Sky Rock Sedona ★★★

A Hilltop Hotel That Leans Into the Woo

Sky Rock stands on one of the few rises inside West Sedona, which is the reason the hotel exists in the form it does: from the pool deck and from most of the rooms, the red rock runs all the way around. The building was taken apart and put back together by a trio of California studios, and what came out is a boutique property under Marriott's Tribute Portfolio rather than a chain box. The lobby announces the intent with an amethyst encrusted wall, velvet booths and commissioned art; the rooms answer more quietly, in neutral tones, leather and firelight. There are 109 of them.

Why It Works

We kept Sky Rock because it is the most convincing design address in the middle of town, and because it is honest about where it stands. Sedona sells vortexes and energy work, and most hotels either ignore that or lean on it awkwardly. Here the bar is called WooWoo, the guides are called vortex hunters, and the tone is affectionate rather than credulous. Underneath the wit sits a well run hotel: a real drinks programme built on tequila and mezcal, a yoga deck, a pool that catches the late sun, and a position that means no drive to reach a trailhead or a table.

Why This Location

An address on West 89A puts you at the near end of West Sedona, closer to Uptown than the resorts further out and on the town side of the traffic. The elevation does the rest: this is one of the few properties down in the flats where the view is not blocked. Airport Mesa and its sunset overlook are minutes up the road, the Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock approaches are a short drive south, and Uptown's galleries and Tlaquepaque sit a few minutes east. Restaurants and a grocery are within walking distance, which is rare here. You will still want a car for the trailheads.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium

• Vibe: Design led, playful, panoramic

• Rooms: 109 rooms and suites in a neutral palette, handmade leather headboards, many with in room fireplaces

• Best For: Design minded travellers, couples, first time visitors who want to be central, dog owners

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The amethyst encrusted wall in the lobby, which sets the tone before you reach the desk

• Dining: Bar WooWoo for Southwestern tapas, cocktails, tequila and mezcal, indoors or on the terrace at sunset

• Amenities: Outdoor pool with lounge seating, yoga deck, spa services, guided eco tours and vortex outings, dogs accepted

• Attractions: Airport Mesa sunset overlook, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village, Uptown Sedona

The Rooms, and Which Ones to Ask For

The rooms were stripped back to neutral tones and then given the pieces that carry them: handmade leather headboards, minimal furniture, locally commissioned artwork, and in many cases a fireplace of your own. Suites add space rather than ceremony. What separates one room from another here is orientation, not category, so ask what the window faces before booking; a 360 degree outlook is the property's selling point and not every room gets the best of it. Ground floor rooms trade height for direct access to the deck, which suits anyone travelling with a dog.

Bar WooWoo, and Sunset on the Terrace

Bar WooWoo is the hotel's public room and it works as a destination in its own right, which is the test of a good hotel bar. The food is Southwestern tapas, made to share and ordered in waves; the drinks list is built on tequila and mezcal with local craft beer behind it. The terrace faces the rock and fills before sunset, so come early or plan to stand. Afterwards the pool deck stays open, and the sky over Sedona is dark enough to be worth ten minutes on a lounger.