With Sedona only a 2-hour drive away, I frequently leave the busy city of Phoenix and head North to hike the beautiful red rock formations and enjoy the wonders of nature. However, in all my years of living in such close proximity to Sedona, I never stayed overnight. It seemed appropriate that L’Auberge de Sedona, situated in the heart of Sedona along the famous Oak Creek, would be the location of my first night in Sedona.

L’Auberge de Sedona with its award winning dining at both restaurants, Cress and Etch, is one of the top luxury hotels in Sedona. Boasting the unique nature spa, L’Apothecary, and private creek side cottages, it truly deserves its reputation as one of Sedona’s top hotels.

I stayed in one of the creek side cottages. Out the window, you could hear the babbling water, see the beautiful birds, and enjoy the cooling shade of the canopy of trees surrounding the hotel.

The quaint cottage had tall ceilings, a king sized bed, a sitting area, stocked mini bar, a fireplace, and my favorite part, an outdoor shower!! I have to admit, I have never used an outdoor shower before, but it was definitely my favorite part about the cottage.

Don’t worry, if you prefer to shower indoors, the cottage had an indoor shower AND a large bathtub.

The large outdoor patio overlooking the creek was another personal favorite. Waking up in the early morning, listening to nature, and watching the adorable ducks playing in the water make you forget that you’re in Arizona!

The cottages really provide everything you need to enjoy a relaxing stay.

During my first evening in Sedona, I dined under a canopy of sycamore trees at L’Auberge de Sedona’s restaurant: Etch Kitchen & Bar.

Etch provides a casual, relaxing atmosphere with helpful and friendly servers (shoutout to Cesar for being the best waiter in the world)!

As you can see from the photos below, the food looked delicious and tasted even better!

The avocado toast, burger of the month, and seasonal cobbler were all outstanding! I especially loved the hint of Meyer lemon on the avocado toast. It took me all night to get out of my Sedona food coma!

Yoga: I recommend getting up early to attend the free morning yoga class! If you have any questions about time and place, just call the front desk and ask.

Unfortunately, I was late (a usual occurrence, especially after a food coma) and the class was full, so make sure you arrive about 15 minutes prior to the start time.

Instead, I decided to go to the creek and practice my yoga skills and meditate. Anywhere on the L’Auberge property provides a peaceful and serene atmosphere, so getting in the mood for yoga was easy.

Spa: L’Apothecary Spa‘s one-of-a-kind blending sessions is a truly unique experience.

The spa lobby is inspired by an old fashioned apothecary where you can concoct your own homemade bath scrubs by selecting ingredients, herbs, oils and local botanicals.

The spa also includes treatments such as massages, facials, body treatments, and private yoga and meditation.

Pool: When the sun shines bright and you want to escape the heat, take a dip in the turquoise pool surrounded by pine trees. The water will quickly wash the red Sedona dirt off of you, leaving you refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.

One of the things I enjoyed most was exploring the beautiful lush grounds.

Walking between cottages, I was surrounded by beautiful trees, vibrant vine walkways, blooming flowers, and singing birds. As I ventured along the creek, I discovered little creatures such as squirrels, ducks, caterpillars, and so much more.

Every couple feet or so, I would sit down on either a bench or large rock to enjoy the surrounding nature.

L’Auberge de Sedona completely surpassed all my expectations. The peaceful ambiance and aurora of the hotel fits perfectly with Sedona’s personality as a city. It truly made for a relaxing and memorable stay.