From its snow-capped red rocks to its multicolor medley of crinkly leaves, Sedona wins out when it comes to a close-to-home winter retreat. Grab your favorite fireside snuggle buddy, your must-have s’mores fixings and come along.
An ideal getaway for a late-autumn or winter retreat (hello, red, burgundy and golden leaves!), Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona invites guests to savor the cool mountain air in comfort and luxury.
With temps coming in around 80 degrees, wading the day away in the heated infinity-edge pool is pure bliss. In between dips, hit up the courtyard for a game of cornhole and Connect Four or borrow a complimentary mountain bike to feel the breeze in your hair. After working up an appetite, grab a bite on the patio of SaltRock Southwest Kitchen. At SaltRock, guests can dig into crispy-skin branzino, shrimp and grits and braised osso buco while enjoying views of Cleopatra Rock and Snoopy Rock.
For a dose of “me time” that is oh-so vital during the bustling holiday season, Amara Spa offers a grand selection of massages, facials, body treatments, foot and hand rituals and more designed to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. Once the sun goes down, extend the relaxation at a stargazing demonstration led by a local astronomy expert every Monday night.
Now through February 2020, Amara is offering a variety of different stay packages all featuring luxury accommodations in a patio guest room and starting from $199 per night including: Stay In and Snuggle (features s’mores kit at check-in to use at the fire pits, a souvenir throw blanket and daily breakfast); and Starry Seasonal Sojourn (includes a bottle of bubbly upon arrival and a $100 spa credit). Plus, guests who are looking for a great value can take advantage of the Extend Your Winter Escape; if you book three nights, you get the fourth night complimentary.
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock
Starting Dec. 1, Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock wants to wish its guests a holly, jolly Fitmas! Fitmas & Funmas is a month-long holiday celebration with a focus on wellness, adventure and seasonal festivities.Valley dwellers looking for lower temps and a wellness-inspired holiday are invited to head north for activities like Rise with Rudolph Sunrise Yoga, seasonal musical performances, ornament-decorating classes, storytime with Mrs. Claus and s’mores and hot cocoa and much more. And don’t forgo the winter nightcap that awaits fireside on the Porch at ShadowRock Tap + Table. Rates start at $217 per room, per night.
Many have seen the majesty of the iconic Sedona red rocks, but not all have experienced them ever-so-delicately dusted with snow during the winter months in Arizona. This Sedona institution—a 2019 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award winner and Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Hotel, Restaurant and Spa—not only offers the chance to take in (and journey through) these picturesque frosted peaks and vortexes, but it also offers the chance to snuggle up next to a fire in one’s own private cottage set along Oak Creek and indulge in one of the highest-rated dining experiences in the Southwest via Etch and Cress on Creek. Through March, the resort is offering a Sedona Snowmance package. Starting at $649 per night, it includes two nights of accommodations in one of the resort’s cottages; a $380 spa credit toward two 60-minute in-room, fireside spa treatments; a s’mores kit for two; and a signature throw blanket as a take-home gift.
