Enchantment Resort,
Sedona Arizona

Many of Sedona’s hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts promise great red rock scenery.

But, few have as spectacular a setting as Enchantment Resort.

This red rock resort is hidden away in Boynton Canyon – one of the most beautiful spots in Sedona and said to be a powerful, energy vortex site.

The canyon’s craggy red rock walls soar above the property, giving dramatic views.

The walls of Boynton Canyon surround this red rock resort

Set outside of town and surrounded by wilderness, the buildings are clustered into 220 pueblo adobe style casitas, sensitively integrated into the high desert.

You'll practically feel like you're in your own home here.

When a resort calls itself "Enchantment", it will have to do a lot to live up to its name.

While not everything at Enchantment Resort can be called enchanting, we found this peaceful Sedona resort a great place to relax and get away from it all yet still have nice amenities and easy access to town.

Before booking a room, there's a few things you need to know.

Enchantment Resort’s adobe casitas blend into the landscape

First, it does take about 20 minutes to drive out to the property from central Sedona. For some, this may be a major drawback.

Also, the resort is not opulent; instead it has a Southwestern park lodge feel.

Although the pools are on the small side, there’s an assortment of activities with the best being the spa.

Make no mistake; you’ll pay for this sense of seclusion.

Enchantment Resort’s rates are high, generally over $200 per night.

Unlike many Arizona resorts, the prices generally don’t drop into the low $100s in the off-season.

For the price though, Enchantment Resort offers what few resorts in Arizona can – a chance to be completely immersed in the beauty of the state’s best feature – its incredible landscape.

Enchantment Resort sits in the middle of the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness

It is set in Boynton Canyon and surrounded by the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness.

Boynton Canyon is held sacred by many of the region’s Native American tribes.

The Yavapai-Apache consider the canyon to be the birthplace of their people.

You can see evidence that humans have used the canyon for thousands of years.

Native American cliff dwellings still lie hidden in the canyon walls.

Enchantment Resort took inspiration from the area’s original inhabitants, blending an old-fashioned Southwestern style with Native American influences.

All of the guest rooms here are spread out into adobe casitas – Spanish for little houses – creating a secluded village.

The casitas are all one story and tucked into the landscape.

The décor is distinctly Southwestern with rough-hewn wood beams, wrought iron fixtures, saltillo tile floors and Native American art.

Wide, paved paths meander between the casitas, giving a sense a discovery.

Rounding a bend, we’d see deer foraging among the stands of juniper and pinyon pine or desert cottontail rabbits nibbling on the native grasses.

Summer wildflowers, lush from monsoon rains, brightened the grounds.

Butterflies of every size and color flitted from blossom to blossom.

Casitas at Enchantment Resort

As twilight fell, bats chased unseen insects overhead.

In the canyon, there are no street lights.

Once the sun goes down, it is completely dark and the night sky leaps to life.

We were awestruck to see millions of stars sparkling overhead.

Living in cities, we forget just how many there are!

Enchantment Resort was so quiet that we forgot there was a town on the other side of the canyon.

While Enchantment Resort’s prices are expensive, the ambiance is casual. There is a "national park" feel here.

The resort is neither fussy nor stuffy.

The entire property – with the exception of the spa - has a nature lodge look and feel. We really felt like we were immersed in the wilderness here.

Our Casita Bedroom at Enchantment Resort

We chose the Casita Bedroom ($225/night – summer weekday rates).

All rooms at Enchantment Resort have Southwestern interiors in earth-toned colors with Native American accents.

Our room was more spacious than we expected and quite comfortable.

A very large king bed dominated the center of the room with small nightstands on either side.

The bed was too firm for our tastes and the pillows were thin.

But extra pillows were provided in the closet.

Other room features included:

• a lounge chair with ottoman and an Indian drum for an end table,
• a writing desk and round table and two chairs for meals,
• a mirrored vanity with a coffeemaker and supplies, wine glasses, ice bucket and large drawers underneath for storage,
• combination alarm clock/radio/CD Player and a NilCh’I – Spirit Wind CD of music by Mockingbird, a Navajo flute player.

