Luxury Desert Glamping at Ulum Moab – Full Review & Travel Guide

ulum hotel lobby Moab Utah under canvas luxury resort desert

Looking for the most dreamy, seculded, unique hotel experience but out in nature? Look no further! Seriously….I mean it…. ULUM Moab was the perfect getaway to experience our anniversary in a peaceful but adventurous way.  

Let’s set the scene

We stayed at this resort in July, which I'm sure you’re thinking should have been miserable since it was the middle of summer Rin the desert, but I can assure you, it was absolutely beautiful! We even woke up to low 60 degree weather each morning, and I brought out a light jacket in the evenings as well.

During the days we got into the 90’s and it was still super pleasant. I’m from Houston born and raised so this wasn’t too bad for me at all. We met plenty of people from other areas of the U.S. where it’s not as hot and even they were comfortable. The dry air really helps!

Sleeping each night with the windows unzipped in the tent got a little chilly, so we just cozied up under the thick duvet - what a dream!

We had come out to this resort for a friends Christian Music Festival - shout to the “Heaven on Earth Festival”! Talk about worshiping out under the stars in the middle of God’s beautiful creation - unreal my friends, unreal.

heaven on earth sunset Moab looking glass arch desert luxury resort ulum under canvas

Heaven on Earth with the Looking Glass Arch behind us

How many nights should you go?

Due to the remote nature of the resort, I would recommend at least 3 nights here. It would be a perfect weekend getaway, or if you wanted some extra relaxation time then make it an even longer stay.

The resort itself it about a 30 minute drive to the actual town center of Moab itself. Close enough to get to for what you need, but far enough out that you feel like you’re the only one for miles and miles and miles.

If going somewhere in the “off-season” is important to you and you want to minimize crowds, then going in the June-August timeframe is perfect.

Resorts Details & Amenities

Ulum Moab is part of the Under Canvas brand and they opened this location in the spring of 2023, making it still feel all new and shiny. P.S….if you’re a World of Hyatt member, you can now collect and redeem points for staying at this location! Just another way to maximize your travel bucks. Cha-ching!

 Not to get ahead of myself here, but I promise once you experience this location you’ll be dying for the next spot like this, and I have good news for you! There are 13 total locations throughout the U.S. for you to go check out!

Under Canvas Locations: (link all of these)

·      Acadia

·      Bryce Canyon

·      Columbia River Gorge

·      Glacier

·      Grand Canyon

·      Great Smoky Mountains

·      Lake Powell – Grand Staircase

·      Moab

·      Mount Rushmore

·      North Yellowstone – Paradise Valley

·      West Yellowstone

·      Yosemite

·      Zion

Now let’s chat about all the amenities you get to experience while you’re at the hotel. I am definitely someone who likes to at least go check everything out, even if it’s just looking around, whether or not I actually do it….ahemm…the gym… cough-cough.

luxury resort tent glamping hotel under canvas

Some of the amenities for your personal tent include, but aren’t limited to:

·      Bathrooms INSIDE your tent (no backwoods camping here…)

·      Wood burning stove for those chilly nights

·      In-tent cooling

·      Private decks

·      Rain showers - with hot water

·      Parachute linens

·      Aesop bath amenities

·      In-tent coffee and tea

·      Upscale furnishings and lighting

·      Electricity

·      Hairdryers

While the tent itself sleeps four, and you can definitely fit those kiddos on the pull-out couch, this is a destination experience that I would recommend for couples only. I promise your romance will thank me later *wink-wink*

 Now onto the amenities at the resort itself. The food here is impeccable! There are plenty of options for healthy eating with clean ingredients, and even the sweets like a nightly smores bar setup. You can do anything from grab and go snacks, smoothies, espressos and coffee, and full meals/apps for all times of the day.

I’m not the only one who thinks their food is lovely! Ulum was awarded Two Keys in the Michelin Guide in 2024 that recognizes the best of the best of the prestigious guide’s 5,000 hotels from around the world. You go Ulum!!

appetizer charcuterie board ulum food resort outdoors glamping

Now that we’ve chatted on all the amenities to keep your belly full and your body cozy, let’s get to the adventure packed things!

 Things to do onsite:

  • Morning hike to the Looking Glass Arch that’s on property

  • Morning hike around all the tent roads and down to the entrance

  • Daily activities hosted by Ulum like yoga, soap making, tea blending, sound bath meditation, star gazing and much more – these are all complimentary which all of our wallets say a large THANK YOU to Ulum for. I feel like with all of the nickel and diming that many resorts do these days, it’s so special to find a place where people are willing to pay for a beautiful stay, but then for the hotel to throw in free activities like these for everyone to enjoy means a lot.

  • If you want a little more adventure, you can book excursions for both public and private experiences directly through the resort to minimize your hassle on vacation.

