After an extensive refurbishment in late-2022 following a change of ownership, Rancho de los Caballeros, located in Wickenburg, Arizona, continues to expand its offerings. The property, which first opened as a guest ranch in 1948 and has been in operation for more than 70 years, is now open 365 days a year after being only open seasonally from October to May.
In November 2023 it added new fine dining restaurant 19, offering farm-fresh cuisine and a 2,000-bottle wine cellar, and by 2025 it plans to add a further 24 accommodations to its current room-count of 79 luxury casitas. The ranch promises incentive groups the opportunity to find their inner cowboy, with an extensive equine program and more than 18,000 rideable acres of the Sonoran Desert to explore under the guidance of expert wranglers.
“Everything here is run as a guest ranch experience,” says Sherrie FitzGerald, Director of Marketing, Rancho de los Caballeros. “Horseback riding is definitely the key unique experience that you normally would not get at a typical hotel. We embrace the whole Western lifestyle here at the ranch, which I think definitely separates us from other hotels that might offer an incentive program that groups would have to go off property to do. Here, we’re self-contained. We have everything here, whether it be rodeo or team penning experiences that the guests can actually participate in.”
Rooms at the ranch include distinctive furnishings, private patios and roaring fireplaces. It offers a full-service spa with clawfoot tubs, an infrared sauna and an outdoor stone labyrinth. Groups can tee off on the championship-caliber 18-hole golf course overlooking the nearby Bradshaw Mountains, or enjoy activities including tennis, pickleball, archery and yoga.
Morning and afternoon rides into the Sonoran Desert can create an unforgettable 2-hour experience for groups of up to 12, or a resident naturalist can take attendees on nature rides to learn about the diverse flora and fauna of the region. Team penning is a unique collaborative team-building experience where groups of three-five alongside a cowboy coach attempt to cut three cows out from a herd into a small pen before time runs out. The ranch is available for full or partial buyouts and offers more than 9,000 sf of meeting space, including the 3,200-sf Sonoran Room that can seat up to 75.
“One of the nice things about our F&B program is on Saturday nights we do a cookout and take guests up to a specific spot that has an Old Frontier town facade,” says FitzGerald. “We have campfires and singing and hatchet throwing, and then we do a full-on barbecue for everybody. It’s a unique experience, especially for a group that is used to sitting in a ballroom having dinner. They can come here and have this great experience of a true Western cookout.” –Steve Grasso
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