Desert Time

Amangiri at a Glance 

The Resort 

Amangiri debuted in 2009 with just 34 suites. Its luxury tented resort, Camp Sarika, opened in 2020 with 10 spacious accommodations to further immerse guests into the stunning setting of the 900-acre resort. The property also includes a 25,000-square-foot wellness center, restaurant and access to the nearby Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and Lake Powell. 

The Residences 

Each of the private homes at Amangiri will be situated on five to 19 acres. Homeowners will have access to all the hotel amenities at the adjacent Amangiri resort, as well as the Aman Private Office, which coordinates access to global services across the entire Aman portfolio of properties. 

The Location 

Amangiri is located in Canyon Point, Utah, about 550 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The closest airport is Page Municipal Airport (PGA), just 25 minutes from the property. 

The Architect 

Based in Los Angeles since 2012, Masastudio was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997 by Marwan Al-Sayed and Mies Anderson. In addition to being one of the original architects of Amangiri, the firm has created homes for private clients and institutions across the world. Recent projects include everything from a modern estate in Dallas on four acres with a creek running through it, to custom residences in Bel-Air and Brentwood, as well as international work that includes private homes in Dubai and a tea museum in Southern China.

When Amangiri opened in 2009, on 900 acres of pristine desert landscape, it not only helped introduce an American audience to the previously Asia-centric Aman brand, but it also helped introduce a worldwide audience to a unique landscape in the American Southwest. Arriving at the property feels like entering one of the world’s most exclusive luxury resorts, and the beginning of a restorative stay, thanks to its unique surroundings.

Miles of sandstone terrain, undulating mountains, crisp clear skies and an abundance of silence are just some of the most distinguishing aspects of the property. Its striking architecture and legendary Aman services and amenities have made it a bucket-list destination, even from its early days.

Over the years, the resort has continued to evolve to accommodate the needs of a more globally inspired traveler. With the 2020 opening of Camp Sarika, the 10-key luxury tented experience at Amangiri, private, safari-like accommodations reach up to 2,820 square feet and feature glass walls, fire pits and private plunge pools. The resort’s expansion speaks to a more nature-loving traveler, eager to be further immersed in the landscape, while still within reach of the finest services and amenities from one of the world’s leading hospitality brands. 

Now, the Aman Residences at Amangiri offer a unique opportunity to live at one of the most acclaimed resorts in the world, in an organically designed home that blends seamlessly with its surroundings, courtesy of the resort’s original architect, Marwan Al-Sayed of Masastudio. 

The Resort: From Idyll to Iconic

With 34 rooms, a 25,000-square-foot spa, signature restaurant and iconic views—from endless landscapes of the plains to the monolithic rock formation appearing to erupt from the swimming pool—Amangiri has been wowing guests for more than 15 years. “There are few hotels in the world as unique as Amangiri,” says the resort’s General Manager Kerry Hing. “Many guests are often lost for words when discovering the property for the first time. They may mention that it feels like going to another planet. The scale of the desert scenery—where you can see miles away—combined with the colors and textures of the million-year-old rock formations invites reflection and wonder.”

Hing also says that the rugged wilderness and mineral design of Amangiri are usually appreciated in layers. The pace of the desert encourages guests to slow down and take the time to notice more details, whether it is a specific feature or opening in the concrete design, or the subtle variations of the light on the sand dunes and towering mesas throughout the day. 

Because the inherent landscape of the surroundings encourages visitors to pause and absorb the calming energy of the region, it was a natural fit for Aman to create a residential component to the property so that guests could linger in the setting for extended amounts of time. Although an initial concept for residences at Amangiri was drafted at the time of the property’s opening, Aman chose to focus on cementing the resort and the brand before turning its attention to residences. Now, after Amangiri has become one of the most recognizable destinations in the world, the timing has been right to focus on the residential plan, which was conceived by the resort’s original architect, Marwan Al-Sayed. 

The Architecture: A Seamless Union Between Nature and Man  

Los Angeles–based architect Marwan Al-Sayed of Masastudio first set foot on the land that now holds Amangiri in 1999. “Creating Amangiri was a completely unique project,” he says. “I was based in Phoenix at the time, and the developers were interviewing different firms in the area. When they realized that their top picks, Rick Joy [of Studio Rick Joy], Wendell Burnette [of Wendell Burnette Architects], and I all knew each other, they asked us to collaborate on the project.” 

Al-Sayed admits a collaboration of such established firms is rare, but the site was so spectacular and the project so intriguing that all three firms eagerly signed on. They formed their own joint firm for the project, ITEN Studio, and had a completely open collaboration. “There was no competition between us—we all put our egos aside and decided that the best idea on the table wins,” says Al-Sayed. 

The design team traveled to numerous Aman properties, mostly in Asia, to immerse themselves in the brand’s ethos and DNA. Upon returning to the site and developing a plan, they were predominantly inspired by the light and surrounding environment. “So many of the surrounding places to stay in the region are built right next to the highway, like an old roadside American motel,” says Al-Sayed. “But here, we built entirely into the landscape—not just on top of it. Our mission became to create something that would resonate but not detract from what’s already there. Because there was nothing else like this in the area, it put the region on the map in a way that had never been done before.”  

