Assessment: Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort (Arizona, USA)

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Immediately: Assessment of Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort (Arizona, USA)

A primary of its sort in North America, Ambiente, a Panorama Resort is uniquely designed to mix in with the paranormal crimson rocks of Sedona, Arizona, providing friends the chance to expertise and embrace the pure magnificence that surrounds them in one of many world’s most beautiful places. Opened in spring 2023, the brand new Ambiente Resort is comprised of 40 cubed-shaped visitor rooms (referred to as atriums) which might be elevated above the bottom by metal piers and constructed utilizing floor-to-ceiling, bronze-tinted glass and matte-charcoal and rusted metallic. At nightfall, the tinted glass mirror the character round it creating beautiful, mirrored silhouettes. The atriums’ smooth and modern design embodies elegant minimalism and the utmost in luxurious lodging. Onsite amenities embrace a pool, spa and nice eating restaurant. Ambiente is a member of the Main Accommodations of the World.

Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort, options in my high 10 checklist of the finest luxurious lodges within the American Southwest.

Have you ever ever stayed at Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort? If that’s the case, what was your expertise? Depart a remark.

On this evaluation (extra data and pictures under my YouTube video):

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Opened in spring 2023, Ambiente, a Panorama Resort has already earned a repute as top-of-the-line lodges in Sedona. Situated in Arizona’s excessive desert below the towering southwestern rim of the huge Colorado Plateau, the small metropolis of Sedona is a well-known throughout the globe for is spectacular crimson sandstone formations, which type a well-liked backdrop for a lot of actions, starting from religious pursuits to dozens of mountain climbing and mountain biking trails. Traditionally, Sedona was a rural ranching neighborhood positioned far off the crushed path, however its unsurpassed pure magnificence turned nationally identified by means of the movement image business. Immediately, commercials and tv exhibits nonetheless are filmed within the unsettled areas surrounding this metropolis, which yearly attracts greater than three million vacationers from all over the world.

Overlooking the protected protect of Coconino Nationwide Forest, Ambiente Sedona sits on a 3 acres of plot, surrounded by the town’s most iconic crimson rock monoliths, together with the Steamboat, Chimney, Espresso Pot and Snoopy Rock formations. Upon arrival, friends are ushered by means of a monolithic wood door right into a fashionable foyer the place a ground–to-ceiling glass wall and adjoining commentary deck put the sweeping crimson rock views on full show. The 2-story glass and metallic foyer constructing serves because the check-in space, full with a visitor lounge and commentary deck, boutique reward store, assembly rooms and places of work, and a spa. As soon as check-in is full, an elevator delivers friends to the bottom ground the place they tour the property by way of an electrical automobile earlier than arriving at their non-public Atrium.

Ambiente Sedona is comprised of 40 cubed-shaped pavilions (referred to as ‘Atriums’), constructed utilizing matte-charcoal coloured metallic and floor-to-ceiling, bronze-tinted glass partitions. Uniquely designed to mix in with the encircling geography, the lodging provide modern, Earth-toned decor to help a disconnection from on a regular basis life and a reconnection with nature. Every Atrium options the identical key components, together with a bed room with kingsize mattress, a comfortable sitting space (proper subsequent to the mattress), a petite kitchen, and a rest room geared up with an outsized soaking tub, double vainness and a walk-in bathe with twin rain heads. Practically all Atriums have a non-public rooftop deck, that includes lounge seating, a roaring firepit and a day-bed which is nice for sunbathing and stargazing (or sleeping outside).

On the middle of Ambiente Sedona is an outside lagoon-shaped pool (with a built-in Jacuzzi) which is positioned proper subsequent to a pavilion housing the resort’s signature restaurant, Forty1. Forty1 includes a full-service kitchen serving à la carte breakfast and dinner each day, in addition to an indoor/outside bar full with a number of TVs and ample seating. The restaurant affords a seasonal a la carte menu which is impressed by pure natural elements from the native Verde Valley. Instantly adjoining to the restaurant, an elevated deck options hearth pits, cozy lounge seating and programming like nightly stargazing. Additionally poolside, friends will discover a customized Airstream that has been reworked and reimagined into The Drifter, a separate culinary vacation spot serving lunch and poolside fare each day.

