Amara Resort and Spa Review : Sedona, Arizona

I’m a hotel girl. When I go on a trip I do a TON of research to book the best accommodations within my budget. If you are going to Sedona, Arizona, and looking at Amara keep reading for my thorough, and honest, review.

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Table of Contents

About Sedona, Arizona

I have a lengthy post for a detailed 3-Day Itinerary in Sedona, so I won’t go into it all here. A couple of key points about Sedona that I do believe play into the review of the resort are below.

Sedona is home to a charming downtown, full of small boutiques and restaurants. As someone who likes to walk around and take the least amount of transportation I can on vacation, it’s essential for the resort to be within walking distance of other things. I don’t want to get in the car whenever I feel like leaving.
Maybe best known for Red Rocks, Sedona is ingrained in hiking culture, meaning you will drive to the best hikes. Easy access to the rental car is essential.
Sedona is a resort town and anyone who has visited a resort town knows that dining options aren’t always plentiful or have the most convenient hours. Having easy access to coffee and meals is a must!

The Hotel

Located down a semi-steep hill off of N State Rte 89A, Amara Resort and Spa is a 4-star hotel on the banks of Oak Creek. Since it’s one of the best hotels in Sedona, they book quickly so if you are thinking of staying but aren’t entirely sure, I suggest booking it knowing you can utilize the flexible cancellation policy if needed.

I highly, highly recommend working with the Concierge at the hotel. Not only did they give us a ton of recommendations, they booked our dinner reservations and our jeep tour which picked us up directly in front of the hotel.

Rooms

Amara offers both rooms and suites, as well as the option between King size beds or two queens. This is important if you want to share a room on a girl’s trip as not every hotel has a two-queen bed option.

I love that every single room has a patio or balcony. Depending on the room selection, the view might not be great, but at least having some outdoor space in a place as beautiful as Sedona is wonderful. If a view is important, you can choose Creekside or Red Rocks for a premium.

The two queen bed rooms have plenty of room and a large walk-in closet. There is a coffee maker for the morning and a mini-bar for late-night cravings.

Restaurant

SaltRock Southwest Kitchen is the restaurant located in the hotel and serves Southwestern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s great that there is a restaurant on site and that it is open for any meal you could want, but it isn’t inexpensive, especially for the cuisine.

I went there for breakfast and dinner; my friend and I preferred the breakfast offering to dinner. It was delicious and offered plenty of protein-rich options which is important if you will be having a long day of activities. And you can get coffee to go!

SaltRock offers indoor and outdoor dining and has a full bar. Oh, and if you are at the pool you can go into the restaurant bar for a cocktail and they’re more than happy to put it in plastic for you.

Swimming Pool

Amara has a beautiful heated infinity pool in the back of the hotel that overlooks Oak Creek. As mentioned above, you can easily walk to the bar and grab a cocktail to bring to the pool, or the hot tub if that’s more your speed. There are plenty of lounge chairs, with umbrellas, and a couple of daybeds.

Hot tip – if you don’t want to pack a pool coverup and slides just for the pool, you can use the hotel-provided robes and slippers to go to and from your room.

Amara Spa

I didn’t get a chance to visit the Spa on this trip, but that was my plan if it ended up raining. It has great reviews though and I would definitely check it out if time permits on my next trip. The entrance to the spa is across the way from valet parking, a short walk from the entrance. It’s open to the public so it’s really nice that you don’t have to go through the hotel to get to the Spa.

Overall Review (TLDR)

Amara Resort and Spa Review: The resort is in the best location in Sedona to walk to shops and has great amenities. From welcoming you with a glass of champagne to arranging anything you could need before you even arrive, the service is wonderful. I would absolutely stay here again and recommend it to anyone looking for a luxury hotel without five-star prices.

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