Amara Resort & Spa
A modern boutique on Oak Creek's edge — 100 rooms with red-rock views, mid-century-modern aesthetic.
Amara Resort is a contemporary 100-room boutique on the edge of Oak Creek in Sedona, with the red-rock walls of the Mogollon Rim rising directly behind it. The aesthetic is architectural-minimal in a town whose default is Southwestern-saturated: clean lines, concrete and glass, neutral palette, the architecture deliberately recessed so the rocks do the work.
It's a useful trade. Sedona's red-rock landscape is among the most photographed in the American Southwest, and a hotel that doesn't compete with it visually is more relaxing than one that does.
The setting
On the edge of uptown Sedona, on the north side of Oak Creek, with the red-rock walls of the Mogollon Rim immediately behind. The walk into uptown's main strip — restaurants, art galleries, the trolley pickup — is five minutes. Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock are ten minutes south by car; Boynton Canyon and the Sinagua cliff dwellings are fifteen minutes north.
The drive in from Phoenix is two hours up I-17; from Flagstaff, forty minutes south down 89A through Oak Creek Canyon. Most guests are on a long weekend from one of those.
The building
A four-story contemporary structure built into the slope, with a stepped courtyard pool, a ground-floor lobby and dining room, and rooms organized along corridors that face either the creek or the rim. The aesthetic is concrete-and-glass-and-timber in a contemporary register, deliberately quiet against the saturated landscape. Public spaces include SaltRock Kitchen, the bar, and the heated pool deck.
The architectural restraint is deliberate. Sedona has plenty of red-stucco-and-vigas hotels; Amara is the contemporary alternative.
The rooms
A hundred rooms in standard, deluxe, and suite categories. Rates from around $545 in shoulder up through suites with private terraces and direct rim views. Beds are kings, linens are heavy, bathrooms have soaking tubs in the upper categories. Several rooms have fire pits on private balconies. The west-facing rooms get sunset on the rocks; the east-facing rooms get morning light.
Food & drink
SaltRock Kitchen is the on-site dining room — contemporary American with Southwestern overtones, a focus on local ingredients, an extensive wine list. Open to non-guests by reservation. The bar runs through the evening with cocktails and small plates. There's a grab-and-go café for breakfast and casual lunch.
On the property
The amenities match the contemporary register.
- Heated outdoor saltwater pool with red-rock views
- Spa with full menu, including the Body Bar (a smaller treatment program)
- Yoga and meditation programming
- Pet-friendly
- SaltRock Kitchen restaurant and bar
- Open year-round
Who it's for
- Travelers who want Sedona without the Southwestern-saturated hotel aesthetic
- Couples on a wellness-leaning weekend
- Repeat Sedona visitors who've cycled through L'Auberge and Enchantment
- Photographers — the rim views from the rooms and pool are unobstructed
Who it's not for
- Travelers who want walking distance to trailheads (most are a 5-15 minute drive)
- Anyone looking for a small intimate inn — this is a 100-room property
- Travelers who'd prefer the saturated red-stucco-and-viga aesthetic
Nearby
Walk five minutes to uptown Sedona for restaurants, galleries, and the trolley pickup for Pink Jeep tours. Cathedral Rock — the iconic red sandstone formation — is ten minutes south, with the Cathedral Rock trailhead near Oak Creek. Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte are similar distance south. Boynton Canyon and Honanki Heritage Site (Sinagua cliff dwellings) are fifteen minutes north. Slide Rock State Park (Oak Creek's natural water-slide rock formations) is twenty minutes north up Oak Creek Canyon. For dinner off-property, Mariposa, Cucina Rustica, Elote Cafe, the Hudson.
