A Design Lover’s Guide to Utah

Home to five of National Parks and objectively some of the most stunning scenery in the U.S., Utah should be on top of the travel list for nature-lovers, stargazers and anyone pursuing a trip that demands less screen time. From Zion National Park’s undeniably popularity to Bryce Canyon’s otherworldly hoodoos, getting outdoors in the 45th state is truly a treat for the eyes. 

And, we can see the Wild West agenda wind its way into the mainstream. Pharrell kept it very cute and cowboy at the helm of Louis Vuitton for his fall/winter 2024 season, and Beyonce’s country takeover makes us all want to explore the American West. 

Yet, those with a particular taste for their accommodations may be a bit let down by the sea of Fairfield Inns and Holiday Inn Expresses. Sure, you can get in on the yurt and glamping experiences, try your luck at a nondescript motel, lose your camping virginity or go to the furthest end of the spectrum and pull up at the $2000 a night Kardashian favorite Amangiri.

But, you don’t have to. 

While they are few and far between, Utah has a handful of very cool properties for those who want to skip the big box (or big bill) hotels and stay somewhere nice, even if you’ll likely spend so much of your time outdoors. I drove around the state to try them out. Now you decide which is best for the type of trip you’re looking for. All of them are dog and electric vehicle friendly, but each area and property offer a distinctly different experience. 

Field Station Moab ($136+)

Merely 25 minutes from the Canyonlands Regional Airport, Field Station Moab is the quickest hotel to get to  from the runway on this list. Granted, you’ll have to take a tiny plane and it’ll be a bit more pricey, but if you’d rather land and get right to it, this is the spot. If you’d like to take the scenic route, you can also fly into Salt Lake City and take the three hour and 40 minute  drive. I opted for the latter and drove a Rivian RS1 since there were electric vehicle charging stations on the property and public ones nearby. 

Field Station has a way of catering to the gearheads and people that may head out into Arches and Canyonlands National Parks knowing exactly where to go canyoneering without excluding those new to this part of the country. With king, double queen, king bunk rooms, and double queen bunk rooms layout options, it’s great for groups ready to head out on adventure.  Each  also has tons of storage for whatever gear in tow, a fridge that doubles as a large cooler, a bike rack and rock climbing hand board  above the door. 

And, while most people are traveling to Moab to enjoy the outside spaces, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay somewhere nice looking and modern for whatever down time you may have. Alongside their gear shop with backpacks and apparel, bike care, guidebooks and hotel merch, they have the Little Station Coffee + Kitchen that serves grain bowls, cauliflower pizza, espresso drinks  and has snacks ready for the room or for taking to the trails. On nice days, their lobby doors open for indoor/outdoor seating beside the fire pit. Situated just at the base of a ridge, the view from here or within the in-ground pool or jacuzzi is great for unwinding after a long day.

Field Station Moab is best for group trips, families with kids, and when access to the trails is important as a cute tourist- friendly town. 

Ofland ($169+)

If you’re really trying to get to a remote location, Ofland is it. Located at the border of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, it’s on the outskirts of Escalante, an 800ish person town. Unlike a national park, a national monument is established to protect objects of historic, prehistoric, or scientific interest. There is 1.87 million acres of public land within the monument. The property operates seasonally from March to November as winters are much more challenging to navigate than Utah’s more populated areas. Your best options are to fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City and drive about 5 hours from each.

Where Field Station has a variety of hotel room layouts, Ofland has different accommodations – Airstreams, tiny cabins, deluxe cabins and campsites. Deluxe cabins come complete with their own parking spot and outdoor heated shower, whereas all other options use the minimalist midcentury bathhouses. Both cabin types  have wall-to-wall windows for prime sunrise, sunset and stargazing from right in bed or on your own personal stoop. 

The general store and lobby has snacks, drinks (both alcoholic and N/A options like Ghia), and full meal kits (vegetarian, chicken or steak) to cook over your personal fire pit. They also have a food truck offering smashburgers, tots and breakfast burritos  open from for breakfast and dinner everyday except Tuesday. 

For the down time you’ll spend at Ofland, you have the option to lounge in your cabin, at the communal outdoor lounge or in their jacuzzi and pool, which also have a great mountain range view. And, you can even get in a little date night at their on-property drive-in movie theater with screenings every night. Classic cars live in front of their huge outdoor screen where an Airstreams serves as a concession stand (free popcorn included) under the stars. The nightly films are listed in the general store and start after a short film the team put together to highlight the indigenous tribes of the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. I saw the Aubrey Hepburn classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s during my stay. 

Ofland is best for otherworldly sightseeing along scenic route 12 coming from either direction and couples (or pals who don’t mind sharing a bed) who like good design as much as exploring America’s nearby 1.87 million acres public lands. If you want off the beaten path, this is it. 

Autocamp Zion ($220+)

Located 15 minutes away from Utah’s Zion Nation Park’s southwestern entrance, Autocamp Zion is the newest property of the bunch. It affords some middle ground in travel time from the airport clocking in at about a 2-hour and 15 minute drive from Vegas. Similar to Ofland, guests have a variety of options – Airstreams, container cabins and canvas glamping tents are situated within the riverside gated property.

Autocamp’s clubhouse is classic mid-century modern style, framing and leveraging  the surrounding landscape. The entrance itself stuns as you walk up between each side of the clubhouse to reveal a sea of Airstreams in the foreground of incredible Zion ridges. Within it, they have a food counter and bar, MCM fireplace and furniture to lounge around and take the view in or play on their vintage Scrabble and Backgammon boards. This is also where their little convenience store is offering firewood, premade meals like Ofland, snacks and bevs and so much good merch. I brought home a very cool crewneck with illustrations of some of the wildlife found in Zion.

Although it provides access to the busiest national park in the state, the property itself is pretty quiet. There’s a swingset (kid or adult friendly), lawn games and a few large firepits amid a mini-neighborhood of well-appointed Airstreams, each with their own private bathroom, fire pit  and picnic area. And, the clubhouse also has a bathhouse. With a red eye out of Vegas, this came in handy for the day I spent relaxing poolside post checkout.

Autocamp is best for people that want to go to Zion, don’t want to be too far from a couple towns and small cities and want high design accommodations from a camping-adjacent experience. It’s very chic.

Just because the views are stellar, doesn’t mean the hotel gets to feel like a cookie cutter conference hotel assaulting the eyes. No Holiday Inn Express or Best Western necessary. Boutique hotels may be fewer and further between in Utah, but they are there and they are 100% worth it even for those trips where you want to spend most of your time outdoors. At Field Station Moab, Ofland, and Autocamp Zion you can unwind and take in the views from each of their pools and well appointed properties or treat it as basecamp for your Mighty 5 adventures.