The bathroom in our Casita Bedroom at Enchantment Resort

The entry to the bathroom was through wooden, saloon style doors. At first, this novelty was fun.

Jeff kept me laughing with his imitations of John Wayne swaggering into the saloon.

But the fun of it quickly wore off as the doors were actually a hassle to get through.

More than once, one of us managed to get a hand or finger caught between them.

The bathroom was spacious with a long counter with two sinks.

A separate room with a combination shower/bath and toilet, closed off by a sliding wood door made this section of the bathroom private.

There was also a large closet with a safe, plenty of shelves, extra blankets and pillows and spa robes.

Overhead skylights provided plenty of natural light.

Rooms at Enchantment Resort have a simple Southwestern style

All rooms at Enchantment Resort have a private patio or balcony.

Our room had a spacious deck with a great view of one of Boynton Canyon’s signature features – Kachina Woman, a sculpturally-eroded sandstone spire that stands out from the rock walls.

Native Americans believe that she watches over the canyon.

Even though this was not the largest room available at Enchantment Resort, we found it to be plenty spacious for two people.

We were very lucky to be the only guests in our set of casitas during our stay. We had an amazingly quiet and restful experience.

The spire of Kachina Woman looks over the tennis courts at Enchantment Resort

If you’re feeling active, however, the resort has several on-site amenities including:

• seven outdoor tennis courts, which may have the best views of any tennis courts in the state,
• par-3 golf course and putting green,
• championship croquet,
• mountain bike rentals,
• Bocce ball,
• ping-pong,
• several heated pools - all with great canyon views - though they are a bit on the small side compared to most resorts.

The main pool at Enchantment Resort

The main building – called the Clubhouse – holds the reception desk, the concierge, the gift shop and two of the restaurants.

A large sitting room doubles as an entertainment room with a TV, chessboard and board games.

Outside, a large deck wraps around the building and looks out over the canyon.

We found this the perfect place to watch the giant cotton candy clouds of an approaching monsoon thunderstorm roll in.

Step just outside the resort fence line and you’ll be in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness which is part of the Coconino National Forest.

The most popular trail in the area is the Boynton Canyon Trail.

This moderate, 5-mile roundtrip hike leads into the heart of the canyon.

To believers of New Age philosophy, Boynton Canyon is one of Sedona’s major energy vortex spots – a place that radiates a powerful spiritual yet indefinable energy.

We love this scenic hike with its amazing red cliffs, hoodoos and buttes and 2,000-year-old alligator juniper trees.

The end of the road in Enchantment Resort looks into Boynton Canyon

Keep an eye out for Sedona animals like black-tailed jackrabbits, canyon wrens, white-tailed deer and even coyotes.

There are also the ruins of Native American cliff dwellings high up in the canyon walls.

You must be eagle-eyed to spot them as there are no signs pointing them out so as to protect them from looters and vandals.

You can take part in a wide variety of activities at Enchantment Resort, including:

• guided hikes into Boynton Canyon,
• vortex walks,
• Native American performances such as storytellers, dancing and drumming,
• guided stargazing,
• tai chi,
• gourd pottery class,
• tea demonstration and lecture,
• cooking demonstrations.

Activities focus on Native American and Southwestern cultural themes.

In addition to games and crafts like sand painting, beading and treasure hunts, kids will enjoy:

• red rock viewing and wildlife watching,
• visits with a Forest Ranger,
• Native American storytellers,
• children’s yoga.

Program activities change daily.

You can sign your children up for half day, full day or Friday/Saturday evening programs.

Mii amo Spa at Enchantment Resort

This is a true destination spa with 16 spa casitas where you can stay to indulge in 3-, 4- and 7-night spa packages that include treatments and meals.

Enchantment Resort guests not staying in a Mii amo Spa casita can book individual treatments, which is what we did.

Mii amo has a Southwestern contemporary style and is set away from the rest of the resort.

Enchantment Spa has an extensive and unique treatment menu with Eastern, Western and New Age therapies and a wealth of amenities.

