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Aman

Amangiri

Canyon Point, USA
Fat Approved
Scored by the fat travel community ↓

Fat Score

Fat Approved0.0/20
How this works ↓
Service
14.0
Design
18.5
Location
19.0
Dining
13.0
Wellness
16.5

The Verdict

Amangiri's setting remains genuinely unmatched — the resort is carved into the Colorado Plateau so completely that arriving feels like entering another world, and that picture-frame window at the entrance, the fireplace-lit annex, and the sky deck stargazing still stop first-time guests cold. But this is a hotel wrestling publicly with its own success. Prices have climbed from roughly $1,000/night in the mid-2010s to $4,500–$10,000+ today, and a large, vocal cohort of repeat guests — the exact loyal, high-spending travelers Aman built its reputation on — now say the product hasn't kept pace with the price, citing slow restaurant service, inconsistent food, understaffed pool areas, and a reservations team that can be curt rather than gracious. At the same time, a meaningful number of recent stays, especially in the Camp Sarika pavilions under newer leadership, describe intuitive, anticipatory service and genuinely memorable moments (Navajo-guided slot canyon tours, via ferrata, in-room fireside evenings). The honest read: the architecture and landscape justify the trip on their own merits, but treat the on-property food and service as a coin flip rather than a guarantee, and go for the place itself — not for flawless five-star polish you'd expect from an Aman in Asia.

142 signalsfrom 4 sourcesReports span May 2024 – Jun 2026Refreshed Jul 2026Next refresh Aug 2026How this works

Strengths

Architecture that dissolves into the canyon landscape rather than sitting on top of it
Unrivaled sense of seclusion within a vast private desert estate
Genuinely memorable excursions — via ferrata, slot canyon tours, Lake Powell, stargazing
Spa consistently praised as a standout, even by critical reviewers
Camp Sarika pavilions offer some of the best private-pool accommodations in the US

Considerations

Restaurant service frequently slow, with multi-hour meals and understaffed pool bars
Food quality inconsistent — praised by some as Michelin-level, called bland or poorly executed by others
Reservations and gate staff sometimes cold or unhelpful, undercutting the arrival experience
Price escalation (roughly 3-5x since the mid-2010s) increasingly seen as disproportionate to the actual product

Photos

1 / 10

What People Say

Strong endorsement

Amangiri holds three Michelin Keys, placing it among the most highly rated hotels anywhere by that standard.

AFARDec 2025

AFAR's coverage of the Michelin Keys system singles out Amangiri as one of the properties recognized at the top tier, a distinction reserved for only the most exceptional hotels worldwide.

Three Michelin Keys recognition
Strong endorsement

Readers ranked Amangiri as their favorite resort in Utah, well ahead of every other luxury property in the state.

Travel + LeisureJul 2024

The World's Best Awards score of 95.10 suggests that despite the operational grumbling elsewhere, the broader traveling public still holds Amangiri in exceptionally high regard as a destination.

Top-ranked resort in Utah by reader vote
Lifts the score

Whether Amangiri is worth $30k for three nights really depends on what you're there for — service and dining, or the landscape itself.

Jun 2026

If you go expecting a traditional luxury resort where flawless service and dining justify the bill, I think you'll struggle to feel it's worth $30k for three nights. But Amangiri earns its reputation when you actually engage with the land — via ferrata, canyon hiking, lake activities, water sports. The estate is enormous; I drove several miles just to reach the resort from the gate, and that sense of total seclusion embedded in the desert is genuinely magical and unlike anywhere else I've stayed.

Extraordinary sense of seclusion within a vast estate
Rich activity menu — via ferrata, hiking, water sports
Justifying the price on service/dining alone is difficult
Lifts the score

The service doesn't quite match what I've experienced at top Asian luxury hotels, but the pancakes at breakfast alone might be worth the trip.

Jun 2026

I've been to Amangiri a few times and genuinely love it, but I'll be honest about the flaws — service here doesn't live up to Asian luxury standards, though I'd argue nowhere in America really does either. Food is mostly a hit with occasional misses; I could eat their breakfast pancake forever. If you go in with realistic expectations about American service culture, you'll likely still have a wonderful time. For rooms, I'd steer toward the Desert Pool Suite or the Girjaali Suite.

