11 Reasons The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain a Golf, Resort & Spa is the Perfect Getaway for Travel Lovers!
Disclosure: My family and I were invited as guests by The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain a golf resort and spa. As always, all opinions are my own.
Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Golf resort and spa is located in Tucson, Arizona, and is surrounded by the beautiful canyons of the Tortolita mountains. This stunning mountain view with its colorful and rich desert landscape takes your breath away from the moment you first walk into the lobby!
I want to share our amazing experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in this travel post as well as a full review about this breathtaking desert oasis of a resort!
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Why Stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Five-Star Luxury Resort? I could give you a million reasons why staying at this resort is a great choice. But one of the main reasons why you will love this resort is the top-notch SERVICE. I will share more details about their incredible service later in this post.
Of course, being a five-star luxury hotel, this level of service is not surprising. However, many other five-star hotels don’t provide a fraction of the service and attention to detail that you receive at this property.
Besides the incredible service, this hotel offers so many in-resort activities for the whole family. Many features come with this luxury resort such as a breathtaking spa, amazing restaurants, and dining experiences, kids club, hiking, biking, the incredible golf club at Dove and SO much more that I will cover in this post!
1- Golf Club
Before I start sharing our experience with the resort and the spa, I would like to share some information about this beautiful golf club at Dove and the stunning golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus! Many travelers exclusively like to stay at this resort for its beautiful golf courses.
Many golfers are drawn to the beauty of a desert course more than any other golf course. The club’s 27 holes of championship golf sprawl across three courses. These lush green courses are perfectly placed within the surrounding Tortolita mountain range.
Golf Cub and Golf Shop: As I mentioned, Jack Nicklaus (the legendary champion) designed this luxurious golf course and club at Dove Mountain. The stunning high Sonoran Desert and the changing elevation bring a mixture to each round of play. For a 6-year stretch (from 2009 to 2014) this club hosted the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship which is a match play tournament on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
As you may know, any Ritz-Carlton golf club around the world offers top-notch service and provides the highest quality experience to their golfers. The golf club at Dove is no exception! From the moment you walk in, the friendly staff welcome you to the club and provide the highest quality service!
Many golfers believe these courses have challenging layouts and will put your game to a good test! LOL! They believe these unique challenges help you improve your skills over time! The golf club at Dove with its beautiful views of the mountains, desert landscape, professional staff and incredible restaurant to dine (Cayton’s) makes it a perfect destination to golf and relax.
They also have a beautiful golf shop that offers everything you need for your Tucson golf experience. Here are the three stunning courses if you are planning to book and play at the stunning golf club at Dove. Three breathtaking Golf Courses: Saguaro, Tortolita, Wild Burro
Saguaro: The first golf course is Saguaro which is a huge course where the front nine Accenture Match Play Championship was held, and it also gives a great view of the nearby cactus forest. It’s equipped with a 36-par course that spans over 3,000 yards.
Tortolita: Tortolita is a golf course that spans through the base of the Tortolita Mountains while giving a great view of the canyons. This course gives the ultimate experience with a great view and stadium which is great for others to take a seat and watch the match. The Par-3 three-hole marks the highest elevation of the course.
Wild Burro: Wild Burro is a beautiful Par36 course that is also equipped with an incredible view of the Tortolita Mountains. An amazingly scenic part of the course is on the fifth green, where you can take in a panoramic view of the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Resort.
2- Elegant, Renovated, and Comfortable Rooms, Suites, and Casitas
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There are many different rooms to choose from when booking your stay at The Ritz-Carlton in Tucson, Arizona. Our room was absolutely beautiful and spacious! The mountain view from our room balcony was breathtaking! Every morning, I would wake up all excited to open up the curtains and walk out onto the balcony to enjoy my coffee with that stunning view!!!
Casitas: The renovated casitas, rooms, and suites all reflect the beautiful Arizona desert oasis. Every room has its own beauty and charm! There are three different types of rooms that you can book when staying in Casita to experience the high Sonoran Desert setting.
Casita Suites: The Casita Suite gives a beautiful view of the Wild Burro canyons which is one of the main reasons to book the suite. It comes equipped with a separate living room area and a sofa, giving you a great homey feeling when staying there.