Even if you don't plan to have a spa treatment, you can attend the spa’s many fitness, wellness and nutrition classes, lectures and demonstrations for free.

Yavapai Restaurant is the fine dining venue.

Colorful murals adorn the walls at Yavapai Restaurant

The dining room has a Southwestern motif with wood beam ceilings, pale golden walls and colorful landscape murals of desert scenes.

The dining room’s best feature is its 180-degree view of Boynton Canyon.

If the weather’s nice, have your meal out on the deck to take advantage of the spectacular views.

The food is vaguely Southwestern with elegant presentations.

Dishes include:

• buffalo tenderloin, cold smoked and grilled, with sage cream and stewed collared greens ($38)
• blue corn crepes filled with braised duck, nopales, roasted corn and goat cheese and an ancho chile citrus demi-glace and pomegranate syrup ($15).

Our dinner began with a complimentary amuse bouche of thinly sliced duck topped with an onion confit on a little round of puff pastry and surrounded by a bleu cheese cream sauce.

For the first course, I chose the forest mushroom soup ($11). It had a dark, thin broth without any cream and slices of wild mushrooms.

The soup was topped with a caramelized onion and porcini mushroom stuffed pastry, much like a turnover.

This had a nice mushroom flavor. However, the soup was lackluster and unsatisfying.

Jeff had the bouquet of baby lettuces wrapped with prosciutto and served with shaved heirloom tomatoes and parmesan cheese and a white balsamic vinaigrette ($15).

The salad had a beautiful presentation, looking much like a lady’s nosegay. However, the vinaigrette was sharp and acidic.

The grilled sea scallops with guajillo chile-dusted avocado and jicama salad and sweet potato tempura in a watermelon gazpacho ($35) sounded good.

The outdoor patio at Yavapai Restaurant

However, the scallops were a bit tough.

The watermelon gazpacho was tasty. It’s mostly thin broth was cold, as gazpachos are, so the scallops were cold, too, even though they had just been grilled.

Given that the gazpacho was sweet, the sweet potato tempura was not a good counterpoint to the dish.

There was too much sweetness and richness with nothing to offset it.

Jeff opted for the ravioli filled with spinach and porcini mushrooms, topped with baby vegetables in a sweet corn broth and parsley oil ($26).

Though it sounded good, the dish wasn’t flavorful.

It too was overly sweet and the raviolis were gummy rather than al dente.

Yavapai’s saving grace was its desserts.

The Arizona citrus dome ($10) was a light pink round of mousse flavored with lemon, lime and grapefruit juices and surrounded by a finely sliced "carpaccio" of citrus segments from local growers.

It was luscious and light as a cloud with a wonderful citrus zing.

The theme of chocolate ($10) was a study in temperatures and flavors and included:

• a white chocolate ice cream with a raspberry purée,
• a room temperature milk chocolate pot de crème,
• a dark chocolate lava cake with a "molten" chocolate center.

They were all presented together on a large white plate and garnished with more chocolate and fruit.

Each item was delicious and made for a satisfying dessert sampler.

The "theme of chocolate" dessert at Yavapai Restaurant

Yavapai definitely has some of the best views of any restaurant in Sedona.

However, we thought that the quality and taste of the dinner did not live up to the high prices.

When we spend over $100 for dinner, the execution should be close to flawless.

Yavapai also serves breakfast and prepares the food for room service.

We ordered room service on our final morning so we could enjoy the red rock views from our balcony one last time.

The menu is the same as what is served in the dining room. Breakfast dishes are also Southwestern style.

We completed the room service card the night before and left it out on our door, indicating what we wanted and what time to deliver.

The Sonoran breakfast burrito ($12) was huge and stuffed full with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, avocado and jack cheese in a chipotle tortilla. It was served with a side of salsa and fresh fruit.

The Oak Creek breakfast ($14) was a traditional American style breakfast with two eggs any style, choice of bacon, ham or sausage, breakfast potatoes and a choice of toast or pancakes.

The food was hot and delivered right on time. The breakfast was considerably tastier than the dinner, though the prices are still on the high side.

Tii Gavo Grill is the casual dining option at Enchantment Resort, serving lunch and dinner only.

