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MY EVERCHANGING
ROOMS
Arizona resorts strive to stay fresh by reinventing themselves Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
High-end luxury vacation spots like Kimpton’s Amara Resort and Spa, Fairmont’s Scottsdale Princess and the destination formerly known as the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center are constantly evolving to ensure they are among the most highly rated in the world. To keep up with the Joneses, here is a peek at some of the most impressive recent enhancements and upgrades.
Kimpton Amara Resort and Spa When Kimpton bought the Amara property in 2013, it wasted no time in making plans to reimagine the 100-room Uptown Sedona resort. Famous for its views of the Cleopatra Red Rock formation, the resort has undergone millions in updates to the property’s rooms, spa and dining concepts. “‘Modern native’ was the idea our design team was inspired by, and we held ourselves to that creative development in all aspects of the refresh,” said Devin Mahoney, general manager at Amara. “It was important for us to infuse elements of the craftsmanship and traditions of the Hopi and Navajo tribes that are indigenous to Northern Arizona, such as basket-making, rope-weaving, rain sticks and turquoise. Our designers were inspired by native patterns and indigenous skills, but we’ve reinvented it in a contemporary way instead of trying to be too literal.” Pulling from the color palette of the surrounding lush foliage and the brilliant desert flowers that dot the property, green, aubergine, bright marigold and injections of hot fuchsia can be found throughout the new interiors, which complement the WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM
red rock views that envelop the resort. Design elements found throughout the rooms are live-edge wooden headboards that were individually crafted from fallen trees and vary from room-to-room, crystal drawer accents and geode artwork that pull inspiration from Sedona’s spiritual center, turquoise table lamps, oversized sitting chairs with woven rope accents, colorful rain sticks positioned above the bed to promote sweet dreams and artwork featuring a jackalope, the mythological creature, adding a bit of whimsy. The resort’s common spaces, among the most recent upgrades to be completed, include a living room where guests can enjoy complimentary wine hour nightly; outdoor lounge and lawn areas; and a massive 26,000-gallon infinity edge saltwater pool that overlooks the Oak Creek and red rocks. The resort’s signature restaurant was also redeveloped and relaunched as SaltRock Southwest Kitchen and Craft Margaritas. Headed by Chicagoland chef Robert Hoffman, the restaurant boasts an expansive list of agave-based cocktails and inspired Southwestern dishes bursting with rich, robust flavors. amararesort.com