The Lodge at Blue Sky Wins Lavazza One to Watch Award as Part of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023

The luxurious Utah lodge, part of Auberge Resorts Collection, is designed to complement its natural surroundings in a unique setting among 3,500 acres of lush, untamed landscape

September 5, 2023 – The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection, has won the Lavazza One To Watch Award in advance of The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards 2023. This title is granted to a hotel that currently sits outside the prestigious list, but which the 50 Best team believes has the potential to break into the ranking in future editions.

Located 35 minutes from Salt Lake City airport, The Lodge at Blue Sky offers luxury as nature intended. During the summer, guests can spend time at Blue Sky’s female-led regenerative farm to learn about sustainable growing practices or hike endless trails with a wildlife biologist, while in the wintertime one can ski fresh powder or snowshoe to a fondue dinner in a private mountaintop yurt. It offers unrivalled space and solitude on 3,500 private acres.

This is the second of two special accolades – alongside the Art of Hospitality Award – to be announced prior to the official awards ceremony on 19 September 2023 at London’s historic Guildhall, where the first-ever list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels will be revealed.

Tim Brooke-Webb, Managing Director for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, says: “When deciding the winner of this award, we were looking for a property that interacts positively with its environment and offers a unique and special guest experience. The Lodge at Blue Sky resort has been at the forefront of America’s mountain retreats since its launch in 2019 and the lodge impressed us with its nature-led adventures and understated elegance – all among soaring peaks, expansive fields and lush hillsides with a heavy dose of luxury in terms of its accommodation. We can’t think of a more deserving recipient for the first-ever Lavazza One To Watch Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Hotels.”

Commenting on the win, Joe Ogdie, General Manager at The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection, says: “It’s an honor to be named as the Lavazza One To Watch as part of the first ever edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels. When our owners decided to create The Lodge at Blue Sky, they set out to create the best modern, luxury mountain retreat in the world. Their vision was to build a luxurious, sustainable experience that offers one-of-a-kind adventures in nature and a sense of freedom and discovery that cannot be found anywhere else. This accolade is a true testament to that vision, combined with an extremely talented and dedicated team who leave no detail unturned – and we are incredibly proud.”

Nicola Fornasieri, International Key Accounts Director at Lavazza, says: “Lavazza is thrilled to

present the One To Watch Award to The Lodge at Blue Sky. This beautiful space is not only one of luxury but is also deeply connected to the earth. This links strongly to Lavazza’s own focus on sustainability, which, through the Lavazza Foundation, supports a series of projects designed to promote the social and economic growth of coffee-growing communities.”

The Lavazza One To Watch is the only award selected by 50 Best and is given to a property that has received significant votes from the 580-strong Academy, but not quite enough to break into the 1-50 list.

The resort’s 46 rooms and suites are positioned along the contours of the creek or in harmony with the hillside slopes. Meanwhile, Sky Lodge serves as the social heart of the resort with a magnificent view of the land from every angle.

The signature restaurant, Yuta, offers all-day dining using sustainably sourced, heirloom ingredients, many of which are locally cultivated on-site at Blue Sky’s farm. The more casual The Tavern and The Refectory at High West Distillery make up a trio of dining options showcasing refined Western cuisine.

Edge Spa is built on a dramatic precipice overlooking Blue Sky’s creek, while adventure- seekers can enjoy a range of outdoor adventures from heli-skiing to fly fishing and horseback riding, experiencing The Lodge at Blue Sky’s modern interpretation of Western adventure, which it describes as ‘luxury with wild abandon’.

How the 50 Best voting works 

The nine Academy Chairs each select a panel of voters from their region, ensuring a balance of hoteliers, travel journalists, consultants and seasoned luxury travelers. Each Academy member casts seven votes for hotels in order of preference based on stays experienced in the two-year voting period up to April 2023. Voting is carried out individually and strictly confidentially on a secure site and the results remain confidential until after the list announcement. Academy Chairs are not privy to, nor have any knowledge of, the votes cast by the voters in their respective regions, or any other regions; furthermore, they are not official spokespeople for the 50 Best brand. A minimum of 25% of the panel will be renewed each year. All voters, aside from the Academy Chairs, will remain anonymous to eliminate the possibility of lobbying. None of the employees of 50 Best nor any sponsors associated with the awards has any influence over the results. Additional information on the Academy Chairs and how the voting works is available on the 50 Best FAQs page here.

***

 

About The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection

Only 35 minutes from Salt Lake City Airport, The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection is a luxurious contemporary mountain retreat located in Park City, Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range. Set on 3,500 private acres surrounded by dramatic soaring peaks, high alpine fields, lush hillsides and a spring-fed creek, the 46-room resort invites guests to reconnect with the natural environment in understated elegance, with organic architecture that showcases the majesty of the land. Amenities include a collection of immersive outdoor adventures, including hiking, fly fishing, clay shooting, horseback riding and heli-skiing. The Lodge’s restaurant, YUTA, helmed by Executive Chef Jason Franey, serves cuisine created with ingredients sourced from an onsite organic farm. Deeply restorative treatments at Edge Spa complement Blue Sky’s active outdoor adventures. Experiential opportunities exclusive to Blue Sky include learning about the artisanal whiskey-making at the on-site High West Whiskey distillery, hands-on horsemanship at the 36,000-square-foot indoor equestrian center and up-close animal encounters at The Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation.

 

For more information: aubergeresorts.com/bluesky

Follow The Lodge at Blue Sky on Facebook and Instagram @BlueSkyAuberge

 

About Auberge Resorts Collection

Auberge Resorts Collection is a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs. While each property is unique, all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the soul of the locale to life through captivating design, exceptional cuisine, innovative spas, and gracious yet unobtrusive service. With 26 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts, Auberge invites guests to create unforgettable stories in some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

 

For more information: aubergeresorts.com

Connect with Auberge Resorts Collection on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitter and LinkedIn @AubergeResorts and #AlwaysAuberge