Review: The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection

Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe? The arrival at the Lodge at Blue Sky follows a gradual unfolding of the Uinta Mountain foothills during the 30-plus minute drive from Salt Lake City, ending with a slow, switch-backed crawl up to the hotel from the main gate. The entrance to the main Sky Lodge—a modern edifice of local limestone and glass—isn’t as impressive as the vista that greets you from the lobby’s gargantuan picture window: a private canyon with oxidized-steel Creekside Cabins nestled into one side and a twinkling infinity pool on the other, backed by endless pine- and Aspen-dotted mountains. From this perch you just might spot one of the elk herds on property, or a wandering moose—the feeling is one of true remoteness and lung-clearing altitude.

What's the backstory? The hotel is managed by Auberge Resorts, of Napa origins, whose hallmark is small- to medium-size hotels that feel knit into the look and culture of their surroundings. With the Lodge at Blue Sky, the company has introduced an intimate and immersive alternative to the mega-mountain region of Park City-Deer Valley (the ski resorts are about 30 minutes away), which has more than its share of luxury hotels.

The Lodge anchors a 3,500-acre piece of land owned by Mike and Barb Phillips, a California couple who made their bones in high-end shopping centers and fell in love with this epic swath, with its 35 miles of rivers, streams and high alpine lakes. The Phillipses are welcoming presences on property when they’re there, especially Barb, who oversees Blue Sky’s ranch and Saving Gracie’s Farm at the bottom of the hill below the hotel, a refuge for more than a dozen rescued Thoroughbreds and Mustangs, along with a few cows and at least 30 other horses that form the basis for the property’s Natural Horsemanship riding program (more on this below).

Given the pristine surroundings, the Phillipses took a strictly sustainable approach in building the property, choosing its location in a spot that would require virtually no tree removal. Two of the hotel’s three residences—the Sky Lodge, with 19 guest rooms (plus restaurant, bar, gym, and meeting rooms), and the Earth Suites, with 22 suites/deluxe rooms, each with an outdoor fireplace—were cobbled from local limestone and cedar by Aman veteran designer Stewart Campbell, and interiors by L.A.-based Design 360. The eco-minded approach extends to the grass-carpeted roofs of the Earth Suites, which are built right into the hillside, and a wastewater treatment plant that refines the water so well that it can be channeled back into the creek. Down the hill, the indoor arena used for events and barbecues was made from restored wood from a church a couple of towns over.

Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book? We stayed in one of the five freestanding, one-room oxidized-steel Creek Houses a two-minute walk down from the Sky Lodge. The room was modern-rustic, with cedar-plank walls, limestone floors, hunks of Utah rock crystals, and a private back terrace with an outdoor swing overlooking a brook that provides a soothing nocturnal soundtrack. The cabin was airy in the summertime when we were there, with its sliding doors thrown open (no flies!), and surely it is ultra-cozy in winter, with its gas fireplace and wildly comfortable low-slung king bed and a natural privacy curtain of Aspen trees beyond the deck.

Although I’m not usually seduced by high-tech bells and whistles, I appreciated the room’s use of high-tech devices that saved not only the search for buttons and switches, but energy, too: the toilet flushes with a wave, the lights under the bed and by the bathroom sink turn on with motion at night. (There’s an iPad for property info, of course.) The bathroom upholds the cabin’s indoor-outdoor seamlessness: a huge oval tub looks out into the woods, and the shower floor is paved in river stones and stocked with “Mountain Blend” eco-safe bath products.

Although the distance of the Creek Houses from the main lodge could be an inconvenience in the case of a forgotten water bottle or hat, I loved the isolation of these dwellings, and guests are permitted to park one of the hotel’s fleet of electric bicycles outside the room for quicker comings and goings (or for riding the grounds). Next time, if I were to bring my family, I’d opt to stay in the Earth Suites with adjoining rooms and outdoor fireplaces to make our own s’mores.

Is there a charge for Wi-Fi? There’s no extra charge for Wi-Fi. The strength was adequate on property (though cell signals were thin), and the concierge showed me how to download a digital trail map that still worked on the property’s trails even after I’d strayed beyond the reach of digital comms.

Drinking and dining—what are we looking at? This region of Utah once lay at the confluence of three cultures that worked to expand the Western railroads: Chinese, Spanish, and Native American. Chef Galen Zammara (formerly of New York City’s Mas Farmhouse) relocated here to shape a “modern mountain” menu based around western game (bison, venison, fish) and seasonal produce, incorporating flavors and ingredients from all three of those cultures. We loved the tangy smoked trout rillette, sweet corn soup (using Mexican-style huitlachoche) with a giant sea scallop, and dry-aged, fire-grilled Wasatch beef with a glazed cipollini onion and homemade Worcestershire. Some of the produce, the honey, and all of the eggs are sourced on property by farmer Lynsey Gammon; more will be added when the greenhouse and hoop-house are finished this year. As delicious as dinners were, I lived for the breakfasts of yogurt and granola parfaits with apricot, blackberries, and pomegranate seeds, and pastry chef and Bouchon Bakery alum Catherine Balken’s sinfully good cinnamon rolls.