Breakfast pancake genuinely memorable
Desert Pool and Girjaali suites recommended
Service below Asian luxury benchmark
Drags the score

I went in the early years when it was nearly empty, and honestly I have no desire to pay today's prices to share the pool with influencers.

Jun 2026

I visited Amangiri three times in its first couple of years, and the scenery genuinely blew me away — one night I had the place almost entirely to myself with only four other guests. Service was just okay even back then, not spectacular. But now that it's tripled in price and turned into an influencer backdrop, I have zero interest in going back.

Extraordinary scenery
Once felt genuinely secluded
Overrun by influencer culture now
Service was never more than adequate
Lifts the score

We had a gorgeous suite with a Tiepolo fresco on the ceiling and a bathroom the size of a deluxe room — the furnishings are just a bit safe for my taste.

Jan 2026

We always had a great breakfast and stayed in a stunning suite with an actual Tiepolo fresco above us and a bathtub set in the center of a bathroom that could have been its own room. My only real critique is that Aman's furnishings, here and elsewhere, lean a bit too safe — contemporary pieces in historic-feeling spaces that end up looking like elevated RH Modern rather than something more distinctive.

Striking suite details including ceiling fresco
Oversized bathroom with statement bathtub
Furnishings feel somewhat generic for the price
Red flag

We've stayed at eight Amans and this was the only one where we had to chase down basic pre-arrival communication.

Oct 2025

Booking Amangiri came with total radio silence at first, and getting spa and off-property activities scheduled took forever. We finally got a guest experience call, but only after our travel agent pushed for it. On departure day, it took 40 minutes just to get our luggage down to the car — at $5,000+ a night for a room that isn't even really a suite, I don't buy the idea that high price shouldn't come with high service.

Slow pre-arrival communication
Luggage and departure logistics mishandled
Drags the score

This was our second stay, and even at the cheapest room ($5K/night) the service felt noticeably worse than our first visit.

May 2025

Dinner at Camp Sarika took over two hours for four courses, drinks took 30 minutes, and the coffee was worse than airport lounge coffee. On our second visit the staff no longer remembered us or cleaned between meals the way they had before — we came back from breakfast to an unmade bed. The free daily guided hikes were genuinely excellent though, and I'd recommend booking activities through outside suppliers since the hotel marks them up significantly.

Free daily guided hikes excellent value
Outside activity suppliers much cheaper
Multi-hour dinner service
Noticeably declined personalization on repeat visit
Strong endorsement

After two stays in the Desert Pool Suite, I can say this is one of the most extraordinary hospitality experiences I've had anywhere in the world.

L1144ISannabFeb 2026

Our Desert Pool Suite felt like a private sanctuary carved into the desert — the plunge pool became essential in the summer heat, and the sky deck stargazing was pure magic. What elevated the stay was the service: every interaction, from poolside care to spa hospitality, felt intuitive and warm without ever being intrusive. The Navajo-guided slot canyon tour added real cultural depth, and the via ferrata courses were thrilling but never felt unsafe.

Desert Pool Suite feels like a private sanctuary
Intuitive, anticipatory service
Navajo-guided slot canyon tour
Lifts the score

Under new leadership at Camp Sarika, the food and service both felt like a genuine step up from what I'd read about elsewhere.

John LiDec 2025

We spent Christmas in a two-bedroom pavilion at Camp Sarika and, as food-critical travelers, were pleasantly surprised — lobster thermidor for breakfast, beef wellington for dinner, and cocktails with real local flavor inspiration. Service was top-notch overall, though we did have a couple of minor mix-ups with orders. What stood out most was how thoughtfully the staff handled our ten-year-old autistic son, seating us away from other guests without us even having to ask.

Ambitious, well-executed menus
Staff showed genuine care for accessibility needs
Occasional order mix-ups
Mattress described as lumpy
Strong endorsement

This is the best hotel I've stayed at in the US, and the fact that the food is genuinely Michelin-level and unlimited feels almost absurd.

Lauren SierraNov 2025

Everything on the property seems to function as one giant spa — it smells incredible, sounds incredible, feels incredible. Service here anticipates your needs without ever smothering you, and they're exceptional about privacy. If you appreciate Native American culture, the art and evening performances on property are the real deal, not a tourist gimmick.