Golf Casita Suite: The Golf Casita Suite is an upgraded version of the Casita Suites as it offers a dramatic panoramic view of the Wild Burro canyons and is over 2,000 square feet. It has a luxurious living area that has a fireplace to give you the ultimate living space.
Two Bedroom Casita Suite: This suite is an extra-large suite for those who are looking for extra space and separate living quarters. It comes equipped with two bedrooms and two separate patio balcony areas as well. It also gives a beautiful view of the Wild Burro canyon.
Suites: Suites at this lovely resort are simply breathtaking and truly make you feel like you would want this to be your home!! They are spacious and are in view of the amazing scenery surrounding the high Sonoran Desert. There are six different suite types to choose from.
Canyon Suite: The Canyon Suite is about 1400 square feet and is in perfect view for seeing the canyon right out the window. It’s an extra-large suite with a king bed and it has separated living spaces and a kitchen, making for the perfect simple room at this luxury hotel.
Superior View Executive Suite: This room is about 900 square feet, making it a bit smaller than the previous but it still comes with all the amazing features of a five-star luxury hotel executive suite. It has a great view of the Wild Burro canyon, and it has one bedroom with a king bed. It also has a separate living space with a luxurious sofa to give you the perfect at-home feel.
The Ritz-Carlton Suite: The Ritz-Carlton Suite is over 2000 square feet, making it quite large in comparison. It has an amazing view of the Tortolita Mountains, and it gives the ultimate luxury feel when you walk in. These rooms come equipped with an oversized bedroom and a comfortable luxury living space, plus a dual-sided fireplace and dining room.
Premier Suite: The Premier Suite offers a panoramic view of the mountains, a dining room fit for 6, and is an extra-large suite with a comfortable king-sized bed and a separate living area.
Executive Suite: This executive suite has an amazing view of the Tortolita Mountains and features one bedroom with a king bed. It also has a separate living area big enough to fit your family in.
Two Bedroom Executive Suite: This suite is similar to the previous one but features two bedrooms, all while still being in view of the beautiful mountains.
Rooms: These rooms are good size (450 SQF) but smaller as they don’t come with any living spaces. However, they still have amazing views, beautiful decorations, and the ultimate comfort.
Ridge View Room: This room is about 450 square feet and comes in choices of one king or two queen beds. It has a balcony where you can see the mountain ridge and features a luxury marble bathroom.
Resort View or Mountain View Room: This room is also 450 square feet and can come with one king or two queen beds depending on your preference. It has an amazing view of the mountains that can be seen right from its balcony.
Canyon View Room: This room has a front-row seat to view the canyon right from its balcony. It is equipped with a beautiful marble bathroom and can be chosen with one king or two queen beds.
Fireside Mountain View: This room is still 450 square feet, but it has a whole patio equipped with a fireplace to view the beautiful canyon. You can also see the mountains and desert from the patio, so this room is perfect for those looking for a view right outside their door.
3- Adults Pool, Kids Pool & Waterslides
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Regardless of if you are staying at this beautiful resort to golf or just having some family time, you CAN NOT miss the pools and the waterslide!
You can enjoy the most beautiful mountain views while swimming in this negative-edge pool! The view from the adult pool is simply breathtaking!
I really liked how they separated the adult pool from the kid’s pool and waterslides area! If you are traveling as a couple and do not like any interruptions, this is a great pool for you to chill and relax!
Also, if you are a parent with young children, you can sit, relax and watch your kids play in the kid’s pool as they have a beautiful “shallow babies and toddler’s pool”.
Our little Alina and Valentina refused to leave the pool! LOL! We had to bribe them with some ice cream to finally get them out (hahaha)!!!!
4- Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Spa | A Holistic Spa
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Another beautiful feature at this lovely resort is their breathtaking SPA!!! The calm and soothing music, the decorations, and the welcoming staff make you not want to leave this peaceful environment.
The spa manager (Susan) was so sweet, loving, and extremely knowledgeable about this spa! She welcomed me and gave me a tour of this beautiful spa!
This spa gives a holistic feel to a regular spa. Their main practices are using things such as Indigenous Tucson gemstones, basalt stones, and desert flora extracts.
