Recharge In Rugged Luxury At This Arizona Wellness Sanctuary
The Wilde Resort & Spa overlooks the majesty of Thunder Mountain, while High Country Motor Lodge presides over Flagstaff.
A scintillating sanctuary in Sedona, Arizona, The Wilde Resort & Spa, minutes from Red Rock State Park and overlooking the majesty of Thunder Mountain and the craggy Sonoran Desert, could be lifted out of picaresque Marfa, Texas, in all its Wild West-cinematic glory. And actually it’s better than that: the perfect iteration of Desert Modern, with wellness offerings to suit any taste.
Opened just a year ago, where a vintage motel once held the ground, the luxury 105-guest room hotel near Flagstaff is anything but another roadside attraction. To behold it, visitors should see the spread at sunset, when its fire pits, pool, and mountain-scapes are dramatically shadowed by the natural setting: buttes, canyons, pine forests and big, big sky. It was our first stop before heading to the cool new High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff (more below).
The haute diner-style restaurant on the site, named Rascal, looks out upon it all. And its spa blows away anything like it in the Southwest. The stars feel thisclose as you take in a prickly pear margarita in the grove garden, as Italian cypress trees are undulated like ceiling fans by the evening’s zephyrs. And be sure to take in the moonlight on its Rangeview Rooftop patio.
Removed from hustle and bustle, the transporting resort, located in the heart of Sedona, offers everything the storied town itself does and more: adventurous types can indulge in daily moments of trail-blazing its paths through all the natural terrain, on foot or bike. Hotel-led excursions also abound. One tour even provides a kayak trip to wine tastings in the Verde Valley. Wherever you go there are those astounding red rock formations so famous from movies past and present.
Both within and “out there,” this is a first-class rejuvenation experience. After hitting trails and vortexes through the park and mountains, tap a massage or facial from the Wilde Haven Spa. Here there are invigorating outdoor hot tubs and a menu of “specialty bodywork, Sedona-inspired massages, meditation, wellness classes, and yoga with sound bowl healing,” according to the resort. A fascinating amenity: guests can even stay inside the spa and experience crystal persuasions such as quantum healing, clairvoyant coaching, and acupuncture.
Mornings are for outdoor yoga, or a Bloody by the pool, with its outdoor wood-burning fireplace. Then hit the trails before it gets too hot. There are also Japanese bathing treatments, cupping sessions and other holistic treatments such as palo santo-infused massages. If you just want to lie in the pool and have a Pink Javelina cocktail, live a little. There are more expensive stays in the area, but for its reasonable rates and more, there is pretty much all you need here, including sublime, character-rich dining experiences.
People flock from miles around to get a table at Rascal Modern Diner & Bar, helmed by noted chef Mercer Mohr, which abides with regional and Americano delights. The craft cocktail program, while insurmountable, is only usurped by the upscale comfort cuisine, which kicks off with starters such as Arizona’s artisanal cheeses, local organic produce, plum tomato soup and green chile chicken bisque, as well as a sublime “Wedgie” salad.
Dinner standouts include ahi tuna nachos, firecracker shrimp, signature meatloaf-and-mushroom gravy, an epic blackened ribeye steak, sustainable black cod, shrimp and grits, fish sliders, rosemary chicken, and a plethora of burgers, including Waygu cuts. As it’s a diner of sorts, there are gourmet Reubens and grilled cheese sandwiches too, served throughout the day. Daily specials include a phenomenal corned beef and cabbage quesadilla with Swiss cheese on Tuesdays; Thursdays, classic Oysters Rock. Breakfast is traditional Mexican: fresh tortillas, huevos rancheros, beans and rice, and the like.
Have a dog? The Wilde loves canines and they have their own menu, including steak tartar, venison stew, chicken jerky cookies, and wood-fired chicken, served poolside if you wish. The minimalistic Southwest-décor suites have balconettes, patios, and courtyard terraces, which look out upon the ranges and gardens. Some even have working gas fireplaces. Many astute shelter magazines hail their beds and bedding, which includes lamb’s wool blankets. Baths have super-sized soaking tubs.
The restaurant scene in town boasts at least 15 singular places. Among the standouts are Tii Gavo, Shorebird (salmon mignon, and a white peach sangria, anyone?), the open-air treehouse of a dining room Hideaway House (inventive takes on pizzas), the Golden Goose American Grill (from pecan-crusted trout to ribeye), the sophisticated comfort food of The Hudson, and the dark and uncharacteristically lounge-y Butterfly Burger, helmed by chef Lisa Dahl.
Then there’s the iconic Cowboy Club, which has been serving up high desert cuisine since 1946 when it first opened as Oak Creek Tavern. There are creeks, wineries, breweries, and al fresco live music stages in the dry-by-night, sultry-by-day city of perhaps 9,000 inhabitants. It is largely reached from the Phoenix-Scottsdale airport, about a two-hour’s drive. For being so seemingly far removed, the city and The Wilde are really something.
From there we roadtripped a bit farther north to Flagstaff and another recently-opened gem, High Country Motor Lodge. Marc & Rose Hospitality, a leading hotel development and management company based in Phoenix, created the boutique hotel along historic Route 66 out of a former roadside motel which had little to distinguish it aside from the location.
Over the past year, the company invested $13 million in reinventing the property, resulting in the 123-room High Country Motor Lodge, one of Northern Arizona’s most unique stays. They also added three private cottage suites and two junior suites, as well as rehabbed public spaces, restored the expansive outdoor pool with the addition of an oversized hot tub and two private saunas, and developed an indoor / outdoor bar and restaurant.
The inviting vibe is vintage industrial meets Dark Nostalgia, “inspired by Flagstaff’s undeniable natural beauty and Route 66’s storied roadside culture.” To create it they “melded vintage style with rustic elements and astronomic accents purposed to create an elevated–yet casual–experience.” Game, set and match, we’d say. And right around the corner is downtown Flagstaff, known for its breweries and boutiques.
“The entire property showcases a darker color palette accented with rustic woods and 1960’s inspired fixtures and furnishings,” notes Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar, Principle with ADean Studios. “An eclectic family of hand-rendered typographic and illustrative graphic elements celebrate the motor lodge’s vintage style, contemporary design, and the love of high desert adventure,” adds Amy Pastre, Creative Director and Founding Partner of South Carolina-based Stitch Design Co. (SDCO Partners).
This is one stop you’ll want to add to your Arizona travel bucket list.
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