Hotel Snapshot
Naturalist John Muir once mused that “going to the mountains is like going home.” That’s what you’ll feel upon arrival at The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection, a pine-spangled wonderland of scabrous mountains and singing rivers near Park City Utah. Not the chic party land you imagine from storied Sundance events, this more restorative ranch-like hideaway enlivens 4,000 healing acres in a remote cranny of the Wasatch Mountains. Its contemporary, but utterly organic structures meld into the terrain like a conversation with the universe. Check in to commune with animals at the on-site Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation at Gracie’s Farm, where rescued cows, cats, horses, goats, dogs (and more) live peacefully ,and for the chance to learn gardening skills, do axe throwing, snowshoe to a yurt for yoga—even have a heli-wedding on skis, for heaven's sake. You’ll find breath work courses, spa rituals, hiking, seasonal farm dinners and sport clay activities.
Design and Character
Luxury at The Lodge at Blue Sky goes beyond creature comforts to embrace heartfelt expansiveness. A realm of bucolic modernity, the retreat summons futuristic western, eco- ranch vibes, with free-standing accommodations grouped to honor the landscape. High ceilings and panoramic windows invite connection to the outdoors throughout the property. Like nature’s piazza, Sky Lodge, the resort’s social heart, holds Yuta, the main restaurant and various activity spaces. A pool and spa lie adjacent. In all directions, trees, rivers and mountains beckon.
The Rooms
Choose Sky Lodge, Earth Suites or Creek House, which together boast 46 rooms. Sky Lodge offers 14 airy one-bedroom rooms and suites, and five two-bedroom suites, envisioned for family travelers. Earth House’s roomy 22 suites are sewn into a hillside. With sleek fairy tale meets eco verve appeal they feature spellbinding grass-covered rooftops, terrace-sited fireplaces and outdoor showers. Further afield, the more secluded, adults-only Creek House area comprises a series of five stand- alone residences, poised along serpentine Alexander Creek. Encompassing 780 square-feet indoors, they also flaunt 200 square-feet of outdoor terrace. A boon for fishers, Creekside rooms are provisioned with fishing rods and custom tackle boxes.
Food and Drink
Under the leadership of Chef Guillermo Tellez, farm-to-table Yuta lets the landscape lead. From salads mixed with ingredients from the farm to honey from the hives to prodigious elk chops, the all day menu tastes of the region. At The Bar, sip The Horse Thief, the retreat’s signature cocktail. A zesty concoction of tequila, Green Chartreuse, ginger, blackberries, whiskey and more.
Wellness
Cocoon-like Edge Spa, poised on a cliff, invites guests to peel back the metaphorical layers beneath its garden roof. Not just healing, but a summons to reflect, the spa has windows that frame stalwart mountains, a relaxation room augmented with handcrafted tea bags stuffed with foraged herbs and handmade journals with handwritten messages that seem intimate and customized. The spa menu runs the gamut from results driven treatments to energy journeys. Drawn from the region, the signature High West Whiskey Rubdown channels the Old West with a whiskey, sage and salt foot soak, paired with a shot of locally distilled High West Whiskey—all followed by an intoxicating massage. Certain spa rituals take place at Edge Sanctuary, secreted amongst the trees. Myriad complimentary seasonal experiences keep guests active from yoga to hiking to farm school.
Amenities
Besides classic five star amenities, The Lodge at Blue Sky has stellar kids and teen programs, fantastic stargazing guides with kits, is dog friendly and offers free airport transfers.
Location and Neighborhood Recs
You won’t need to leave the retreat—those 4,000 hotel acres of unspoiled nature constitute your neighborhood—though a side jaunt to Park City to ski never gets old.
Fast Facts
Location: You’ll find The Lodge at Blue Sky about thirty minutes from Park City and an hour from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Vibe: Eco-chic, active, casually elegant and very spiritual. Animal lovers: this one is for you.
Rating: Five Star
Room Count: 46 rooms and suites.
