If you’re considering Miraval, you’re probably weighing which property feels right for you. I was grandmothered into the Miraval Authentic Circle program before it became an annual process, and have visited each of their U.S. spa properties more than once. I’m often asked about the differences between them and how they stack up against other spas I’ve visited. Back from Austin just days ago, the contrast between the three is especially clear.
Before getting into how the Miraval locations differ from one another, I want to touch on what they all share. At check-in, you’re always gifted a reusable water bottle and a small bag to carry your essentials. The rooms across each location are beautiful and generously sized, with comfortable beds, plush robes, mini refrigerators, and a filtered water pitcher. Phones are discouraged to the point where there are little wooden beds in the rooms designed to let your phone “rest” while you’re out and about.
Course offerings change daily, and dinner reservations are strongly suggested. Dining includes a salad bar with protein options alongside a rotating menu, and there’s a snack bar for grab-and-go smoothies and something sweet between sessions.
At each Miraval, you’re asked to be as fully present as possible. The suggestion is to engage with the people, your surroundings, and the sessions you and your Experience Planner have chosen for your time there.
Here are my thoughts on the Tucson, Austin, and Berkshires Miraval locations, based entirely on personal experience. I booked these visits myself, and this post is not sponsored.
Miraval Arizona
The Tucson location feels like the anchor.
The first thing you notice is desert in every direction. If you’re coming from the city, as I am, the expansiveness becomes part of the experience almost immediately. Walking from your casita to a class or private session takes time, and I found myself looking up instead of down.
The Arizona property sits on 400 acres and feels every bit of it. You’re outside often, moving between spaces with the sound of a bubbling brook or swaying crystals in the background. The paths are winding, and the walk between buildings becomes part of your reflective process. Along the path to the labyrinth, there’s a Prayer Tree where people sit to reflect and leave messages and memories. At every turn, you’re encouraged to let the calm atmosphere in.
Programming leans openly into spiritual work. Meditation sessions fill quickly, along with ceremonies designed to clear and release stale energy. The equine program, central to the resort’s identity, can bring up powerful and unexpected emotions that some have described as life changing. I wasn’t prepared for the horses to reveal what I needed to work on quite as succinctly as they did in that workshop.
Arizona is peaceful and calm, giving you space to hear yourself and leave feeling clearer, lighter, and in some ways healed.
Miraval Austin
The Austin location feels like a ranch.
The property sits above Lake Travis in the Hill Country, with an indoor and outdoor dining area that takes full advantage of the views. The buildings are modern, with covered outdoor hallways, interior courtyards, and big windows that bring the landscape in. At a compact 220 acres, everything sitting closer together creates a more communal atmosphere.
There seems to be more of a couples focus here than at the other Miraval locations. The programming lends itself to solo, joint, and group adventures like fly fishing and horseback riding. I didn’t expect to like fly fishing and can’t imagine when that skill might come in handy, though it was fun to learn. There’s a mix of cooking and beverage-focused classes, and the menu has a Southwestern spa flair. A meat-and-potatoes option sits alongside the wellness-focused dishes, and there’s an avocado cacao cookie at the snack bar that falls into the IYKYK category.
At night, stars stretch overhead, twinkling lights illuminate the trees, and the dining area fills with conversation at a low hum that feels social without being loud. It’s a dreamy place to be, especially if you were smart enough to stash one of those cookies in your room for a late-night snack.
Miraval Berkshires
The Berkshires location feels the most city of the three.
Set in Lenox, a pretty New England town with good restaurants and charming shops, this is the location you’re most likely to leave during your stay, if only because it’s all so close by.
To withstand the cold, snowy winters of the Northeast, this Miraval property has a weather-proof design with an almost austere feeling. The indoor focus keeps the property open year-round and is more than made up for with an expansive 29,000-square-foot spa. Long interior corridors connect the buildings, and many common spaces look out at the outdoors more than participate in it.
The location feels larger in spring, when flowers are in bloom and outdoor activities are in full swing. Bright summer days draw people outside, and fall foliage brings a burst of color to the grounds.
The experience here is focused on reset and recharge. It encourages you to build rest into your daily life and use that time to reflect on where you are and where you’re headed. The offerings work well for different combinations of visitors, and groups traveling together are common.
Since I live closest to this location, I’ve visited both as an overnight guest and on a day pass. One chilly Tuesday afternoon, I was lucky enough to have an instructor entirely to myself for a ninety-minute session. The fact that they didn’t cancel it speaks to their commitment to making each visit feel personal.
The Big Picture
Each Miraval property has its own personality, like siblings who grew up together. I’d characterize Tucson as the oldest sister, Austin as the middle child, and the Berkshires as the little sister who looks up to them both. They share the same core philosophy, though how it shows up is dictated by the layout and landscape. Tucson is expansive, Austin is friendly, and the Berkshires is adaptable.
In both Tucson and Lenox, competitor spa Canyon Ranch is minutes away, and I’ve spent time at both of those properties as well. I didn’t notice any meaningful dip in service when Hyatt took over Miraval in 2017. Canyon Ranch changed ownership that same year, and the changes felt subtle but noticeable. Canyon Ranch remains a strong spa option, and their properties are beautiful. I continue to return to Miraval year after year.
Miraval Red Sea and Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara are on my travel list. I’ll report back.
