Welcome to Checking In, a review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.
Describe the hotel in three words: Off-grid adventure base.
What’s the deal?
Amangiri is one of those exceptional places in the world that is oft added to bucket lists and rarely checked off, and for valid reason: it is remote, and it is usually fully booked. Even for those with means—and means you will need, as the resort is among the most expensive in the world—it is not an easy ask to secure one of the property’s exclusive suites.
Sitting on a neat parcel of land measuring 372 hectares—that’s a lot of space—in Canyon Point, a stone’s throw away from where Utah meets Arizona, this legendary desert retreat opened in 2009 and is still one of the most sought-after destinations on any discerning traveller’s itinerary. Comprising an intimate 34 suites on the main grounds, and another 10 secluded pavilions at the nearby Camp Sarika, Amangiri has hosted Kim Kardashian, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and countless other celebrities; the level of privacy is unmatched.
Amangiri is carved into a small speck of this Martian-like landscape, crisscrossed with deep canyons and valleys that yawn across the land like serrated teeth, its layout curved around an outcrop of rock formations more than 160 million years old. Looking out towards the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the resort blends into the stark desert scenery.
The best room?
On the resort proper, you can do no better than the 348-square-metre Amangiri Suite or the 347-square-metre Girijaala Suite. Both come with lap pools, private sun decks, king-size beds, bathrooms with twin showers, soaking tubs, and endless views of the otherworldly mesa landscape and mountain ridges. In tried-and-true Aman fashion, the design thoughtfully fuses a modernist philosophy with a respectful and sensitive tribute to the territory and its people. As with all Aman hotels, each destination is coloured by its own idiosyncrasies, influenced by location, geography, culture, and custom; Amangiri draws on the Native American—specifically, Navajo—roots of the region to maintain a close connection to the land and local communities, and responsibly preserve the natural environment. Architects Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy tackled the project with a deliberately minimal approach; the unmarked, natural stone and weatherworn concrete of the buildings act as camouflage to allow the structures to sink into the landscape. Once night falls and the lights dim, it’s just you and the stars—uncountable numbers of them, clear to the naked eye.
However, for the ultimate desert-immersed retreat, one of the 10 tented pavilions at Camp Sarika will surely amount to the stay of a lifetime. Open year-round, these luxurious safari-lodge interpretations give whole new meaning to the term “glamping”—we’re talking temperature-controlled interiors, en-suite bedrooms, living and dining areas, outdoor terraces, firepits, and heated plunge pools. Its tented canvas is constructed out of recycled plastic.
Does the hotel have a standout perk?
Experiences are the name of the game at Amangiri, perfect for adventure seekers who embrace exhilarating activities in rugged, untamed nature. A comprehensive activities catalogue details a wealth of tailor-made itineraries. Ride on horseback across the land to discover ancient rock formations and petroglyphs, past towering mesas, hoodoos, and buttes. Hike to geological and archaeological sites on the Colorado Plateau, both on- and off-property, and learn about the wildlife that ekes out a survival in such inhospitable terrain. Capture your own take on the instantly recognisable MacOS wallpaper on a tour through the sandstone mazes of Antelope Canyon, accompanied by a seasoned Navajo guide. Scale steep rock faces and traverse plateaus through a via ferrata climbing experience. Boat or kayak across Lake Powell and the Colorado River, or grasp the majesty of the Grand Canyon National Park by helicopter. Hot-air balloon adventures are also on the cards. Back on property, Navajo storytelling sessions, rug-weaving and dreamcatcher-making workshops, and palaeontology tours are in the offing. No matter the activity, it’ll be a spectacular journey set in what remains of the Wild West, and it’s thrilling from start to finish.
Did they greet you by name at check-in?
All the way from pick-up at the Page Municipal Airport to the welcome committee at the entrance through to check-in, the team anticipated my arrival. (Getting to Amangiri is an adventure in and of itself. Driving to the resort, on roads that weave between soaring mesas, you begin to appreciate just how large the property actually is.) In fact, the personalised service continued all throughout the stay, with staffers, a mix of local and international, greeting me by name at meals, activities, and even when just passing by the front desk—always in an approachable, warm, and eager-to-help manner, without being overbearing.
