A few years ago when I was covering the travel industry, one of the interesting topics for me was comparing the luxury of a cruise ship to that of a cruise ship in competition with land-based resorts.
I don’t doubt that the size and sophistication of a cruise ship is phenomenal, but I felt that the entirety of it also is laden with an illusion of everything.
Conceptually, land-based resorts offer more intimate, rustic surroundings, superior amenities, and the conveniences that go with an area of great importance to many travelers. Off-the-beaten path can be represented more successfully than on-the-beaten path.
Somewhere between the two, I now enjoy some of the wonderful community life that can be found at another “high end” location: the North Face Arizona Resort & Club at 8,000 feet above sea level and amid gushing waterfalls.
Visitors are awakened each morning by an osprey swooping down from the mountains at the North Face Arizona Resort & Club, stopping its amazing bird-like flight just a few feet from your bed.
In gondolas the various price-bracket overnight travelers can be awoken by that same spectacular sight. As an overnight guest, I can attest to the compelling outdoor lifestyle a combined floaty and snorkel experience can offer.
An evening that includes a front-row seat for a full moon – shared in real time with anyone in the blissful quiet sanctuary of the gondola – offered an intriguing peek into an exotic world from behind the stark chalet façade.
Listening to the ethereal soundtrack of the night past, readying your vessel for a breakfast buffet and snorkeling – even though it rains – at every stop, making your way up the steep stairs to a lofty sunlit peak atop one of the world’s tallest hotels is heavenly.
Nestled in the dramatic Red Mountain range, the resort is near Phoenix and offers a comfortable home base for Western travel. When time permits, you can snag a grand tour with a guide or stay the night at the resort’s award-winning design-driven Presidential Villa.
The Grand Canyon Resort & Spa ranks as one of North America’s best among top premier resorts. Royal Caribbean International’s luxury brands are its flag companies and the company’s efforts are reflected in the extraordinary resort experience at the North Face Arizona Resort & Club.
Royal Caribbean International, with its flagship, mPower Seven, has placed its flag at this Northern Arizona Resort & Club. The Pavilion area, with luxurious Royal II and Grandeur suites, will have a grand opening at the end of December.
From a 70-room partnership between Royal Caribbean and the National Geographic Society to a new luxury hot air balloon experience, one cannot say enough about the exceedingly well-executed and completely exceptional resort experience.
The luxury experience exceeds all expectations at the North Face Arizona Resort & Club.