SEDONA, Ariz.—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has begun renovations at Amara Resort & Spa in Sedona, Ariz., that include a design refresh of the resort’s 100 guestrooms, common areas, and restaurant.
The refresh is rolling out in stages, with completion expected at the end of June. As Kimpton’s newest addition to its Arizona properties, Amara is a boutique resort located in the heart of uptown Sedona. Nestled along Oak Creek, the resort overlooks the Cleopatra Red Rock Formation.
“‘Modern native’ is the idea our design team was inspired by and we held ourselves to that creative development in all aspects of the refresh,” said Patrick Gaskin, general manager at Amara. “It was important for us to infuse elements of the craftsmanship and traditions of the Hopi and Navajo tribes that are indigenous to Northern Arizona, such as basket-making, rope-weaving, rain sticks, and turquoise. Our designers were inspired by native patterns and indigenous skills, but we’ve reinvented it in a contemporary way instead of trying to be too literal.”
Pulling from the color palette of the surrounding foliage and the desert flowers that dot the property, green, aubergine, bright marigold, and injections of hot fuchsia can be found throughout the new interiors.
Design elements found throughout the rooms are live-edge wooden headboards that were individually crafted from fallen trees and vary from room-to-room, crystal drawer accents and geode artwork that pull inspiration from Sedona’s spiritual center, turquoise table lamps, oversized sitting chairs with woven rope accents, colorful rain sticks positioned above the bed, and artwork featuring a jackalope, the mythological creature, adding a bit of whimsy.
The resort’s common spaces that are undergoing design renovations include the living room where guests enjoy complimentary wine hour nightly, the outdoor lounge and lawn areas, and the 26,000-gallon infinity edge saltwater pool that overlooks the serene Oak Creek and red rocks.
“With spectacular weather year-round, our outdoor spaces are very social environments and we wanted to create a place that invites our guests to relax in cheery Adirondack chairs on the lawn, cozy up with plush blankets on starry nights over a glass of wine with new friends by the fire pits, or catch some Arizona rays by the pool while enjoying the view,” Gaskin said.
The resort’s signature restaurant, Hundred Rox, is being completely redesigned and reimagined by Kimpton. Set to be unveiled later this summer, the restaurant will embody a new concept along with a new menu and name. Hundred Rox will remain open to resort guests and the public throughout the renovation process.
