Amangiri

I’d booked our room at luxury hotel Amangiri a mere 48 hours before arriving, and I couldn’t believe we’d finally hit our destination after a nine-hour, high-speed road trip from Los Angeles through the desert. The Amangiri experience begins the moment you turn off the main road, about two hours outside of a small town in Utah called Hurricane. You’ll probably think you’ve made a wrong turn, but keep going.

We arrived at dusk, in awe of the brilliant shades of purple spreading across the sky and the glowing red rocks that make up an almost fortress-like perimeter across the horizon. Eventually, we came upon a small gate with a metal call-box. I hit the buzzer, and a few moments later the box crackled to life: ‘Hello Mr Smith, we’ve been expecting you,’ said a woman’s voice, ‘please continue up the road into the canyon, past the log cabin’. The gate clicked open.

If I were a Bond villain, Amangiri would be my secret hideout. The massive slabs of concrete wall that make up the majority of the resort feel oddly at home in the vast emptiness of the rocky desert. The centerpiece is a strikingly beautiful pool constructed around a three-story, natural-rock formation that juts out unapologetically into the water. This seamless merging of natural beauty and man-made architecture make Amangiri (which means ‘peaceful mountain’) unlike any other property. Next to the pool is a great room that connects the two wings of guest suites and houses the reception area, dining room and living room. The first thing you’ll notice is the delightful scent of sage, so soothing it makes you want to curl up into a ball and take a nap. Which is okay, because four crackling fireplaces are surrounded by leather sofas and armchairs – an excellent setting for watching the sun slowly set with a glass of wine and some small plates.

We’d booked a Desert View suite, one of the lower-tier rooms available (yet still larger than most New York City apartments) and it didn’t disappoint. The suites all overlook the desert and mesa, offering guests total privacy through a perfectly curled layout stretching away on either side from the room at the property’s center. At check-in, one of the staff suggested we sit by our room’s fire pit and gaze up at the stars and that evening’s supermoon. Marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers were delivered, so we could make s’mores.

We dined at 9pm and were served by a charming New Zealander waitress, who recommended we share a feast of bison tartare, butternut-squash soup, filet mignon, seared scallops, and an arsenal of vegetable sides. Since the resort is in Utah – a nigh-on ‘dry state’ – Amangiri allows guests to BYOB (of wine), which we were happy to do. After a two-hour meal, we were ready for bed and took our time walking back to the room. While we’d been at dinner, the staff had lined the path back to our suite with lanterns. You’ll come to find these happenings less and less surprising during your stay; it’s almost as if Amangiri is staffed by magic elves, who slip in and out of the shadows to create these little, Instagram-worthy moments for guests.

At breakfast we sipped on matcha tea and helped ourselves to a buffet of fresh fruits, pastries, cheeses and made-to-order eggs. The tables are lined up next to a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that makes up one entire side of the great room. I’d have to guess that the glass is only transparent from the inside, since birds and rabbits explore the area carefree in search of breakfast just inches away from your feet.

There are plentiful activities to break up your day: guided hikes across Amangiri’s 600-plus acres of property, spa treatments, hot air-balloon rides, helicopter tours… The concierge team can make custom arrangements for off-site adventures to the neighboring slot canyons, the scenic Horseshoe Bend, or anything else you’re able to dream up. We opted for a morning hike to somewhere enigmatically dubbed ‘the cave’, and staff packed us a bagged lunch of sandwiches, fruit and lemonade. We enjoyed the hike in solitude but were eager to return to the pool and to sample the resort’s famous margaritas.

A few drinks later, Mrs Smith and I booked a spa appointment for later that evening. The spa is comprised of three structures beside a cliff towards the back of the property: a reception building which leads out into a courtyard; a locker and steam room building connected to a secluded plunge pool; and lastly a reflecting pool, connected to the structure with each massage studio. Our custom massages were some of the more memorable either of us had ever received; we drifted through dinner and right to sleep afterwards.

And then, sadly, it was time to go; our time at Amangiri had come to an end and the real world beckoned for us to return. While our car was loaded by the hotel porters, I noticed it had been washed and detailed, the cupholders stocked with fresh water, and a gift bag with snacks placed in the back seat. As the hotel faded from view I smiled to myself, and made a mental note to pick up some dried sage back home.