There are many reasons to visit a hotel: the service, the amenities, the food. But you probably never had the landscaping of a property on your list. Well, now you will because the first landscape hotel in North America is coming to Sedona, Arizona next year.
What exactly is a landscape hotel? It's a resort that focuses on creating five-star grounds that blend in with the surrounding environment. And they're built with an eco-friendly mindset. That means they will use sustainable construction methods so as not to disturb the natural state of the property. Design wise, the modern architecture complements the surrounding topography and minimizes the impact on the land. So far there are a handful of such hotels including Juvet Landscape Hotel in Norway, Vivood Landscape Hotel in Spain, and Sacromonte Landscape Hotel in Uruguay.
The one in Sedona, which is called Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel, will follow suit of the other landscape hotels by blending in with the surrounding red rock wonderland. To do that, award-winning, Scottsdale-based ASUL Architects created 40 cubed-shaped guest atriums perched above the ground and have floor-to-ceiling, bronze-tinted windows. "At dusk, the tinted glass reflects the nature around it, creating stunning, mirrored silhouettes," according to the hotel.
Also, Ambiente sits on three acres of pristine, rugged landscape and arguably has the most striking, 360-degree view in all of Sedona. They will build around the natural vegetation and topography.
"It has been our longtime dream to create a truly exciting and unique experience that is in harmony with the rare beauty of Sedona," said Jennifer May, co-founder of Two Sister Bosses, which developed the property. "We have meticulously designed every element of the hotel with the sophisticated traveler in mind, while also remaining determined to set a benchmark for sustainable tourism."
The City of Sedona just approved the build last week, and construction is slated to begin in the coming months with an opening date in 2020.