For the property’s next chapter, Al-Sayed, who has frequently traveled back to Amangiri since its opening, observing how the property has matured and evolved, has created a new residential plan for a collection of villas, which will have unique characteristics prescribed by their individual settings. 

“The way I look at it, is that there is the main area with the hotel, with a valley above it, which will have some villas, and then two other valleys will each have a handful more,” says Al-Sayed. “It’s as if Amangiri is the trunk of the tree and these villas are the branches and leaves that extend from it.”

Featuring many of the same materials found at the main resort, the new villas will each have a living room, dining room, loggia pavilion that opens to outdoor spaces and a swimming pool with its own unique rock feature. “The rooms are like a series of blocks that get adapted to the landscape,” says Al-Sayed. “Although each residence is made from the same materials, they will all feel different because of the way they engage the rock and the land. If you’re visiting someone else’s residence, it will be familiar but different.”  

The Environment: Nature Makes for the Best Neighbor 

Amangiri is surrounded by 900 acres of sand dunes and sandstone cliffs, making it a unique playground for hiking, rock climbing, exploring the nearby national parks or just luxuriating in the tranquility the property exudes. From the air, most of the land around the resort appears flat, but Al-Sayed explains that there’s actually quite a bit of undulation in the landscape that allows for not only a variety of outdoor pursuits but also for the architecture of new residences to be tucked into the folds of the landscape. The natural terrain provides organic privacy, as well as an intertwined experience with the outdoors, intrinsically linking the homes with the landscape. 

“The location in the high desert is a completely unique setting to experience nature year-round,” says Hing. “Amangiri experiences all of the four seasons, each with their own charm. Spring and fall enjoy balmy temperatures during the day with cooler mornings and evenings—they are the ideal seasons for outdoor adventures. The dry heat in the summer is the perfect companion for a day lounging at the pool or exploring the picturesque Lake Powell. Winter is usually colder with clear blue skies and therefore the best time of the year to retreat to the spa or go and discover the surrounding national parks.”

Indeed, the natural landscape of the resort is one of the biggest draws, with Amangiri offering an incomparable way to experience it. “I went to boarding school in Colorado and spent every spring break in Utah,” says Al-Sayed. “I have memories of hiking and biking there in spring, and the main swimming pool at Amangiri reminds me of how I’d see natural pools in the area fill up from the seasonal rains. The region is like the American version of the Greek Islands to me—a wonderland of rock and water. People coming from Europe have never experienced those expanses and scale and sense of space. It’s a magical playground in itself.” 

Among some of the unique experiences to be had in the property’s “magical playground” is Via Ferrata, a series of cables and ladder rungs fixed to rock faces, allowing climbers to ascend on the property’s steep mountain routes. “This is popular with our guests as they offer both a physical and mental challenge with the reward of breathtaking views on top of the mesas,” says Hing.

After exploring the nearby terrain, guests often understand the more subtle connections between the resort’s architecture and surroundings. “When we were developing the original materials of the resort, we decided to make it out of concrete, which was made from the existing sandstone around the property,” says Al-Sayed. “By using materials from the site, which have minerals in it, over time the walls have come to reflect what happens in the nearby rocks. They’ve aged in a natural way, just like the landscape around it.” 

Wellness: Beyond the Gym 

Much like the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, spending time in the natural landscape around Amangiri is inherently relaxing. “We used to always say that just being at the property feels spa-like,” says Al-Sayed. “The rocks there are 165 million years old. My daughter [who has visited with me many times over the years] said that the energy they give off is palpable. With the residences, we tried to create a spa-like ambiance, so that you feel like you’re in harmony with what’s there.” All of the residences Al-Sayed has created are meant to settle into their site, without being overdesigned or overimagined. 

Nearby, at the property’s 25,000-square-foot wellness center and throughout its grounds, Amangiri offers a variety of movement sessions to encourage a reconnection of body, mind and spirit, using the power of the natural elements to rejuvenate and rebalance. “Some of the most unique experiences here are yoga at sunrise on the top of Tower Butte [after a short helicopter flight, guests enjoy their own private, open-air yoga studio 1,000 feet above Lake Powell], as well as our Longevity Fitness, a combination of balance, stability and mobility-oriented routines, and Ai Chi, a total water-based body relaxation and strengthening process based on Tai Chi and Qi Gong,” says Hing. 

Al-Sayed points out that living in a resort should be adaptable to everyday life, with the serene setting enhancing the lifestyle and daily routines. “When we created the residences, we utilized the palette in nature as much as possible. We often say that light is the final finish,” he says. “We typically build custom homes, which we fit to our clients like a tailored suit. Here, we used the site as the client, tailoring each structure into the site for a holistic living experience that not only looks good,  but also feels good.”