Camp Sarika

Amangiri has drawn travellers to Utah’s starkly beautiful landscape of deep canyons and vermillion rock formations for a decade. To herald its special anniversary, the resort will soon welcome guests to Camp Sarika by Amangiri – 10 tented-pavilions with individual private plunge pools on a luxury encampment surrounded by 600 hectares of raw wilderness in the heart of the desert, close to Amangiri.

Opening in April 2020, Camp Sarika will perfectly reflect the Amangiri experience, offering its own main pavilion and restaurant, two spa suites, one main swimming pool and a Jacuzziset in unparalleled proximity to nature. Formed for escapism, adventure, solitude and privacy, the camp is located a 30- minute hike or five-minute drive from Amangiri, and while guests at the camp enjoy full access to the resort’s facilities whenever they desire, everything they need will be conveniently located at Camp Sarika.

Deriving its name from the Sanskrit word for “open space” and “sky”, Camp Sarika will be set on more than 55 hectares overlooking iconic flat-topped mesa rock formations. Surrounded by five national parks; each offering unique and diverse scenery, numerous national monuments and the Navajo Nation Reservation the camp will enable a back-to-nature, wilderness experience for guests who will enjoy the utmost comfort alongside mesmerising, otherworldly landscapes and intriguing remnants of Native American culture at every turn.

A 30-minute drive from the nearest town of Page, Camp Sarika will encourage a private and peaceful connection to its dramatic surroundings, its remote location imbuing a sense of community and exclusivity in a nod to Aman’s trademark appreciation of a destination. The camp’s 10 beautifully appointed tented pavilions will be complemented by a Selldorf Architects-designed common pavilion, housing restaurant and lounge areas, as well as two spa suites, a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi.

Claiming unobstructed views of the mesas or facing west to catch the sunset every evening, the tented pavilions will feature either one or two bedrooms, as well as a living area, dining area, a bar, a private spacious terrace with a fire pit and an individual heated plunge pool. The five one-bedroom tented pavilions will each cover 175 square metres, while the five two-bedroom tented pavilions will cover 262 square metres. Designed by Luxury Frontiers, the tented pavilions will mimic the spaciousness and clean lines of the suites at Amangiri, where natural materials reflect the light-transforming, undulating surface of the desert outside, but will evoke a luxury camp feel. The interiors will include decorative canvas walls and ceilings and wooden fittings, as opposed to Amangiri’s furnishings, which comprise blackened steel and stone.

Open throughout the day, the restaurant at the camp will be situated in the main pavilion, with both indoor and outdoor seating offering breathtaking views. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks and afternoon tea in between, the restaurant will offer a menu that will change daily, incorporating the freshest local produce, whilst also catering to vegetarians and vegans. Paying homage to the wilderness setting, the open kitchen will feature a rotisserie grill, with dishes served on cedar and slate carving boards. Reserved for residents of the camp during the day, the restaurant will also be open to resort guests for dinner (with advance booking).

Camp Sarika will allow guests to reap the benefits of connecting with nature – increased mindfulness, reduced stress levels and a clearer headspace – with every convenience and luxury at hand. Two spa suites will offer an extensive menu of spa therapies inspired by traditional Navajo wellness practices, while yoga and guided meditation will be offered al fresco, allowing guests to reground themselves within the astounding natural beauty of the Utah desert.

Serving as an idyllic escape and a springboard for exploration of the area, the camp will offer desert and mountain hiking with its own trail system, morning and afternoon Wellness experiences indoors and out, canyoneering, its own Via Ferrata route and horseback riding, as well as many other adventure activities. The camp will also enable a deeper immersion in Native American culture, with storytelling and star gazing around the fire every evening.

The intimacy exclusive to Camp Sarika, with inspired facilities and unbounded access to Utah’s vast expanses of magical scenery at its doorstep, makes the camp the ideal destination for larger groups or families desiring a private insight into the destination or a very special place for an important celebration.

A scenic 5-minute drive from Camp Sarika, Amangiri is tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views towards Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Built around a magnificent swimming pool that embraces a dramatic stone escarpment, the resort’s Main Pavilion houses the Dining Room, the Living Room, a library, gallery, private dining room and cellar. Beyond lies the Desert Lounge, an open-air living room ideal for sundowners or star gazing. Two accommodation wings lead from the pavilion into the desert, housing 34 suites in total – many with private swimming pools and roof terraces.

A destination unto itself, the Aman Spa at Amangiri covers 2,322 square metres and provides a serene setting for relaxation and rejuvenation. Key features are the Water Pavilion, which offers hydrotherapy treatments; the Floatation Pavilion; the Watsu Pool; five walnut-lined treatment rooms and two outdoor treatment terraces with panoramic desert views. There is also a finishing salon, a yoga pavilion and a comprehensive gym.

Since its launch in 2009, Amangiri has won multiple awards for its remarkable design, intuitive service and luxurious proximity to nature. Camp Sarika will add a new dimension to this extraordinary allseason destination, providing anothersetting in which to embrace the pristine and astonishing beauty of the American Southwest.

