Miraval, Tucson Arizona - Day One

view of my private patio

First impressions are running high.  The desert scenery is breathtaking even though it is man-made.  There is a waterfall running near my room so the only sounds I hear are of running water.  This photo is the view from my room.  The patio extends from the french doors, seemingly right into the desert.  My room is huge for most standards.  They say 300 square feet, but it seems larger.  The king bed is piled high with ultra puffy, soft pillows and comforter.  The comforter adds another foot to the height of the bed.  The decor is southwestern, but without the bright orange and red.  Mostly brown and earth tones instead which is very relaxing. 

Unlike all the other spa resorts I've been to, Miraval has a bar/lounge open from 4-9 with free hors d'oeuvres.  I will try to take a picture tomorrow.  The veggie platter is missing the ubiquitous celery, carrots and radishes and instead sports asparagus, jicama, cauliflower, heirloom cherry tomatoes.  There is also a giant platter of cheese - probably 10 different varieties.  I've purchased a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine for partaking over the next couple days.  They keep the bottle at the bar or let me take it back to my room.  In addition to a nice selection of wines, they have a menu of special cocktails and the back of the bar is lined with favorites such as Dewars, Jamesons, Glenlivet, Hendricks, Beefeaters.  Miraval has all the beauty of a destination spa with the conveniences of a resort hotel.

The dinner menu changes daily and contains four starters and four entrees.  With my bell pepper allergy I will be limited because many dishes are prepared in the southwest style.  However, they are bending over backwards to accommodate my culinary needs.  They encourage you to try something you might not like because they will gladly replace it with something else if it doesn't suit.  Tonight I'm being brave and ordering grouper.  I'm very glad I did.  The arbol chili rub was spicy enough to mask any fishy taste (I'm very picky about fish!) and it was light and flaky as promised.  It came on top of yams and topped with a jicama/watermelon salsa and a watermelon coulis.  The small portion size allowed me to enjoy the blueberry crumble/creme brulee for dessert.  It is going to be a struggle to keep my weight under control.

If I ever get hungry I will try the smoothies made to order with any number of interesting items.  They are included in the price.  And there is no tipping anywhere at the resort - not at the bar, dining room, spa, anywhere.