All of these are used for the ultimate spa experience to help ease soreness, moisturize skin, help with muscle relaxation, and more.
The spa also has a sauna, serenity pool, and steam room. If you book at this spa, make sure you spend enough time at the pool and enjoy the mountain views!
5- Incredible Resort Service
When it comes to booking a stay at any resort it’s always best to choose a resort with great service. When searching The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain reviews, you can find that many people were blown away by the service, and so were we!
The attention to detail at this resort makes you feel so special! The staff members truly spoiled Matt and I, as well as our two little girls-Valentina and Alina. They would do daily cute little surprises in our room. For example, as a welcome surprise, we received the most delicious cookies with my blog’s name printed on each cookie! It was such a thoughtful welcome treat that I will never forget!
Also, every day the room hospitality associate (Margarita), left cute little stuffed animals, books, and kids’ bathrobes on Valentina and Alina’s bed. It was such a sweet little surprise for our girls and it made them feel so special.
They left us our daily favorite chocolates and so much more! Many staff members at the resort called us by our last name and remembered our little girls’ names! Staff members at this property are genuinely kind and caring!
Between the amazing amenities, room service, and the employees helping when needed I have nothing but good things to say about the resort service. Everything is laid out for resort guests and the employees are always willing to help or direct them where the guests need to be. They are knowledgeable and overall know how to help their guests have a perfect time.
6- Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Restaurants- Incredible Dining Experience
There are four great restaurants at this beautiful resort and a cute coffee shop (if you want to grab a morning or afternoon coffee or snacks)! We dined at all of these restaurants, and I will share our experiences and our food choices!
IGNITE: This was our FAVORITE patio to sit, relax and enjoy some drinks overlooking the Wild Burro canyon. This beautiful restaurant and lounge feature live music, mixology classes, cocktails, and whiskey.
The indoor and outdoor seating with amazing sushi and other great food and drinks! I honestly couldn’t get enough of the breathtaking mountain views when sitting on this patio!
Core Kitchen & Wine Bar: We started off our mornings eating the most delicious breakfast at this beautiful restaurant! The breakfast at Core Kitchen is AMAZING!!! We chose the American breakfast buffet and I highly recommend it!
The breakfast buffet included everything from fresh fruits, berries, and delicious desserts to baked homemade potatoes, pancakes, ham, and salmon to Bloody Mary, mimosa, cappuccino, and so many wonderful foods and drink choices!
Once again, the service was amazing, and our server (Gavin) was so kind and patient with our girls.
Another memorable experience of visiting this restaurant was their CORE orchard which is full of 42 different citrus trees (like red grapefruits trees, oranges, Minneola tangelos and so much more…) in which guests can pick their own fruit during breakfast time.
At nighttime, this is a wonderful place to dine and enjoy their incredible wines! Core Kitchen has a huge wine bar menu offering over 2,800 different bottles of wine.
Cayton’s: Make sure to book your dinner reservation right before sunset at Cayton’s! Having two little kids, we barely made it in time to see the sunset (LOL), but we were so glad we made it!!! The sunset at the golf course was PRICELESS!!!! I’m not even kidding, but I thought the sunset at this golf resort looked just as nice as Santorini and Mykonos sunset! It was breathtaking!
We loved our dinner experience at Cayton’s. This restaurant is a casual dining experience located at The Golf Club. It has a rustic vibe while offering incredible cuisine rooted in Southern tradition.
I ordered delicious Steak Frites, and Matt ordered the Blackened Salmon. We enjoyed our dinner, wine, and the most beautiful golf view, mountains, and canyons!
Turquesa Latin Grill: This restaurant is a poolside dining experience equipped with many different food options, cocktails, mocktails, hand-crafted margaritas, and premium tequilas. We had a few hand-crafted margaritas and signature cocktails by the pool while watching the girls play on the waterslide and swim in the kid’s pool!
TO|GO: If you wish not to have a full breakfast at Core Kitchen, then To|Go is a perfect place for you! It’s a cute little coffee shop where you get coffee, tea, smoothies, or any other sweet treats or snacks! They are open from early morning (6 am) until noon.
7- Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain Golf Fitness Center
If you’re looking to keep your fitness routine while on vacation, you will enjoy exercising at this lovely fitness center. This fitness center has all the equipment you’ll need to keep up with your fitness goals. They offer equipment such as bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, weight training machines, and more. They also have daily fitness classes, mountain yoga/Pilates, and couples’ sessions.
8- Ritz-Kids (Your Kids Will Have a Blast While You Relax)
One of the best things when it comes to this resort is the options and activities that they have for kids! There’s nothing like the kids being entertained while the parents get to actually relax on their vacation. Ritz-Kids offers three main events or programs that can keep your kids busy while on vacation!
Ranger Programs: The ranger programs are programs where kids can explore the outdoor world while being taught valuable lessons about the nature around them. They can go on a half-day or a full-day expedition and learn about things such as what lives within the desert, food, and learning about trees.
In-Room Tent Experience: The in-room tent experience gives kids the ultimate camping experience while giving them a peek into the lives of early cowboy settlers. The tent is set up inside but still offers a great experience for children while allowing them to experience camping in their own resort room.
Ritz-Kids Adventure Package: If you’re looking to keep your kids entertained fully throughout your vacation, then considering the Ritz-Kids Adventure Package might be the best choice. This package includes things such as geocaching, a half-day kids ranger program, an in-room tent experience, and a kid’s ranger shirt. It’s good to give your child the ultimate experience while staying at The Ritz-Carlton in Tucson, Arizona.
9- Fun Outdoor Adventures to Experience
The outdoor activities and views are some of the main reasons to book a vacation at this lovely resort. There are many activities from hiking through mountains and canyons, to camping, visiting a national park, or cycling through nature. There’s something for everyone in the family including kids and sports-loving fathers.
10- Head to the Hiking Trails
If you’re a lover of nature, then you’re going to enjoy all of the hiking trails available in the Marana to Tucson area. If you’re staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain then you are within a short distance to go for a hike on any one of the many amazing trails around.
The three main trails that you can hike through are the Wild Burro Trailhead, Upper Javelina Trailhead, and Tortolita Preserve Trailhead. All of these give great views of the desert, canyon, or mountain areas to give great scenery for nature lovers out there.
11- Play Tennis or Go for a Fun Mountain Biking with Your Family
Taking advantage of all of the amazing mountain trails and outdoor areas can be great for anyone into nature. The mountain biking trails around this resort are perfect for those looking to get out and explore the Tortolita Mountains or the canyon.
Also, you cannot miss the beautiful tennis courses! They are right by the golf club and have the most beautiful view of the mountains!
The Bottom Line: If you are looking to experience a true desert oasis luxury resort in Tucson, Arizona, this is the place for you to stay! When booking hotels and resorts, people usually look for good hotel facilities or services. This resort has it all! You will truly get pampered by the incredible hotel facilities, services, and staff. This amazing five-star luxury resort also offers many activities for the whole family.
It simply checks all of the boxes for a fantastic vacation including activities for the kids, great dining experiences, golf courses, hiking trails, and everything in between. We had a blast at this stunning resort over the long holiday weekend.
We also loved visiting the golf club at dove, having some drinks and dinner at the golf course, and simply having a relaxing time as a family. Therefore, we highly recommend it to you, our friends, and our family! We fell in love with this resort so much, that we are considering going back this Thanksgiving or Christmas!
FAQ
How far Is Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain from the airport? If you fly to Tucson International Airport, it will be about a 30-minute drive to this beautiful resort. If you fly to Phoenix Sky Harbor in Phoenix, Arizona, if will be about 103 miles (about 1:45 hrs. drive). You can get the exact direction here!
When was The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain built? This breathtaking Dove Mountain resort in Tucson, Arizona was built on December 18, 2009. Jack Nicklaus designed the golf course around the same time.
How many Forbes stars does the Ritz have? In February of 2019, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain celebrated the receipt of the global award for 2019. Forbes Travel Guide announced that this luxury resort will again carry this prestigious Five Star rating throughout this year. It is no surprise that they have been able to maintain this incredible award!
I hope you will enjoy your stay at this breathtaking resort like how we did! It is such a beautiful and peaceful resort to relax, refresh and recharge!
Love,
Sherry
Sherry, xoxo