Was a welcome drink ready and waiting when you arrived?
Yes, a signature Amangiri lemonade, zhuzhed up with sage and agave, was proffered, along with a cold towel—much needed that on a balmy late summer day in the desert. Inside the suite, the “cactus garden” edible arrangement added another point of (delicious) interest.
Private butler for every room?
Surprisingly, Amangiri does not offer private butler service, but you would never notice the lack of it, considering the switched-on staffers that roam the premises, and how no question, concern, issue, or request is too small or too big for them to tackle. Case in point: this writer excitedly brought her DSLR camera to document the trip but failed to pack an appropriate SD card, and the closest electronics outlet is half an hour away by car. She only realises this at 6 pm, when the shops are already closing. Here’s where the guest relations team instantly sprang into action to problem-solve: “I can put in a request for one of our bellmen to pick up an SD card for you—just let us know the model and size you would like.” I throw another curveball into the mix: I need it first thing in the morning before I set off on a hike at 7.30 am. He’s not fazed. “We’ll send someone out as soon as possible and have it ready for you at the front desk before your hike.” And true to his word, the SD card was waiting for me at breakfast. World class.
(Over an off-the-record lunch, I am regaled with anecdotes of outlandish, downright farfetched-sounding requests that previous guests have made; it deeply impresses but does not surprise me that the Amangiri team can indeed conjure up the impossible.)
Is the sheet thread count higher than 300?
For the suites at Amangiri and pavilions at Camp Sarika, the 300-thread-count bed linen is made of 100 per cent long-staple cotton, additionally combed and mercerised for a smooth, sateen finish. Silken sheets aside, a good night’s sleep is almost guaranteed—the natural tranquillity that Amangiri exudes is akin to being swaddled in a cocoon of comfort. In this vast expanse of unaltered desert, the silence is astonishing—it envelops the land is like a warm, weighted blanket on the senses. Drop the idiomatic pin and hear it hit the ground.
Is there a heated floor in the bathroom? What about a bidet?
No heated floors and no bidets in the suites at the Amangiri resort, but the pavilions over at Camp Sarika do come with bidets in the bathrooms, should that be a non-negotiable.
Are the toiletries full-sized?
Nothing less will do, and Amangiri stocks the best, collaborating with La Bottega to provide branded, sage-scented bath and shower amenities in handmade stone vessels. Upon request, the housekeeping team will bring personal toiletries like bamboo toothbrushes and toothpaste to your suite, as these are not standard with each room due to sustainability objectives.
Is there a private pool for the room’s exclusive use? How are the spa and gym?
Pavilions at Camp Sarika and the Amangiri Desert Pool Suites, Mesa Pool Suites, Girijaala Suite, and Amangiri Suite come with their own private pools, some plunge-sized, some suitable for laps. Guests without can post up at the main heated swimming pool, shaped around an ancient, three-storey-tall sandstone escarpment to preserve the natural terrain.
As for the Aman Spa, this 2,322-square-metre facility, with its own swimming pool, steam room, sauna, cold plunge pool, heated step pool, and relaxation room, is worth setting aside an entire afternoon for. From a 150-minute Wild Wellness movement session to a 120-minute Peaceful Mountain therapy, the unique rituals at the Aman Spa beckon repeat visits.
Spring for the Utah Salt & Clay treatment, an exfoliation and wrap remedy using ancient sea salt and mineral-rich bentonite desert clay, beginning with a white-sage cleansing ritual to purify and release negative energy, and finishing with a turquoise sage and mountain arnica or prickly pear and pomegranate lotion. Aside from massages, facials, wraps, and the like, the Aman Spa also has guided meditations, singing-bowl therapies, strength training sessions, ASMR sensory experiences—the list goes on. One of the more unusual fitness offerings will see you flowing through yoga poses open-air atop Tower Butte with a private instructor.
