ST. GEORGE — Developers plan to build a large resort in the new Desert Color community where Southern Parkway connects with Interstate 15. And they hope their new resort will continue Southern Utah’s transition from a sleepy retirement community into a hot spot for wellness and athletic markets.
A Marriott Autograph Collection hotel-resort to be called Atara with 12,000 square feet of “flexible meeting space” will be built within the next 36 months near the Southern Parkway exit on I-15. It will be a part of the 3,350 acres known as Desert Color.
Named for the Hebrew word for “crown,” Atara is planned to have four main land-use districts: mixed-use commercial, recreation, resort and residential, according to the resort’s website.
“We’re doing a big focus on health and wellness, which we think is a big part of tourism. Our spa and food offerings will cater to the athletes visiting St. George,” John Cooper, chief development officer of real estate firm AMS Hospitality, said. “We’ll have programs to cater to the athletes and the nonathlete. But we thought that was a big missing piece in the tourism market — that while there’s a lot of athletes coming in, there’s nowhere really that’s focused on giving them good meals and nutrition at the same time.”
The hotel with a conference center also will serve to assist athletes who recover after popular events like the St. George Marathon and Ironman triathlon races. The complex will include indoor and outdoor pavilions with state-of-the-art technology, a business center, a gym, a pool and dining options.
“It’s unique as far as size for what is offered right now in the St. George market,” Cooper said. “And it allows us to have conferences year-round and accommodate over 500 people for those conferences.”
Cooper said the project will be the only branded resort in Southern Utah, and having the Marriott brand is a big draw for tourism. He acknowledges there are many different sizes and types of venues in Southern Utah for conferences, with more planned in the future. But he said he feels this property will be unique.
Bill Hobson, a marketing agent with Berkshire Hathaway, said the resort’s pool will feature fire, waterfalls, rock formations and jacuzzies. This area will be built by Lucas Lagoons, a Florida company known for being featured on the Animal Planet series “Insane Pools: Off the Deep End.” Fully equipped cabanas with food service will surround the main pool.
Hobson said there would also be two acres of outdoor event lawn space and an outdoor pavilion.
In addition to the 128 rooms in the hotel, the community will have 136 residence villas, Hobson said. The Atara Autograph Collection Residences will include private pools, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom options. The villas will be fully furnished with furniture, linens, cookware and flatware.
A big draw will be a full-time outfitter on location. Cooper said guests can have customized outdoor adventures arranged at the property. Excursions from two hours to two weeks will be at the guests’ fingertips. Vendors will be on-site for various experiences such as canyoneering, biking and more.
“They can tailor these things to your abilities, the length of stay and your desire to push yourself or have a relaxing walk through Snow Canyon,” Cooper said.
The resort will be connected to the St. George Trail system and have additional trails that run throughout the Desert Color community.
Another draw for the resort will be the food offerings, with four establishments planned to be open to the public. Cooper said they would range from fine dining to grab-and-go items.
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