US destination spa Mii amo in Sedona, Arizona, has reopened after an extensive US$40m (€38.9m, £34.1m) renovation and expansion project.
Nestled at the base of Boynton Canyon among its striking natural landscape and towering red rocks, the 22-year-old resort closed for two years so its footprint could be increased by more than 40 per cent (to approximately 42,000sq ft).
The update, overseen by Mii amo’s original architect Gluckman Tang, has refreshed existing facilities and added a consultation wing, extra treatment rooms, a brand new movement and fitness area, a private suite of spaces for guests on its ‘Journey’ packages, new accommodations and a signature restaurant.
“It’s been an honour and delight welcoming back our devoted past guests. They’ve been extremely eager to see and experience the property’s refreshed and enhanced spaces and offerings,” Mii amo managing director Stan Kantowski, tells Spa Business.
Mii amo is owned and managed by the Enchantment Group which includes three other properties in its portfolio. There’s the Enchantment Resort and Seven Canyons Golf Club in Sedona (opposite Mii amo and also overseen by Kantowski); the Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia; and The Cove, Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Tracy Tang, chair of the board of directors at Enchantment Group adds: “We decided to invest in a major renovation and expansion because we’re committed to Mii amo and its continued standing as a trailblazer in the world of luxury wellbeing.”
Taking it slow
A five-treatment-room consultation wing with a dedicated relaxation space is a particular new highlight of the refreshed spa. It’s been added to provide a private setting for sessions with Mii amo’s mindfulness team and therapists.
In total there are now 26 treatment rooms, including a sound lounge, as well as new steamrooms and saunas.
In a nod to slow wellbeing, Mii amo has extended all treatment durations. Formerly offered in 60- or 90-minute sessions, the new standard is 75-, 100- or 125-minute sessions.
According to Kantowski: “Slow wellbeing is about having the time and space to reflect, reconnect, restore and re-engage with the facets in our lives that most serve and fulfil us.
At Mii amo, we want to lean into supporting this intention with each of our guests.”
Social spaces
As part of the overhaul, Mii amo’s Crystal Grotto for meditation and reflection has been renovated. The circular space, with its earthen floor and domed ceiling, centres around a pedestal of petrified wood featuring a fountain and an illuminated quartz crystal. Lit by an aperture overhead, it’s designed so that once a year – on the summer solstice – a beam of sunlight strikes the crystal, connecting earth and sky.
In the Living Room, a fresh sunken seating lounge allows guests to relax and connect to the earth, while private niches line the perimeter of the room and offer a connection to the sky and sun.
All new spaces from the Relaxation Lounge and Garden to the Sensory Garden with its reflexology path and expanded outdoor lounge, connect guests to the destination spa’s natural outdoor surroundings.
Other landscape features include a labyrinth, a hammock grove and a yoga lawn, all with views of the surrounding red rock walls.
Mindful movement
New fitness and movement studios with expanded programmes will give Mii amo guests a fresh focus on physical fitness.
Looking out onto the Sensory Garden, the 3,300sq ft studios will provide space for personal and group instruction. Newly-hired fitness leaders will guide guests through a series of classes and programmes, serving as liaisons to the Trail House at the adjacent Enchantment Resort.
Trail House offers hike-in/hike-out, bike-in/bike-out guided experiences, providing an opportunity for guests to create deeper connections to the Canyon and its surroundings, through a 400-mile trail network.
The Mii amo Journey
“Since opening in 2001, Mii amo has used the term Journey in reference to packages which include a three-, four-, seven- and now 10-night guest experience,” says Kantowski. “We intend to serve as co-creators of each guest’s Journey. The process is never prescriptive, we utilise our expertise to craft a Journey that will help them to uncover their way, not ‘the’ way.
As part of the renovation, three Casita guestrooms have been added to the existing 16 and 3,700sq ft of space has been dedicated exclusively to Journey guests to elevate their privacy yet also build connections. The Journey Lounge, with views of the iconic Kachina Woman rock formation, for example, serves as a place to unwind, study and listen (there’s a library and space for lectures/presentations).
Journey guests can embark on three-, four-, seven- or 10-night all-inclusive packages to immerse themselves in the destination’s expanded facilities and programming.
“It’s this commitment to offering personalised support for all individuals that cultivates trusting, lasting relationships,” concludes Kantowski.