One of our most memorable meals was a lunch of ribs, burgers, and berry pies served cookout style in a field of wildflowers that we arrived unsuspectingly via a 10-minute drive through sagebrush and riverbeds. Dinners were served at the hotel restaurant, Yuta (the local Indian word for “people at the mountain top”), which sits on one side of the Sky Lodge’s main floor, overlooking the mountains. It’s spacious, if a bit generically decorated, and never too crowded, as some guests choose to eat in Park City. But the room is warmed considerably by servers who are happy to tell you about their favorite local hiking trail or ski run. Steven the sommelier was excellent and very hands-on: He presides over a cellar of single-vineyard small producers from California (he’s got a collection of mono-varietals) and Europe that are exclusive to Auberge in Utah.

Next door, the bar, made from a 100-year-old piece of salvaged white oak, is always vibing from happy hour onwards, serving Rocky Mountain craft brews and whiskies (including an unusual oat whisky) from High West Distillery just a mile down the hill. (It’s well worth a visit to the blending and tasting rooms). Be sure to order the Horse Thief cocktail, whose proceeds support Barb Philipps’ Saving Gracie Foundation, mixed from Casamigos Tequila, High West Campfire Scotch Blend Whisky, chartreuse, ginger syrup, muddled blackberries, and lime.

And the service? The service was smooth, attentive, and personal. One shout-out has to go to Ben, my therapist at the Edge Spa, a standalone building with five treatment rooms beyond the pool. The CBD treatment begins with a blob of local honey and CBD oil tincture lapped from a locally made wooden spoon and chased with a Himalayan tea in a handmade ceramic mug. Then Ben’s incredibly precise trigger-point technique—as I lay on a chakra mat with “negative ion technology”—almost literally unhooked my muscles from their moorings, releasing a long-nagging shoulder cramp that left me on the verge of hot, happy tears. I’m sure the ISUN CBD body oil helped a bit, too.

What type of travelers will you find here? In summer, guests appeared to be genteel, sophisticated middle-aged couples in Patagonia vests who had come for a long weekend of hiking, fishing, and horseback riding—or young families on a short vacation. (There’s a kids’ program that allows for farm visits and “cowboy for a day” activities.) In winter, I suspect there are more adrenaline-seeking skiers who want the advantage of the hotel’s access to its lift-adjacent Park City Resort lounge, or a backcountry heli-skiing experience.

What about the area? Does the hotel fit in? The hotel is well knit into its natural surroundings and far enough from the nightlife of Park City to make it the perfect option for those seeking natural beauty and serene isolation. Anyone who wants the convenience of ski-in ski-out access or partying late along main street in the state’s last cowboy town should probably just stay there.

Is there anything you'd change? I’d add a hot tub in a second! Although the pool is heated, nothing beats an apres-ski jacuzzi.

Any other hotel features worth noting? Here’s the thing: The reason to stay here, rather than in the convenience of Park City or Deer Valley, is the ridiculous number of activities that immerse guests in the surrounding landscape. The hotel operates its own heli-ski program, giving guests exclusive access to three private ski zones in the Uinta and Wasatch Mountain ranges, including more than 200,000 acres of empty alpine bowls and steep chutes. In summer, those same helicopters can whisk you to a remote stream or high mountain lake to fly-fish for trout, or a mountaintop for yoga and meditation.

The property itself offers miles of hiking, mountain-biking, and horse-riding trails. But one of the coolest features on the landscape is the Blue Sky Sporting Club in a mountaintop yurt stocked with 36 hand-crafted Purdy & Sons guns, and stylishly outfitted with faux-fur throws and Pendleton blankets. Here, an instructor trained in the British Percy Stansbury shooting technique schools guests wearing tweed to shoot on a sweeping, 18-station course. Fittingly, the bullet casings are biodegradable and the clays are black and white, so they don’t litter the mountainside with color. For less-sporty activities there are plenty of wellness offerings, too, like aerial yoga in the woods, outdoor meditation, and nature photography.

Then there are the horses. Horsesw are the heart and soul of the Lodge at Blue Sky experience. Barb Phillips’ rescue operation has attracted trainers expert in “natural horsemanship” and an on-staff vet who are setting a gold standard of ethical care for animals. Guests can ride the ranch’s horses through the sagebrush-scented hills or around the giant arena (or “remuda”) and learn the principles behind the low-stress natural horsemanship technique, founded on the Spanish vaquero style of riding. Jake and Hattie, who are in charge of the guest riding program, were excellent teachers.

And thanks to a partnership with Mercedes-Benz, anyone can take out one of the hotel’s brand new Mercedes sports cars or SUVs. (This also means you don’t have to rent a car in Salt Lake City.) The speed limit is 80. Just saying.

Bottom line: Worth it? Why? The Lodge at Blue Sky is such a perfect long-weekend getaway, as it’s a cinch to fly into Salt Lake City, and 35 minutes later you're staring at Alexander Canyon sipping a Horse Thief.