This story appears in the 2025 Advisor, a publication sponsored by Colliers Utah.
From luxury glamping beneath towering red cliffs to five-star resorts nestled among ancient lava flows, Southern Utah’s high-end tourism scene is transforming the region into more than just a hiking destination. According to the Utah Office of Tourism, Utah visitors spent a whopping $12.7 billion in 2023, supporting 159,800 jobs and resulting in $2.35 billion in state and local tax revenue.
In response to this growing market, a new wave of upscale accommodations is reshaping how visitors experience Utah’s iconic landscape.
Location, location, location
Southern Utah’s luxury resorts flaunt exclusive perks, from next-level camps with furnished, air-conditioned tents to high-end resorts and hotels with world-class shopping and dining experiences.
“The definition of luxury depends on the traveler,” says Brittany McMichael, executive director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “Greater Zion has accommodations and resorts that appeal to everyone, including visitors looking for luxury experiences.”
McMichael highlights the idea that luxury isn’t always about what is included in the stay but can instead be based on where the stay is. Southern Utah views are a big piece of what makes the region so special, and resorts that offer an up-close and personal look at landmarks and scenery are highly competitive on their own.
Desert hospitality
Take Black Desert Resort, for example, which recently opened in Ivins, Utah. This resort — spanning over 600 acres of scenic landscape — is set in the middle of dramatic black lava beds and offers top-of-the-line, personalized adventures and activities for guests.
“It is not merely an option of where to sleep when visiting the region; it is a destination itself,” says Patrick Manning, managing partner of Black Desert Resort. “People come here to experience the resort and then, maybe, venture out from there.”
“Whether you stay in one of our luxury accommodations or choose any property in Greater Zion, there is no end to the singular experiences you can have in this destination.”
— Brittany McMichael
Black Desert Resort aims to be the base camp for the exploration of the largest concentration of national and state parks in the country. World-class amenities — including golf courses, a high-tech spa, diverse culinary options, an adventure waterpark, and endless hiking and biking trails — aim to lure visitors from around the world.
“Luxury tourism is estimated to create a per-person daily spend of more than 20x a local resident,” Manning says. “Black Desert, including its Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments, looks to impact the local economy by nine figures annually.”
Grant Lammersen, vice chair at Colliers Utah, notes that these tournaments have created greater attention for the area.
“[It’s] a great way to market the region,” he says. “The area is well known in Utah but is still a bit of a hidden gem on the national stage.”
Southern Utah’s growing reputation as a luxury destination hasn’t only impacted hospitality — it’s also sparked the interest of housing and retail developers, Lammersen says.
“We are currently working on a deal to bring a retail center featuring high-end restaurants to the area to support not only the luxury resorts but also high-end housing that is being built there,” he continues.
Choose your adventure
Other stays in the area include luxury “glamping” resorts like East Zion Resort and Zion Wildflower Resort — which offer all the beauty of camping with the comfort of a hotel — in addition to Red Mountain Resort, The Inn at Entrada and more. For a more opulent experience, Amangiri provides modern suites to lounge in, private air tours by helicopter or hot air balloon, National Park access, themed stays, and more.
The bottom line: Southern Utah is a travel destination for everyone to enjoy, no matter their definition of luxury.
“Whether you stay in one of our luxury accommodations or choose any property in Greater Zion, there is no end to the singular experiences you can have in this destination,” McMichael says. “Step out of your hotel and rent an e-bike to explore Zion National Park. Rest on a pillow-soft mattress while gazing at constellations in our international dark sky park, or explore hundreds of miles of mountain bike trails, off-road vehicle adventures and 14 world-class golf courses. The nature of our area — with breathtaking sandstone cliffs, ancient lava flows and Zion National Park in the heart of it — means visitors will have a one-of-a-kind experience no matter what.”