Great question.

Yes. 100%. That’s my answer.

It’s not the bed or the bedroom furniture that made the difference. Sure, it was one of the nicest rooms I’ve stayed in. But I’ve been in better (the Ritz Carlton, Tokyo, comes to mind.) The property amenities were very nice, but here again, I’ve seen better.

So why was Amangiri worth the brain-hurting sum of money they charge?

Three answers.

First, the location.

A unique, 600+ acre property, in the middle of nowhere. The desert in this part of the country is particularly beautiful. And this location is isolated without being out of reach, carved into the edges of a valley, with towering mesas hugging the compound.

Second, the hotel compound itself.

The main section has only 34 guest rooms, and Camp Sarika has about 10 more. Plus there’s a private villa. All are designed in a way that honors the desert itself, without drawing too much attention. Built near Navajo lands, they take great strides to achieve a sense of oneness with the heritage of the land, without compromising functionality or comfort. And this is all done with minimalism and an aesthetic that is organically bound to the environment it’s in. The main pool, for example, is built around a protruding rock formation, almost welcoming the asymmetry as a feature, not something to be bulldozed or erased. There is no bar, only one dinning area, and no gift shop (there is a small boutique, but that’s it.) The architecture is world-class, as is the landscaping, which consisted of desert willows, apple and plum trees, and honey suckles. They do not manicure the foliage that blends right into the hotel grounds; it is completely natural.

And finally, my third and final answer is the customer experience.

At Amangiri, guest pay a daily rate for their suites. This includes all meals and non-alcoholic drinks. When you drive up from the highway (a small sign tells you  to exit) and go for 20 minutes, you arrive at a dead end with a small callbox. When you press the button you are greeted with a Bond-like “Hello Mr. Talieh, we have been expecting you.” Once you drive another 10 minutes you get to the main hotel building, where a team of 4 people are awaiting your arrival. They greet you and ask you to leave everything as is, as you follow one of them up into the main floor. Our greeter gave us a tour of the facility which ended with a walk through of our room. Our luggage was already in the room before we got there, as was a hand written card from the general manager (and not a short one.)

Because of the flat rate, there is no tipping. And zero up-selling. This was a huge difference from my experience at the Four Seasons, for example, where you have to walk around with an ATM in your pocket and sometime work to avoid any eye contact when you are out of cash. The service is authentic. No one comes up to you and gives you a canned greeting. Its a very private experience, and the staff there does its best to stay out of the way. The gym doesn’t need a keycard and you can get any item from the menu at any time, in the dinning area or in your room (no distinction or difference.) They spa facilities are there for you to use, with or without a treatment booking. They want you to use and experience their resources, their excellent food (almost Michelin level, imo) and really get the most out of it. Sure, you can book special activities, like rock climbing (as we did), horseback riding, water skiing (Lake Powell is nearby) and other fun things. All that is done through a 3rd party outfitter, top of the line, and expensive. But they also have daily actives that are included and onsite, like yoga, kick-boxing, pilates, and meditation.

To be clear, I feel fairly confident that we were the poorest people there (other than maybe this one guest who happened to have worked there a few years ago and was visiting with his fiancé.) The airport nearby is flooded with private planes, which is how most people get there (we flew commercial to Vegas and drove a rental car for 4.5 hours.) My partner booked this as a special surprise kid-free getaway for us; the first time we’d traveled without kids in 2.5 years! Some of the magic in the customer experience is perhaps only observable by people like me, who really don’t belong on a property like this. For example, you never have to ask for your room to be cleaned. Anytime you leave the room and come back…voilà, your room has been cleaned! You don’t ever pull out your wallet, not even when leaving. They come to your table the night before you are to embark on an activity and go through your itinerary with you, the way a personal assistant or chief of staff would. This is how they check you out too, btw. The night before you leave, they come by your table and ask if you will be having lunch onsite or would prefer to have something prepared for the road, either car or flight optimized. If you happen to mention that you didn’t like something, had an allergy, or a particular preference, this information would cascade throughout the staff, which numbered in the 100’s, with no more than a dozen ever being visible at any time.

My final point about the experience, and the one that really felt authentic and special to me: at no point did anything feel pretentious or overbearing. Many fine hotels, in L.A., New York, Berlin, Zurich, etc. can feel stuffy. I saw how they made the former staff member feel, and how they treated the folks from the wedding party, and how they made us feel…there was no difference.  I don’t know if I will ever spend that kind of money on a hotel again, but if I do it will most likely be to return to Amangiri, so I can sink into the desert landscape and take in the stars at night.

Hope this helps.