Ambiente Sedona has a robust concentrate on wellbeing. Housed inside the principle foyer constructing is Velvet, an intimate, three-room spa providing therapies that solely combine locally-sourced elements embodying the therapeutic properties of Sedona. Genuine components of conventional spa, earthy textures, clear elements, and fashionable improvements are artistically intertwined to create distinctive spa experiences. Every spa therapy begins with a collection of a novel ZENTS scent mix that shall be used for the therapeutic massage. All friends additionally obtain a vial of the mix as a present on the finish of the therapy. The Velvet Spa additionally has two experiential areas that intention to supply highly effective well-being for each physique and thoughts. Certainly one of them is the Darkish Sky Lounge, an interactive sound lounge surrounded by the celestial night time sky, and the opposite one the O2 Soaking Bathtub Lounge, which options lovely Japanese-style heat baths. There’s additionally a cute little sauna room, which is positioned proper outdoors the spa space.

Designed by a workforce of award-winning architects together with Stephen Thompson of Architect Studio and ASUL Architects, Ambiente Sedona was constructed with a deep respect for the setting. Utilizing sustainable strategies and and an natural deisgn, the resort’s fashionable structure enhances the neighboring surroundings and minimizes the affect on the land because it was constructed across the pure vegetation and topography, requiring much less reduce and fill. At preliminary look, the entire particular person buildings, from the Atriums to the foyer and poolside lounge, look like floating amidst the panorama because the constructions mirror the environment with the usage of bronzed glass. Ambiente goals to be Sedona’s main instance of sustainable tourism and progressive resort design that promotes long-term vibrancy inside the neighborhood.

Ambiente Sedona is owned and operated by a native household, Michael Stevenson and his two daughters, Jennifer Might and Colleen TeBrake. After serving within the US Military, Mike, at age 26, and his spouse Kathleen moved to Sedona to work at his father’s restaurant. In 1973, Mike launched into his calling to fulfil his dream of working his personal enterprise by investing in The Crimson Rock Motel positioned on the fringe of Oak Creek Canyon. Sadly, only one brief 12 months later, that dream ended as he was compelled to declare chapter. In 2016, in a unprecedented flip of occasions, Michael was in a position to buy a good looking piece of property. After strolling the pure panorama of pinion pines, pure washes, and crimson rock formations together with his daughter Jennifer Might a number of instances, they knew immediately that the surroundings inside deserved one thing very particular. That day, the imaginative and prescient for Ambiente was born, reigniting Mike’s dream from over 40 years in the past.

Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort is a member of the Main Accommodations of the World (LHW). The latter is an unique assortment of greater than 400 luxurious lodges and resorts in over 80 nations. LHW doesn’t personal lodges; it moderately affords a reservation service for unbiased lodges and helps gross sales and advertising and marketing, promoting and public relations, monetary providers, high quality management, and resort inspections for its member properties. LHW has many iconic properties in its portfolio, akin to such because the 12 Apostles Resort in Cape City, The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia, Resort Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, Le Sirenuse in Positano (Italy), Il Sereno Lake Como (Italy), and the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland. LHW additionally has its personal loyalty program, which permits friends to gather factors at LHW properties and spend them totally free nights at LHW lodges & resorts.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort is positioned proper subsequent to a main freeway, which tends to get very busy through the day (the site visitors slows down at night time). The resort’s designers have carried out their utmost finest to distract the friends from the presence of the close by freeway and to masks the noise with vegetation, working water and background music. However regardless of all these efforts, you’ll be able to nonetheless hear the street in some areas within the resort, even inside some atriums (particularly these atriums that again the freeway and people on the higher a part of the hilly panorama). The freeway noise could be particularly annoying when you’re searching for some tranquility and silence whereas making an attempt to calm down in your non-public rooftop.

