The Wild, Wild Rest

Bizarre secrets from the staff at the Canyon Ranch spa

- Brandon Presser

Overweight and underslept, real estate executive Mel Zuckerman ignored the stern warnings from his physician: The yo-yo dieting and long hours at the office had to stop—his life depended on it. Then, suddenly, his father died, and he began to listen. It was the late 1970s, and fat camps were all the rage. But after one too many military workouts and bland, calorie-conscious meals, Zuckerman set out to develop a more satisfying and sustainable recipe for healthy living: Canyon Ranch.

Since its founding in 1979, the tony retreat has espoused a whole-person approach to care. The veritable pioneer of what’s become a multi trillion- dollar wellness industry, the Tucson resort has never focused on isolated symptoms but instead uses integrative medicine. And it remains on the cutting edge, counting the likes of Diana Ross, Tim Cook, and Eva Longoria as devotees of its Ayurvedic third-eye awakenings, crystal sound healing, and lucid dreaming “soul journeys.”

Zuckerman still swooshes on ellipticals alongside them, and his age is a mystery that guests love trying to crack—88? 95? 137? But these days he’s there for less work and more play. In 2017, Zuckerman sold his entire share of the company for an undisclosed sum to Texas billionaire John Goff, who’s continued Zuckerman’s project of turning Canyon Ranch into a global brand with satellite locations, cruise and airline partner ships, and a rapidly expanding real estate portfolio. In November a Silicon Valley-adjacent retreat opened to woo moneyed millennials; this winter, for its 40th birthday, the Arizona flagship is unveiling its own $30 million tip-to-toe refresh.