UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE CANYON MOON, THIS RED ROCK COUNTRY RETREAT SERVES DREAMY DESERT DECADENCE WITH A SIDE OF AWE-SPARKING ADVENTURE
BY AMANDA McCOY
Across genres, the passing of time is a complex construct. Albert Einstein famously opined, “Time is an illusion,” and there are countless idioms and everyday expressions that aim to reduce its complexity to a clever catchphrase think “time flies” and “faster than a New York minute.” Simply do a Google search for images of the New York or Los Angeles skyline from 1975 for an example of the velocity of progress from a mere half century.
But stand on any point of the Colorado Plateau, and the concept of time hits the senses differently. Stretching more than 130,000 square miles in the Southwestern U.S., the high-desert region is one of the world’s preeminent paragons of earth’s history, marked by ancient volcanic mountains, eroded sandstone, slot canyons, dramatic arches, and towering mesas. It’s a geologic wonderland, where stories from millions of years in the past lay forever etched in red rock and stone.
Comprising destination towns like Moab, Taos, and Sedona, along with famous national parks and landmarks like Zion, Arches, and the Grand Canyon, the Colorado Plateau offers several accommodations, from upscale spa resorts to primitive campgrounds. But in 2009, global ultra-luxury hotelier Aman Resorts debuted an overnight experience unlike anything else in the region. With an average nightly price of $4,000, Amangiri takes the crown as one of the most expensive resort properties in the country, but even a cursory peek inside the dreamy suites, sprawling spa, and meditative public spaces reveals why.
The approach to Amangiri is part of the experience. A private road cuts through the vast desert expanse of southern Utah to reach the isolated Canyon Point resort, where countless A-listers have laid their heads, from Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian to Ariana Grande and Brad Pitt. The brainchild of architects Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy, the design is a masterclass in restrained luxury and environmental harmony, where architecture doesn’t impose on the landscape, but seems to emerge from it. Think modern minimalism, underscored by millions of years of geologic movement. The main pool, for example, is built around a massive, 165-millionyear-old natural sandstone rock that maintains a protective eye over the resort. It’s edged with floating daybeds and plush lounge chairs to relax while sipping botanical-infused mocktails after a meditative morning dip.
There are just 34 suites on the property, many with private plunge pools and rooftop terraces. Floor-to-ceiling windows invite the horizon inside, while soft concrete walls and raw textures echo the earth’s palette. Every detail, from the hand-carved basins to the canyon-framed soaking tubs, feels intentional, as does the lack of TVs and other digital distractions. Private terraces are finished with fireplaces or fire pits to blend the natural elements of earth and fire, and upgraded suites feature built-in seating and cozy lounge chairs to sip evening cocktails as the sun disappears from the desert sky.
Additional accommodations include the ten temperature-controlled tented pavilions of the on-site Camp Sarika, each equipped with expansive outdoor terraces, fire pits, private pools, and light-flooded living spaces. Earlier this year, Amangiri announced the upcoming introduction of 12 private residences, offering desert adherents the opportunity to purchase their very own slice of the Colorado Plateau. Designed by Marwan Al Sayed (one of the resort’s original architects), the modernist villas will be carved into the rugged rockscape and feature massive outdoor sun decks with lap pools and uninterrupted views of the desert dunes. The first home is eyeing a late August completion, and all residents will have access to the resort’s dining and wellness offerings including the 25,000-square-foot spa.
The spa is an immersive journey, loaded with holistic highlights like outdoor treatment terraces, steam rooms, saunas, a flotation pavilion, and yoga and pilates studios. Guests can also opt to perform morning sun salutations atop a rocky overpass for Yoga on the Rock, during which a practitioner leads guests through a personalized practice amid jaw-dropping panorama.
Additional activities include guided mindfulness walks, silent sessions, and sound bathing, along with a suite of rejuvenating spa treatments inspired by hallowed ancient traditions. Book the Aman Advanced Facial for a noticeable glow-up that includes ultrasonic scrubbing to loosen and remove oil and debris, electric muscle stimulation and massage, and a marine mineral mask to deeply hydrate.
The resort’s signature restaurant is anchored by a large open-concept kitchen and wood-fired oven, where chefs play with wild-foraged vegetables and herbs to dream up body-nourishing renditions of Southwestern classics. Meals, served in the indoor dining room, open-air pool terrace, or guest villas, dance through starters of wood-fired prawns with roasted chili paste and elk tenderloin tartare before moving into mains like chili garlic noodles with wild Sedona mushrooms, sea-salt-cured rainbow trout, and 21-day dry-aged pork served with juniper berries.
Rooms begin around $4,000 per night.
Aman Giri