One of the world’s most expensive and exclusive resorts is located in Utah — but it’s not where you might think. Perhaps you’d guess the ski mecca of Park City, home to the Sundance Film Festival, which does indeed attract a fair share of celebrities each year. But no. The resort that has caught the ultrarich eye is far more remote, mysterious and, frankly, strange. Nestled amid sandstone cliffs and the nearby Lake Powell,Amangiriis a five-star luxury hotel with a nightly rate starting around $4K, whose famous guests include the likes of Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Brad Pitt. Its clientele is so elite that, oddly enough, it’s more well-known among global circles than in its own state. Many Utahns don’t know it exists. Deseret News reporter Katie McKellar went to the resort to find out why people would spend thousands of dollars a night to stay in the middle of nowhere and why one of the world’s most luxurious resorts ended up in southern Utah, of all places. Amangiri’s founder, Homi Vazifdar, explained that everything about the resort's construction was difficult, from trucking building materials and workers to the extremely remote site and “trying to educate local authorities who had never, ever seen a resort of this magnitude,” he said. With an initial investment of more than $80 million, it was the most expensive project ever in Kane County, population 7,992. But some of the biggest challenges came even before Amangiri’s groundbreaking. The tale of how Amangiri came to be involves a German billionaire businessman, a congressional lobbying effort and a bill signed into law by then-President George W. Bush. The support of then-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who had become familiar with the Aman Resorts brand during his time as an ambassador in Asia, was also critical. |