Tii Gavo Grill’s outdoor deck looks out over Boynton Canyon

Tii Gavo has a very small dining room with roughly ten indoor tables. One side holds the bar, which does double duty for both Tii Gavo and Yavapai.

The space felt cramped but has beautiful canyon views. There’s a large deck for outdoor dining which we would have preferred.

However, a late afternoon monsoon thunderstorm was still drizzling over the canyon and the patio was soaked.

Their menu has Southwestern and American food such as New York steak strip sandwich, fish tacos and fajitas.

The grilled chicken sandwich ($14.50) was simple with a chicken breast filet, lettuce and tomato on grilled sourdough bread and accompanied by steak fries.

A grilled portobello mushroom sandwich ($13.50) was similar and came with fries and a chile-pecan coleslaw.

The bread on both sandwiches was too toasted and had a charcoal taste. A shower of burnt pieces flaked off every time we picked up our sandwiches, making for a very messy dining experience.

The coleslaw was greasy and while it had a chile heat, the flavor was bland.

The light and airy Mii amo Spa Café at Enchantment Resort

Mii amo Spa Café is in the Mii amo Spa. This was our favorite restaurant at Enchantment Resort.

Mii amo is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve spa food so everything is light and healthy.

The food was delicious and very satisfying even though it’s low in fat and carbohydrates. Read our Enchantment Spa review for details about the Mii amo Spa cafe.

Note: We strongly recommend that you make reservations if you are dining at Yavapai or Tii Gavo.

Here are some tips and advice to consider before you decide to book a room at Enchantment.

Location

• Enchantment Resort is about 8 miles from central Sedona.
• It’s surrounded by a wilderness area, so there are no stores or restaurants nearby other than what is on the resort grounds. From Boynton Canyon, it’s a 5 mile drive to Highway 89A – where there are restaurants, grocery stores and shops.
• Because Enchantment Resort is in a canyon bottom, you may have poor to nonexistent cell phone coverage.

Looking towards Boynton Canyon on the road to the Resort

Climate

• Sedona is at 4,500 feet elevation, so pack accordingly. Summer daytime temperatures routinely climb to the high 90s but nighttime lows can drop down to the 50s.
• Expect brief periods of rain during the summer monsoon season and watch for lightning.
• During winter, temperatures can drop to below freezing. Sedona does get snow in winter.

Grounds

• Enchantment Resort is large and spread out. All of the paths are paved and easily walked.
• You can call at anytime and an attendant in an electric cart will pick you up and take you anywhere in the resort. If you have made a reservation, be sure to call for a cart at least ten minutes in advance.
• Enchantment Resort is in a wilderness area, so expect to see many types of animals including lizards, spiders, ants, bats, snakes and mice. We saw a variety of wildlife around the casitas though we never had anything get in our room. However, this is a possibility. If that bothers you, be sure to keep your room doors closed or stay somewhere else.
• The pools at Enchantment Resort are small - even the resort’s main pool - by most resort standards. We recommend staking out your lounge chair early on the busy weekends.

Deciding on a Room

Enchantment Resort’s rooms have casual Southwestern style furniture that complements its wilderness surroundings

• Most of the casitas are not next to the Clubhouse. If you don’t want to walk or wait for an electric cart, you’ll need to request a room near it when booking.
• Most casitas do not have parking right next to them. Bell hops with electric carts will help you unload/load and move your luggage.
• If you want a fireplace in your room, you will have to book one of the "suite" types.
• The Casita Studio and the Hacienda Studio rooms really are like apartment studios. They have simple pull-down queen beds only, just like an old fashioned Murphy bed. They also have kitchenettes and a dining area for four. These rooms really are designed to be used together with the adjoining Casita Bedroom which Enchantment Resort calls a Casita Suite.
• Hacienda Suites have fully equipped kitchens and a gas cooking grill on the deck.
• All rooms at Enchantment Resort are non-smoking.

Dining

If you plan to eat at either Yavapai Restaurant or Tii Gavo Grill, we strongly recommend that you make advance reservations.

