L'Auberge de Sedona

As Arizona getaways go, Sedona’s not hard to love. Far from the heat and sprawl and traffic of Phoenix, it’s a hundred miles north, and three thousand feet higher up, in an entirely different landscape — one of stunning red rocks and dramatic mountain sunlight. It’s a bit of a cult destination, in both senses of the word — new age types come to be near the high desert “spiritual vortices,” and more traditional holidaymakers flock to low-key, upscale retreats like L’Auberge de Sedona.

L’Auberge’s location on the edge of Oak Creek is a geographical asset used to great advantage, from trout fishing or duck feeding to creekside coffee-and-a-book nooks that feel like elegant outdoor living rooms. Private cottages on the creek’s banks are the resort’s crowning glory, outfitted with wood-burning fireplaces; lodge rooms are smaller, though still spacious, and come with private balconies or patios. The look is an eclectic blend, an American-southwest-meets-Provence-farmhouse hybrid, with some Adirondack influence thrown in for class.

In keeping with the resort’s name, the restaurant offers French-inspired cuisine crafted from garden-fresh produce, not to mention a champagne brunch on Sundays. If six-course meals, crackling fires, forest-shaded cottages, and packs of baby ducklings don’t have you sufficiently relaxed, massages and spa treatments are on offer at a creekside cabana. More exhilarating activities, like jeep tours and hot-air balloon rides, are booked on request, and Sedona’s restaurants, galleries and shops are a leisurely stroll away.

How to get there:
L'Auberge de Sedona is approximately 2 hours from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Shuttle-van service to L'Auberge de Sedona is approximately $59 USD one-way, $95 USD round-trip.