Michelin Guide’s inaugural list of world’s 5 best wellness hotels includes 1 in Arizona

PHOENIX – Arizona residents don’t even have to book a flight to experience one of the world’s finest wellness hotels, according to the Michelin Guide’s travel experts.

Tucson’s Canyon Ranch was just named one of five finalists for the inaugural Michelin Wellness Award.

The award is a new addition to the guide’s fledgling key program. Keys are the hotel equivalent of Michelin’s famed restaurant stars.

Canyon Ranch already has earned plaudits from Michelin, garnering a top possible rating when the key program debuted in 2024.

The Wellness Award and next round of key winners will be revealed Oct. 8. The Arizona resort and spa is up against three destinations in Europe and one in the Maldives.

“To be recognized by Michelin as one of the top five wellness destinations worldwide — and the only one in the Americas — is a testament to the transformative power of the Canyon Ranch experience,” Mark Rivers, the Tucson hotel’s CEO, said in a press release Wednesday.

What makes Canyon Ranch special?

Canyon Ranch, which opened 1979, is celebrated as a pioneer in the area of wellness resorts. The Sonoran desert compound offers guests over 1,500 services derived from ancient wisdom and modern technology.

“It is still a trailblazer of the scene, launching intensive new programs and utilizing a staggering number of scientific and alternative approaches,” the Michelin Guide said in Tuesday’s Wellness Award announcement.

Here are the other hotels up for the inaugural Michelin Wellness Award:

• Joali Being on Raa Atoll in the Maldives.
• Lily of The Valley in La Croix-Valmer, France.
• The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in Grindavík, Iceland.
• Bürgenstock Resort in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.

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