Is the restaurant worth its salt?
If the activities at Amangiri hum with excitement, the meals will reinforce it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all-inclusive; the cuisine inflection is American Southwest, with indigenous, local, and global influences. At the main restaurant, the diverse à la carte spread runs the gamut from fire-roasted black oak carrot bisque, Rocky Mountain elk tartare with pickled cactus, and slow-braised Utah northern bison spring rolls to a Three Sisters curry with Sonoran Desert grains, and grilled dishes from the wood-fire oven.
Otherwise, let the team take care of it with the four-course Spirit of the Journey tasting menu, celebrating Native American culinary traditions and ingredients. It includes the Navajo—native fried bread, juniper-braised bison, and nopal cactus in a sundried tomato aioli; the Pima—a tamale dish with Sedona wild mushrooms, heritage tepary beans, salsa fresca made with high-desert squash, and chilli verde; the Maricopa—Uinta Valley honey-glazed duck with wild rocket, compressed plum, toasted almond, and sour cherry vinaigrette; the Paiute—sage-roasted Colorado River trout with wild rice pilaf, smoked trout caviar, and chilli rojo; the Apache, a wood-fired elk tenderloin dish in an ancho pepper demi-glace, with blue-corn polenta and coal-roasted heirloom roots; and the Hopi, an Arizona corn crèmeux, served with a sumac berry confit à la chiilchin—a Navajo pudding—with corn crumble.
At Camp Sarika, the wilderness-inspired, new-dishes-daily menu means each meal is a surprise, but repeats are not on the cards. Lunch could feature chips and dips, salads, ahi tuna poké bowls, honey chilli-glazed halibut, crispy chicken sandwiches, barbecue Wagyu tacos and burgers, and lemon tarts made with desert berries. Dinner is ever-revolving—one night could be Japanese-inspired, Italian-focused, and so on, built on locally sourced ingredients.
Gastronomic experiences are not limited to the restaurants. Dine alfresco at the Fireside Pavilion near the main swimming pool, host a private soirée in the Desert Lounge overlooking the sand dunes and plateaus, or opt for sundowners to write home about on the secluded Sunset Trail among the mesas, with canapés and chilled bubbly to toast. (Here is a fitting occasion to sample the signature Aman caviar, an exclusive collaboration with caviar specialist and family fishery Volzhenka, traditionally farmed in Greece and Italy.)
Do you want to spend Friday night in the lobby bar?
Make that any night of the week. Amangiri has no dedicated lobby bar, but you can do no wrong starting—or concluding—the evening with drinks at the main restaurant or at Camp Sarika. At the resort, come early to secure a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the setting sun drench the plains in swathes of transformative colours—captivating stuff. At Camp Sarika, the terrace tables double as front-row seats to this nature spectacular.
Would you buy the hotel if you could?
In a heartbeat. No notes from this writer. Amangiri succeeds in capturing an unfiltered, profound slice of palpable wilderness that feels to be in complete juxtaposition to the modern, urban-dominated world; it encourages a sensation of deliberate disconnection that has become increasingly rare. It’s not often that a destination inspires in us a childlike sense of awe. Photos of the resort do not do it justice; beholding Amangiri and the vastness that surrounds it feels like a “pinch-me” moment. Location aside, the excellence of the resort, from the people and service to the food, experiences, facilities, and so forth, sets the bar. What decisively reaffirms Amangiri as one of the most desirable hotel destinations in the world is the feeling that no ask is too big here. Anything you want, you can have—for a price, of course—but how do you put a cost on feeling like nothing is impossible?
(Globetrotters with deep-enough pockets will likely have had the same thoughts, and there is good news: there will be branded residences added to the grounds soon. Watch this space.)
Score: 10
What Our Score Means:
1–3: Fire your travel agent if they suggest you stay here.
4–6: Solid if you’re in a pinch—but only if you’re in a pinch.
7–8: Very good. We’d stay here again and recommend it without qualms.
9–10: Forget booking a week. When can we move in permanently?
All images courtesy of Amangiri.
