views are beautiful! Service is great. You can text the front desk for anything you need, no need to call. It is a Hilton, so can use your Hilton status and earn Hilton Honors points. They have really good room rates in the summer. Multiple restaurants on property.

Spa is the place to send all your time
Food Mihwa yoga

I waited 30 minutes in the check-in line. Then, I waited another 30 minutes because my room was not ready at 6:15P. I wasn't the only guest. It made me late to an event for a wedding that was being hosted by the resort, so they knew about the timing.

Later, at Midnight, they had no transportation available back to the rooms (the rooms are too far to walk) for an hour. Another guest was stung by a scorpion and rather than escort us, give us directions, or give us one of the many available golf carts, we received indifference, insults, and threats from the resort staff. We wandered back without shoes, got lost (because there are hardly any signs at the resort), and spent about another 30 minutes trying to get back.

The next day, we waited over an hour for our lunch and had a staff member suggest that we can go collect our own towels in the room.

Upon complaint to management, they offered a half-hearted apology and then blamed me with no offer of any accommodation.

Plus, the golf course is just average.

I would avoid this "resort" at all costs.

A suggestive and very well organized location. High level of housing and services

It s beautiful and memorable. What a fantastic bunch of folks too. So accommodating and friendly. It s a big world with lots to see, but we hope to be back someday.

Only played golf at the resort, but it is a beautiful area and wonderfully maintained course. The culb staff were very friendly and helpful.

I am not prone to giving poor reviews, but this was a series of disasters that cannot go without public comment. To begin with, and the greatest error on the resort staff, was not lighting the walk-ways at night. By this, I mean not maintaining the lights that were present, but burned out. My wife stumbled down three concrete steps in the dark, spraining and bruising her ankle. When we reported this to the lobby staff, the response we got was that they would correct the lighting. Three days later, those lights were still dark. You would expect a manager or someone to check to make sure she was OK; not this staff.
The resort charges for things like high-speed wifi, but don't expect to receive any in the casitas. Sunday morning we wanted to connect with our church's Sunday School and sermon, but repeated attempts to have the staff resolve the issue resulted in us missing both things. We literally had no wifi until the morning of the last day, and any use required traveling to the lobby.
The toilet did not flush well, which required a reflush, which required a ten minute wait until the tank refilled. Interestingly, the bath tub wouldn't empty. An environment log for the fireplace that wouldn't burn. A spa that wasn't open, even though AZ allows that. A workout facility open for just a few hours in the morning. On and on...
Was the location spectacular? Yes, very pretty. But there are other places just as pretty, and I am guessing you get what you pay for, and you probably don't leave with an injury.

Nice rooms, beautiful scenery, terrible restaurants, decent spa. (Do NOT go to Palo Verde unless you want the worst meal of your life - I can t believe a staff member recommended it to us. )

For our family vacation, we booked a room here. What we didn't book was an accessible room, with one bed for 5 people. When we asked to speak to with a manager, we spoke to Wing Cheun who said there was nothing the hotel could do since it was booked by a third party (even after confirming all details prior to arrival).

I simply asked that we be refunded our money for the resort fee and something be given to us in writing to prove the resort had been given incorrect information from the third party booking service (hotel tonight).

The front desk receptionist understood and was trying to accommodate. However, we asked her manager to assist, she refused to give me anything in writing stating the facts. The receptionist had the information on hand (showed me a print out) yet were unwilling to provide the information to me in order to dispute any charges.

Ms Wing was rude, condescending, and generally unhelpful. When I requested to speak with the manager on duty, she reluctantly brought her to the front. The manager, Brittany resolved the issue in less than 90 seconds by emailing the booking specifics.

Outside of the staff being unable to handle the simplicity of a booking confirmation, the rooms are small and the beds are about the same size as a twin.

As someone who travels quite a bit, I've never written a negative review. This hotel earned the review. They (Ms Wing specifically) worked hard for it.

Arizona landmark with great shopping & outdoor activities abound!

Service is the best. Beautiful setting in desert. Lots of places to see while in Scottsdale/Carefree Az. One of our favorite places in Az.

I was having my Engagement photos done there. Gorgeous landscapes offered several photo opportunities.