The dining room at Yavapai Restaurant

This is because Enchantment Resort is 5 miles from the nearest dining options, so the restaurants’ tables can fill up very quickly.

We felt that Enchantment Resort’s Yavapai and Tii Gavo were overpriced for their food. Here are some tips on what to do instead:

• Eat at Mii amo Spa Café. Yes, it’s spa food but its very good though low calorie fare.
• If you go into Sedona for the day, eat in town before you come back to the resort.
• Bring food back with you. Most of Enchantment Resort’s patios and balconies have beautiful views and a large table with chairs for outdoor dining.
• If you booked one of the suites, you have a kitchen and so may wish to prepare some of your own food. There are grocery stores on Highway 89.

Mii amo Spa

• Make your spa appointments well in advance of your arrival. We made ours about 1½ months ahead of time. When I called a few weeks later to add an additional appointment, they were already booked up.
• Spa casitas are booked separately from the regular resort rooms. Be sure to make your reservation well in advance.
• You must be a guest at Enchantment Resort or staying in a Mii amo Spa casita in order to visit Mii amo Spa.
• Guests must be 16 years or older to use any of the spa facilities including the spa pools.

Favorite Features:   Views; spa; on-site resort programs; close to hiking trails.

What We Didn’t Like:   Meals at Yavapai and Tii Gavo restaurants were not worth the price; room rates are quite high year round.

Service:   Service was always prompt and friendly. The staff was always waving as they passed by or asking if we needed help. We didn’t even have to wait long when we called for a ride on the electric cart.

Nearby Amenities and Attractions:   There are many trails for hiking and mountain biking in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness and Coconino National Forest that surrounds Enchantment Resort. West of the resort is the Indian ruins of Palatki. There are also many shops and restaurants on Highway 89 five miles from the resort.

Good for Kids:   Yes, especially for kids who love the outdoors.

Pet Friendly:   No. Pets are not allowed.

Location:   Northwest Sedona. Enchantment Resort is 8 miles from the "Y," the intersection of Highways 89A and 179 in central Sedona. So you’ll have a bit of a drive to most Sedona attractions. However, it’s an easy drive into town. Sedona is 110 miles north of Phoenix, roughly about a two hour drive.

Address:   525 Boynton Canyon Road, Sedona, AZ 86336

Google Map Directions: Click on "+" and "-" signs on Map Controls in upper left hand corner to zoom in and out on the location.

Management:   Leading Hotels of the World

Style:   Casual Southwestern/Native American

Room Types:   220 adobe casitas and suites in 70 separate one story buildings.

Book a room at Enchantment

Cost: $$$$ - $$$$$
Go to Cost Key

Extra Fees:   Yes, Enchantment Resort has a daily $22.00 resort fee. Services included in the fee are:

• access to Mii amo Spa,
• high speed internet access,
• use of tennis courts, bicycles, croquet and pitch and putt golf,
• resort activities, i.e. lectures, performances, classes and Native American programs,
• on-site laundry facilities,
• local telephone calls,
• access fee for credit card and toll-free calls,
• faxes (3 page maximum),
• postage for postcards and letters.

This fee does not include taxes or gratuities.
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Room Service:   There is an 18% service charge plus $3 delivery fee.

Views/Setting:   Red rock canyon and high desert

Pools:   Six pools spread around the property.

Restaurants:   Three restaurants:

• Yavapai Restaurant: gourmet Southwestern style dishes with elegant presentations; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner entrées range from $25 - $40
• Tii Gavo Grill: casual atmosphere with American and Southwestern grill food; lunch and dinner only; entrées range from $12 - $20
• Mii amo Spa Café: located in the spa; serves spa cuisine; breakfast, lunch, dinner, poolside fare and juice bar; entrées range from $10 - $20

Spa:   Yes, Mii amo Spa is destination spa with a huge variety of treatments, amenities and a café.

Golf:   No. Concierge can arrange for guests to play on local courses.

Activities:   Tennis, pitch and put golf, croquet, Bocce ball, ping-pong, basketball, mountain bike rentals, hiking, on-site performances, lectures, classes and demonstrations.

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