Ambiente Sedona includes a considerably unusual format, because the atriums are constructed very shut along with their home windows dealing with both the walkways or the opposite atriums. Consequently, most atriums don’t get pleasure from nice views, aside from the few, so referred to as ‘panorama atriums’ on the property’s northern edge (which get pleasure from views of the forest and the encircling grandiose surroundings). For instance, I stayed in a ‘forest atrium’ throughout my vacation however as you’ll be able to see on my pictures, it didn’t provide any forest view in any respect (moderately a view of the close by atriums and a few mountains within the distance). Additionally, whereas privateness is just not a problem through the day due to the atrium’s bronze-tinted one-way-vision glass, you’ll want to shut your curtains at night time as soon as you turn your lights on (to keep away from others having a direct view into your bed room).

Ambiente, a Panorama Resort doesn’t have its personal gymnasium. However with direct entry to greater than 300 km (200 miles) of mountain climbing and biking trails in Sedona in addition to premier mountaineering, outside journey and leisure actions, there is no such thing as a want for an onsite health middle, and as an alternative Ambiente encourages friends to discover the outside by providing mountain bike leases and mountain climbing excursions. The resort additionally boasts unique entry to the Adobe Jack Path system, a reasonable 2.7 km ( 1.7-mile) hike that connects to an extra seven miles of trails famend for the picturesque surroundings displayed alongside the best way. For many who desire to discover inside resort grounds, extra wellness trails weave all through the location with designated spots to cease and comply with instructed workouts that promote general wellness.

Ambiente Sedona doesn’t come low-cost and ranks among the many most costly lodges within the Sedona space. The room charge begins round $1100 USD per night time for a star atrium (lowest room class) and rises to greater than $2000 USD per night time for a panorama atrium (the most costly room class and the one room kind coming with a view). It’s fairly insane once you suppose that these charges come near what you’d pay for a 5-star resort within the Maldives however I suppose that’s the brand new normal within the Sedona space. On a optimistic observe, room charges embrace mini-bar (snacks & non-alcoholic drinks), Sedona health middle entry (offsite), valet parking, Audi RS e-tron GT concierge automotive transfers (accessible for airport and native attraction pick-up & drop-off) and free WiFi.

MY VERDICT

Location: 6/10
Design: 8/10
Pool: 7/10
Rooms: 8/10
Meals: 8/10
Breakfast: 8/10
Spa: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Wow issue: 9/10
Worth for cash: 6/10
General expertise: good 7.6/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Lower your expenses: get complimentary VIP perks at Ambiente Sedona when reserving by way of Virtuoso (e.g. each day breakfast, room improve, early check-in, late check-out and $100 USD resort credit score

Lower your expenses: Ambiente Sedona is a member of The Main Accommodations of the World (LHW) and participates in LHW’s loyalty program Leaders Membership, which permits friends to gather factors at LHW properties and spend them totally free nights at LHW lodges & resorts (together with Ambiente).

Lower your expenses: learn right here my ideas for getting the perfect deal at a luxurious resort like Ambiente Sedona (and/or obtain many free perks).

Learn my ideas for getting ready your journey in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Sedona is a four-season outside playground. Many individuals plan on visiting within the spring (March & Might) and fall (September to November) to get pleasure from good climate for outside exploration; nevertheless, you’ll be able to actually beat the crowds and really expertise the serenity of Sedona within the winter. Sedona’s excessive elevation retains it largely insulated from the scorching warmth Arizona is known for in summer season.

HOW TO GET THERE

The closest airport to Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort is Sedona Airport (KSEZ) which is 2 miles (3 km) away. Flagstaff Airport is the closest small industrial airport to Sedona which is 25 miles (40 km) or a scenic 40 minute drive. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is the closest main worldwide airport (roughly 2 hours away by automotive).

PHOTOS

Right here’s a collection of my pictures of Ambiente Sedona, a Panorama Resort. To view extra resort pictures (together with breakfast, lunch and dinner), click on right here.