Michelin-level unlimited dining
Service anticipates needs without smothering
Authentic Native American cultural programming
Drags the score

My four previous visits as a friend's guest were flawless, but booking my own stay in the Mesa pool suite was a completely different, disappointing experience.

Emma CansecoNov 2025

I'd joined friends at the Sarika pavilions four times before and always had top-notch service — friendly staff, quick response times, amazing amenities. But the moment I booked my own stay in the Mesa pool suite, everything shifted: staff seemed rushed and less attentive, food was good but noticeably subpar, and even the mattress felt worse. I can't say for sure if it was the room category, the season, or something else, but it left me hesitant to book on my own again.

Sarika pavilions historically excellent
Inconsistent service depending on room category
Noticeably rushed staff attention
Red flag

The food here was so bad it reminded me of a tacky all-inclusive pretending to have fine dining, and the checkout process felt deliberately deceptive.

MegNov 2025

We got unripe fruit, undercooked breakfast potatoes, bland mains, and coffee so bad it tasted like unsteeped French press water. After telling our server we don't eat meat, we were still brought beef appetizers minutes later. At checkout we learned our $100 resort credit didn't cover alcohol — information that felt intentionally withheld until the last moment — and then they suggested we spend it on a $173 branded hat as a consolation.

Food quality far below price point
Checkout billing practices felt deceptive
Red flag

The scenery and rooms are breathtaking, but the pool service was so understaffed we felt completely ignored, and the massage was aggressive rather than relaxing.

Danny BensAug 2025

At the pool there was literally one person handling bed setup, drink orders, and everything else, so we sat waiting endlessly. The massage turned what should've been restorative into something rushed and uncomfortable, like the therapist wasn't listening to us at all. This place could be extraordinary, but until service catches up to the price, it feels like an overpriced photo op.

Breathtaking scenery and rooms
Severely understaffed pool service
Rushed, uncomfortable spa treatment
Strong endorsement

We told our travel agent we wanted remote, beautiful, and high end, and Amangiri delivered on all three during our 26th anniversary trip.

Nikki LagourosJul 2025

We stayed in Camp Sarika pavilion 5 and had the whole camp to ourselves for our five-day stay, which felt truly divine. The architecture blends beautifully with the natural surroundings, and the staff remembered everything about us day to day. The spa was our daily ritual and the Sea-Doo adventure was a real highlight — expensive, yes, but the privacy, exclusivity, and service all delivered.

Camp Sarika offers total privacy
Staff remembered personal details day to day
Excellent spa and water activities
Drags the score

The architecture and location are out of this world, but the food and service just don't match a $4k-a-night stay.

Ines GoncalvesMar 2025

The setting is genuinely spectacular, but the raw vegetables and fruit looked like they'd been cut long before service, and the food overall wasn't very tasty. Service was pleasant enough but honestly better at hotels costing a fraction of the price. At this level we shouldn't be getting boring food and three-star service.

Extraordinary architecture and setting
Food quality below price expectations
Service outpaced by much cheaper hotels
Strong endorsement

We celebrated our 30th anniversary here over Thanksgiving with our adult kids, and honestly I have no complaints at all.

momtrieshardNov 2024

We packed the days with hiking, horseback riding, a canyon walking tour, and spa treatments, and it all felt relaxing rather than rushed. Our room had everything we needed, including a clothing steamer for a special luncheon we hosted. The night of our anniversary we came back to candles, rose petals, a flower arrangement, and a bubble bath waiting for us — a genuinely thoughtful touch.

Thoughtful personal touches for special occasions
Wide range of on-site activities
Lifts the score

The location is in the middle of nowhere, which is both the magic and the problem — occasional staffing shortages make pool service hit or miss.

Sam MehtaMay 2024

The views are stunning and the via ferrata excursion, climbing rock faces and crossing tethered bridges between canyons, was a real highlight. Rooms and beds were very comfortable, and food and drinks were excellent. The isolation that makes this place special also means they sometimes struggle with staffing, so pool service can lag, but it didn't stop us from having a great time overall.