Pricing: Starts at $1599
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: I absolutely love its backstory: owners who fell in love with the land, tended it and shared it with others as an act of generosity. Unique and enchanting, Gracie’s Farm, home to rescued animals adds a deeper meaning to your vacation. This is a place to commune with nature and its animals.
Dining: The acclaimed, all-day Yuta draws locals and non-hotel guests from Park City and beyond. The Bar buzzes.
Amenities: Classic hotel amenities with a local twist.
Airport: Salt Lake City International Airport
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At The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection on a wintry day in February, I meet a couple who’ve returned to the resort to stay a second time within two weeks. Perhaps this wouldn’t be odd if they had just been coming from across the state, or perhaps even from a neighbouring state. But the couple hailed from Philadelphia. At this time of year, at the very least, I would have thought they’d be in search of warm weather. And, they aren’t even skiers. “We loved it so much we couldn’t even wait a month to return,” they tell me one day after we share time in one of the resort’s complimentary yoga practices.
That’s the general vibe at The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection, which opened during the pandemic’s darkest days, immediately supplying a lucky handful of travelers a remote refuge in Utah, secluded away from the world’s shared malaise. Not only do guests not want to leave this inspirational retreat when their stay ends, but they want to return as soon as possible. A place that has a nearly instantaneous medicinal effect on the soul, the unique property spans some 3,500-acres of forested mountain terrain—a haven of pine tree-riddled valleys, rushing creeks and rivers, meadows, and elk-dotted slopes. It lies about 30 minutes by car from Park City, close enough to allow curious guests (or skiers) to play in town, but faraway enough to encourage guests to hole up and use Blue Sky as a sanctuary of sorts. Its the kind of well being-centered resort that provides myriad tools for self discovery, entertainment and education, while also pampering with stellar gastronomy and shelter. It showcases (and refuses to compete with) the surrounding nature. Essentially, Blue Sky gives you what you need, which may well be different for every visitor. Likely, most guests take something unexpected home: a new talent, a novel way of thinking, less stress, a resolution they hadn’t known they sought or simply an ability to count their blessings.
Central to Blue Sky, the onsite Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation at Gracie’s Farm, a home for rescue horses, dogs, chickens, cows, cats and goats epitomizes the spirit of the resort. A place where guests can connect with and interact with rescued animals on a profound level plus learn gardening skills, it marks the heart of Blue Sky, owned by animal lovers and nature buffs, Barb and Mike Phillips. Their ranchland-turned-sustainable-resort, aptly managed by Auberge, reflects the Phillips’ deep commitment to the land and local culture, as well as their generosity at sharing a transformative space.
Guests can choose between three types of understatedly elegant rooms, each with windows that frame nature. Adult’s only Creek Houses sit on the water’s edge, the sound of the burbling brook as their background music. Earth Suites (715 square feet huge), nestled into a hill, open to immense mountain views, with large terraces. And Sky Lodges occupy the top floor of the retreat’s main building, with some larger, two bedroom suites, ideal for families. House-made soaps and amenities, devastatingly comfortable beds and free minibars are highlights. Compelling art in the suites and throughout the resort pay homage to rescued animal and chic design redefines the rustic mountain lodge experience.
At Yuta, the all-day-dining, farm-to-table restaurant led by James Beard nominee Executive Chef Jason Franey, Gracie’s Farm’s own bounty supplements fresh ingredients gleaned from local growers, farmers and ranchers. Drop into the moody bar for a clever cocktail, such as the signature Horse Thief.
Workout in the state-of-the-art fitness room, practice yoga in an evocative room with panoramic windows or swim in the lap pool, which caps a hill Edge Spa, poised on a cliff above the creek, offers a meaningful menu of rituals from facials to massages to sleep therapy to energy readings. Its tranquil space has been artfully enhanced with special touches from handmade teabags to journals left to be mulled over, which offer pages full of hand-penned inspirational quotes.
