GRAND DESIGN
Grand Design - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Grand Design | |||||
| By: Simon Webster, Issue 26 - Autumn 2006 | |||||
| (Amangani Resort, USA) | |||||
| AMANGANI RESORT IS LUXURY ON A LARGE SCALE, BUT IT HAS A WORTHY RIVAL IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS BEYOND ITS WALLS. | |||||
| The Amangani may be the most luxurious hotel in one of the richest counties in the United States, but it comes a poor second to the main attraction in Jackson Hole. The walk from the hotel entrance down the steps to the cavernous lounge – with a ceiling so high that even the redwood from which it was built must get vertigo – is dramatic. But the fireplaces and cowhide chairs of this grand room can hold your attention for only so long. Because beyond the two-storey-high window wall is a deck with views that make a mockery of man-made grandeur. Across a valley of meadows lie the snow-capped mountains of the Teton Range. The indoors may be good, but in the Wild West, it’s the outdoors that are great. The Tetons are the youngest range in the Rocky Mountains, at a positively juvenile nine million years old. But they’re quite a presence, despite their tender years. This is a big American landscape, and to the Amangani’s credit, the hotel makes no attempt to steal centre stage from the scenery. Here in Wyoming we are a long way from the Aman resort chain’s roots in Bali, but this three-storey building looks right at home. Designed to resemble a natural outcrop, it blends in to the cliff edge of East Gros Ventre Butte, 2135 metres above sea level, without making a fuss. Built in 1998 from Oklahoma sandstone, Douglas fir, cedar and Pacific redwood, the Amangani combines American-Indian and Balinese influences to create an atmosphere so laid-back you could almost head down for breakfast in thongs and a sarong. The sound of American-Indian music greets new arrivals as they enter their suite. There are 40 suites in four different layouts. Each has a slate-trimmed bathroom featuring a sunken bath with a view of the mountains. King-size beds are raised on mplatforms. Floors are redwood. Fireplaces are carved from rock and metal, and balconies offer yet more Rocky Mountain highs. The award-winning health centre has two exercise studios, four treatment rooms and separate steam rooms for men and women. There are numerous treatments available. Guests hankering for a seaweed body contour treatment after a hard day gallivanting in the fresh air will not be disappointed. Some of the best skiing in the States is available in Jackson Hole from November to April, and a shuttle service runs from the Amangani to Teton Village at the foot of Rendezvous Mountain. From there, an aerial tramway takes you to the top, where a kiosk serves what is reputedly the best hot chocolate in the county. Popular forms of descent include ski, snowboard and paraglider, though rumour has it the aerial tram takes passengers down as well as up – as long as they don’t diss the hot chocolate. Those who think skiing downhill is cheating can try their hand at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in search of winter wildlife. It’s not hard to find – bears, moose, elks, bison and wolves are plentiful, and a trip to nearby Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is a bit like an African safari – except with different animals, more snow and much better warm beverages. Just as you wouldn’t approach a pride of lions, it’s wise not to get too friendly with the wild locals here. Legend has it that a parent once sat their child on the back of a buffalo for a photo opportunity. This is only recommended if your child has been extremely naughty and you have excellent travel insurance. It would be remiss to visit this part of the world and not see Yellowstone, but there is also plenty of wildlife close to the town of Jackson. Every Winter, thousands of elk come down from the mountains to hang out at the National Elk Refuge, a paddock next to a main road, and don’t seem to object to being visited by sleigh-riding tourists. The elks even advertise their arrival by bugling loudly as they make their way into the refuge, which is quite an achievement considering they don’t have opposable thumbs, or bugles for that matter. Those in search of wild nights as well as days might want to try a weekend night at one – or more – of the handful of bars around town, the most famous of which is the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, where the bar stools are saddles and the stirrups can come in very handy. Full of skiers in winter and national park visitors in summer, Jackson is quieter in spring and autumn. The Amangani keeps its guests occupied – if that’s what they want – all year round, with fly-fishing camps, wildlife photography workshops, trips down the Snake River and more. The hiking and mountain biking are excellent and there are even a couple of good golf courses. The mountain backdrop at the Teton Pines Resort and Country Club could calm the angriest of golfers, though the sentry posts at the 18th green can be a bit disconcerting – when golfers talk of well-guarded greens, they’re usually talking about water hazards or bunkers. High handicappers needn’t worry that armed guards are about to take punitive action against the perpetrators of errant approach shots. They’re there to protect US Vice President Dick Cheney, the owner of a house overlooking the green. | |||||
| Details: | |||||
| - Amangani, 1535 East Butte Rd, Jackson, Wyoming, USA. Bookings, + (800) 2255 2626 (toll-free from Australia), www.amanresorts.com. Suites cost $755–$1740 (US$565–US$1300) per night. - Air New Zealand has regular direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles. Bookings, 13 24 76, www.airnewzealand.com.au. - Delta Airlines flies to Jackson Hole from Los Angeles. Bookings, (02) 9251 3211 or 1800 007 145, www.delta.com | |||||
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