Excellent via ferrata excursion
Comfortable rooms and strong food and drink
Pool service occasionally understaffed

How we score

The 18 signals above are a handpicked editorial selection from 142 signals we gathered across dedicated luxury communities, guest reviews, and editorial publications. Every signal we gathered — not just the ones shown — feeds into the Fat Score and verdict above.

Credibility-weighted

Detailed trip reports from luxury communities and major editorial reviews carry the most weight. Brief ratings add context, not conviction.

Recency-adjusted

Recent experiences matter more. Renovations, management changes, and staff turnover all surface in fresh signals.

Consensus-driven

When independent sources agree on a strength or weakness, that signal gets amplified. One bad night doesn't tank a score.

Refreshed quarterly

Scores are re-gathered and re-calculated from scratch each quarter. Last updated Q3 2026.

Luxury amenities

  • Private Desert Estate Access
  • Via Ferrata & Canyon Climbing Courses
  • Sky Deck Stargazing
  • Camp Sarika Private-Pool Pavilions
  • Navajo-Guided Slot Canyon Tours
  • Lake Powell Boat Excursions
  • Tiepolo Fresco Suites
  • Naturally Heated Rock Pool

What fat travellers ask

Is Amangiri worth it?

It depends heavily on what you're paying for — as pure landscape, architecture, and seclusion, most guests agree nothing else in the US compares, but if you're expecting flawless five-star service and dining to match the $4,000-$10,000+ nightly rate, a significant share of recent guests say it falls short.

What's the best time to visit Amangiri?

Spring and fall bring the most comfortable temperatures for hiking and via ferrata, while winter stays lean into the wood-burning fireplaces and cozy indoor atmosphere; summer heat can limit outdoor activity to early morning and evening.

How does Amangiri compare to other Aman properties?

Several repeat Aman guests note that the brand's Asian properties consistently outperform Amangiri on service consistency, suggesting the North American outpost struggles more with staffing and execution than its sister hotels.

Should I stay in the Suites or Camp Sarika?

Camp Sarika pavilions offer more privacy and space and have drawn some of the strongest recent praise, though a few guests found the camp's separate restaurant underwhelming compared to the main Amangiri dining room.

Who is Amangiri best for?

It suits travelers prioritizing landscape, seclusion, and adventure activities (hiking, climbing, Lake Powell excursions) over a flawless fine-dining or hyper-attentive service experience, and those who can treat the price as secondary to the once-in-a-lifetime setting.

Similar Hotels

Amanfayun — Hangzhou, China
Fat Favorite

Aman

Amanfayun

Hangzhou, China

Amanfayun remains one of Aman's most distinctive properties precisely because it refuses to behave like a conventional hotel — this is a reconstructed Longjing tea village threaded along a stream beside Lingyin Temple, and the sense of arriving somewhere ancient rather than merely luxurious is real and consistently reported. The setting does the heavy lifting: monk-led chants at Yongfu Temple at dawn, tea gardens, a footpath to the temple gate that lets guests beat the tourist crowds, and a stream-lined pool framed by centuries-old stone walls that reviewers repeatedly call transformative. Dining is genuinely a highlight, with Hangzhou House and the vegetarian restaurant both earning consistent praise, though a handful of recent guests found the Michelin-starred Hangzhou House overpriced and underwhelming on a given night — worth tempering expectations there. Service is the property's most polarizing element: the overwhelming consensus is warm, attentive staff who go out of their way for families and elderly guests, but there's a persistent minority thread of poor English, unhelpful front-desk interactions, and one alarming 2024 report of serious lapses that reads like an outlier rather than a pattern given the volume of praise since. Rooms are atmospheric but genuinely dark — this is the single most consistent structural complaint across years of reviews — and the property's traffic-controlled access and long transfer from Hangzhou East station require planning. For travelers who want cultural immersion over conventional five-star polish, this is arguably the most soulful Aman in China.

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Key Details

Brand

Aman · ultra luxury

Fat Score

Fat Approved · 16.0/20

From the desk

Liked how we scored Amangiri

We score every place the same way — travel communities, editorial, and real guest stays, weighted and never paid for. When the next one's worth writing about, you'll hear it from us.