    • Some of these include:

      • Colorado River Kayaking and Rafting

      • Guided hikes to the Arches park

      • Rock Climbing

      • Canyoneering

      • Hummer Safari’s

  • When you’re ready to relax, be sure to hit up the hot tub, cold plunge pool and the regular temp. pool. I also use the term “pool” lightly as you won’t be swimming laps or anything, but instead soaking and enjoying your surroundings or good company.  

  • There are also tons of huge fire pits that are lit during the evening so you can stargaze. Be sure to grab a smore for a late-night snack too (complimentary)!

  • A little birdie has also let me in on a secret that the resort will be opening up their own spa on site soon. I can’t wait to check it out!



outdoors walk exercise desert redrocks looking glass arch Utah exercise resort
resort amenities pool dip cold plunge hot tub desert resort under canvas

What is there to do locally?

We aren’t the kind to normally stay on property 100% of the time, so having local things to do was important to us. One thing to note – you WILL need a rental car for this vacay! Ubers are not common around here.

Moab town is about 30 minutes away but provides lots to do in the area:

  • Head into town for some good bites and a cold drink at Trailhead Public House & Eatery

  • Shop around at the make your own t-shirt stores for something fun to take home

  • Explore the food truck park

  • Grab some ice cream at the creamery!

Arches National Park:

  • The entrance to Arches National Park is 40 minutes from the resort making it an easy thing to go do during the day

  • If you’ve never done this national park, you can easily drive the whole thing and get out for the lookout stations and then hope back in if you aren’t too keen on hiking

  • If you want a little more of a workout, there’s some easy trails and walkways that lead to beautiful scenery

  • If you are even MORE of an avid hiker (go you!) then there is plenty of trails ranging in longer distances and more intensity. Most of this just depends on how long you want to make your day and the heat index beating down on you.

  • Make sure to pack good hiking shoes and water bottles/backpack! There are water fill stations located within the park as well as bathrooms. Just a fair warning on the bathrooms….get ready for the hole in the floor experience. I’ll just leave it at that……

woman hiking pathway arches utah desert red rocks hike outdoors exercise

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Located 1hr. from the resort, Canyonlands is another national park you HAVE to cross off your list. To me, the views were even better than Arches as I love the canyon overlooks. We entered through the north entrance….which you could easily go do after the Arches park if you have time.

This is another easily drivable national park. I’m SO thankful for parks like this with the roads paved and easily accessible. We did a few small hikes and were able to see all the main attractions here in just 2 short hours. Absolutely must cross this park off your list!

Canyonlands National Park

Deadhorse State Park

Now only a few minutes down the road from the northern Canyonlands National park entrance is Deadhorse State Park. I URGE you not to pass this one up! This state park had my favorite view (pictured below) out of all 3 parks. It’s easily doable as it’s just 1 road in and out and you can stop and get out without doing any hiking if that’s your jam.

Not only that, but why NOT cross off another park when it’s literally down the road and you can do it in about an hour?!

Deadhorse State Park

Looking for more?

Golfing! Something that we didn’t get to do last time we were here was visit the Moab Golf Course due to a recent knee surgery for my husband. We really hope to experience this golf course next time we come as it looks absolutely beautiful!

Packing:

Okay, now onto what to pack for this trip. Remember now, you’re in the desert….so there’s a few things that are a must have.

  • Tall hiking socks….no one likes dirt in their socks/shoes…..

  • Hiking boots or at LEAST a pair of good tennis shoes (leave the worn out soles at home people, you want the traction)

  • Hat

  • Camera

  • All your chargers

  • Exercise clothes/hiking outfits

  • Reuseable water bottles or a camelback

  • Backpack

  • Sunglasses

  • Supplements, like hydration packs

  • Swimsuit

  • Jacket and some warm clothes, no matter the time of year it’ll get chilly at night/morning

  • Sunscreen

  • Allergy medicine

  • Toiletries

  • Some cute outfits for dinners in the evenings

 Rental Cars:

To get here you can come from multiple places, but we personally flew from Houston into Durango, Colorado and drove the 2.5 hrs. It was SUCH a gorgeous drive through the mountains in the summertime! It also helped that there was non-stop flights.  

Some other options for you to fly into include Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colorado.

There is free parking on site that you can utilize, just keep in mind that you CANNOT drive directly to your tent. So that means you’ll park in the designated lot, then they will have a golf cart take you and your luggage up to your tent. It’s actually a great way to keep the property looking pristine, and maximizing your health and fitness by walking to and from the clubhouse to your tent. Now, if you have a cute outfit on, your feet hurt or you’re in a rush – just give a friendly call up to the front desk and they will send a golf cart to come get you!

 To wrap this up!

Ulum Moab was an incredible experience that presented itself at a time in my life when we really needed this type of seclusion. It was one of the most unique stays we have ever had, and I can’t wait to come back to visit…again and again….and then go visit some other Under Canvas resort locations too. I highly recommend and hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did!

Next
Next

How to Spend One Perfect Day in San Francisco: A First-Timer's Itinerary