Roughly an hour outside Phoenix, nine miles down a primitive dirt road, an unexpected canyon oasis awaits guests seeking a geothermal, farm-to-table wellness vacation.
Maximum occupancy? About 70 guests.
Welcome to Castle Hot Springs, Arizona’s first wellness resort, established in 1896 by entrepreneur Frank M. Murphy, who recognized the therapeutic appeal of its mineral-rich waters.
In the decades that followed, the remote resort welcomed many visitors, among them some of America’s wealthiest families, including the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts who wintered there. Even President Theodore Roosevelt was known to visit, and a young John F. Kennedy spent time here recuperating from wartime injuries in the 1940s.
But a devastating fire in 1976 shuttered the resort. After several unsuccessful attempts to revive it, Paradise Valley couple Mike and Cindy Watts bought the property in 2014 and reopened it in 2019 as a luxurious garden and hot springs oasis. In March of 2026, the property joined the Relais & Châteaux collection, an international association that honors properties with exceptional hospitality and fine dining.
Although the mineral pools remain a major draw, the resort’s culinary program is an attraction in its own right.
Getting to Know Chef Chris Knouse
At Harvest, the resort’s all-inclusive restaurant, executive chef Chris Knouse and his team build the menus around what’s growing on the property’s three-acre garden, sourcing as little as possible from elsewhere. After all, the nearest grocery store is back up that primitive road.
“We don’t really focus on cuisine, we focus on ingredients,” Knouse said. “Ingredients are our first and foremost.”
In the morning we chat, it’s 11 a.m., and Knouse, whose office is planted among the garden beds, confesses he doesn’t yet know what will be on that evening’s tasting menu.
First, he must assess the gardens, see what’s ready to harvest, and find his inspiration. He might not make his final decisions until 3 p.m., just hours before guests arrive for dinner.
“We know what dishes work, what dishes don’t,” he said. “And then just kind of playing with flavors and…seeing what’s doing well.”
He describes his kitchen team as “gunslinging cowboys” who “shoot at the hip.” But don’t mistake that spontaneity for disorganization. With roughly 20 years of culinary experience, Knouse has the confidence to improvise.
“We have a cultured kitchen, we have a cultured staff, so, we take inspiration from everything,” added the chef. “It’s about the ingredients and how we treat them. Not only from when we’re planting them to when we’re putting them on the plate.”
Before becoming executive chef at Castle Hot Springs, Knouse worked at The Wigwam, a historic luxury resort in Litchfield Park. And before that, at The Hermosa Inn, another historic luxury property in Paradise Valley.
Apparently, Knouse has a thing for kitchens with a rich past. He jokes that a resort must be at least 100 years old to catch his attention. But the garden-to-table approach? That was entirely new territory. Of course, relying on a garden in the Arizona desert is no small undertaking.
True Farm-to-Table at Castle Host Springs
Five full-time gardeners, supported by additional part-time staff, tend the property’s growing spaces, which include multiple hoop houses, a large glass greenhouse, and dedicated facilities for dehydrating and preserving fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Knouse works closely with the gardening team to anticipate what’s coming into season and when it might be ready.
“We’re looking ahead,” he explained. “We’re seeing what’s coming out of the ground, when it’s coming out of the ground, and when they plan to have it come out of the ground.”
Of course, when those ingredients actually become available is another matter entirely, he added.
The resort’s commitment to reducing waste means it composts kitchen scraps and returns them to the soil, enriching it for future harvests. Meanwhile, the natural hot springs produce roughly 200,000 gallons of water daily, adding microorganisms into the soil.
While the term farm-to-table often gets tossed around in culinary circles, at Castle Hot Springs, the philosophy is not just a trendy expression. Even the electrolytes served to guests are made with watermelons harvested in summer.
The garden also influences the beverage program. Bartender Connor McGhee describes it as “farm-to-glass,” with ingredients like sugarcane, dill, pomegranates, and freshly squeezed grapefruit finding a way into cocktails. Even the garnishes come from the garden.
A Tasting Menu to Remember
Then there’s the tasting menu. One evening the dinner began with warm, house-made bread, followed by a carrot-ginger bisque topped with crème fraîche and curry-inspired flavors. Next came a refreshing panzanella salad with bok choy, charred corn, and cherry tomatoes. The vegetables? Harvested just steps from the kitchen.
For the main course, guests choose from four options including locally-sourced wagyu tenderloin with a delightful white truffle risotto; and an Indonesian crab cake with smoked tarragon.
The beverage pairings are every bit as thoughtful as the meal. The sommelier guides diners through a selection of wines, including a crisp, dry Pinot Noir from Italy’s Lombardy region, and a mineral-driven Gavi di Gavi with delicate apple notes. The bartenders also craft a cocktail inspired by that night’s dishes to accompany the third course.
It’s clear that the kitchen, gardens, and bar collaborate closely—a must when Mother Nature is calling the shots. Though perhaps what’s most remarkable about dining at Castle Hot Springs is that, at 11 a.m., Knouse may have no idea what he’ll be serving for dinner. By evening, what began as a walk through the garden has become a sophisticated farm-to-table tasting menu, artfully plated and served nine miles down a gravel-studded desert road.