Boutique design firm driven by passion for experiential travel and lodging fashions 10 luxury living spaces to engage the senses and inspire guests to experience the breathtaking wilderness and culture of
the Navajo Nation around them  

Luxury Frontiers, the San Francisco and Johannesburg-based international design and development services firm, has conceived and designed exclusive luxury accommodation for Camp Sarika by Amangiri. Canyon Equity developed the 78-acre campsite, set to debut in July 2020 near the firm’s unrivaled Amangiri resort in Southern Utah. This first-ever North American all-weather, year-around camp is home to 10 luxury tents nestled at the foot of Utah’s mighty mesas. Luxury Frontiers’ design is a contextual tribute, captivating the senses while creating intimacy within the vast landscape. 
 
Given the Sanskrit name for “open space” and “sky,” Camp Sarika’s luxury encampment is surrounded by 600 acres of expansive wilderness in the heart of Southern Utah. Not only does the camp offer carefully curated vistas of rocky outcrops and flat-topped mesas, it grants guests access to five National Parks, numerous National Monuments, the Navajo Nation Reservation, and the amenities of the nearby Amangiri. Combined with Luxury Frontiers’ tented architecture and providing uncompromised comfort, the camp celebrates a back-to-nature experience amid otherworldly landscapes. 

The first-ever all-weather, year-round camp in North America has 10 luxury tents nestled in the shadows of mighty mesas. Here are some quick facts on Luxury Frontiers’ design for the project:
 
How does the layout of Luxury Frontiers’ tents fit into the environment of Camp Sarika?
 
The camp is surrounded by 600 acres of wilderness, with curated vistas of rocky outcrops and flat-topped mesas, as well as access to five National Parks and much more beyond. Every tent is positioned specifically to ensure it blends into the environment around it, with indigenous landscaping providing an authentic experience for guests. 
 
What is the backstory of Luxury Frontiers’ design for Camp Sarika?

It’s a celebration of the back-to-nature experience and otherworldly landscape surrounding the camp. Luxury Frontiers’ concept was driven by contextual design, enfolding the architecture of the camp effortlessly into the landscape. The tented pavilions bow toward monumental sandstone formations, welcoming guests inside with the soft intimacy of a natural canvas tent. In keeping with the design ethos of Amangiri, all tents are also comfortably spacious, with clean lines and natural color schemes. In addition, the refined camp’s details reflect the local region through textures and natural materials inspired by the undulating surfaces of the desert.
 
Evenly divided between one- and two-bedrooms, the 10 units are each equipped with a living area, dining area, wet and dry bar, as well as private bathrooms with a bathtub, indoor and outdoor showers. While the one-bedroom tents are approximately 1,900 square feet, two-bedroom tents offer over 2,800 square feet of canvas-covered bliss.
 
What are some standout features of Luxury Frontiers’ design?

The firurym worked with local artisans to complete custom design furnishings which transition seamlessly throughout each tented space. For instance, camp-style custom walnut desks have drawers as well as leather side pouches to hold magazines and information packs, and bespoke campaign chairs have a sophisticated leather finish; etched timber headboards reference the carved landscape but are finished with soft cushions suspended from leather straps; and bars and kitchenettes blend into the canvas of the tents, with doors that tuck neatly into a pocket sleeve to maximize circulation space while in use. Of particular note, a local blacksmith, Iron Maegan, was instrumental in bringing many of the design’s steel work to life, including 30 hand-forged vanity mirrors.
 
How do Luxury Frontiers’ tents handle the potentially harsh environment of Camp Sarika? 

The design thrives on an aesthetic and performance level, with tents combatting temperatures from 20° to 105° F.  Throughout the design process, Luxury Frontiers developed several prototypes and models to ensure the performance was successful, with considerations spanning from extreme temperatures to wind and snow loads.
 
How did Luxury Frontiers innovate with materials for its tents at Camp Sarika?

The tent membranes are designed of durable, lightweight, long-lasting Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), which is not only attractive, but requires low upkeep and heightens the quality of the indoor environment. PVC is also recyclable, reducing environmental impact. Custom-designed internal fabrics went through several prototypes of wafts and weaves to find the best textures and colors. The shadow line at the cornice of the tents was created by long threads of rope woven between the ceiling and the wall fabric, with LED strip lights illuminating through the ceiling to accentuate the feature. The layout of the tents was designed to optimize views, which are seen through large open-pane windows and doors built of Douglas fir in every room. Interior lighting was also carefully considered to minimize light pollution.  
 
What are some of the notable exterior design elements created by Luxury Frontiers for the tented accommodations at Camp Sarika?

Each tent has a private heated plunge pool, a deck arrayed with comfortable loungers, and furniture surrounding a campfire. The deck is further shaded by an extended canvas overhang, which seamlessly integrates the indoor and outdoor spaces.