By David Ferrell, Special to The Times

VISITORS to Arizona's high desert quickly exhaust their superlatives. Once they get beyond "stunning," "awe-inspiring" and "the artwork of God," many stumble trying to articulate how they feel amid the red cliffs and wind-sculpted rocks.

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At the year-old Adobe Grand Villas, the rooms are over-the-top customized, with waterfall showers, whirlpool tubs and living room and bathroom fireplaces. Guests arrive to the aroma of baking bread, a nicety fostered by bread machines in every room. One suite is designed to evoke a French country inn; others have western themes. In one, the bed is a covered wagon, and an iron pump fills the tub.

Villas guest Jeff Heimpel of Kitchener, Canada, brought his mother, Norah, for a weeklong visit. They were staying in the rustic, two-bedroom Silver Spur Suite and regretted only that they couldn't sample all the themed environments.

Altogether, there are 16 squarish units, stacked irregularly around the swimming pool, with the feel of an upscale adobe village. Breakfast is served poolside. Afterward, those who seek special pampering are ushered into the spa for therapies that may include deep-tissue massage, reiki, reflexology or work with crystals or hot stones.