Howdy! My name is John William Barger III, better known on Instagram as @jwbarger. I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida in the Tampa Bay area. I’ve lived there for most of my life. In this article, I will be sharing my experiences and stay at the incredible Sundance Mountain Resort.
Staying at amazing hotels and traveling the world has always been a passion of mine. It was probably instilled in me by my parents. Being an only child, my parents took me with them wherever they went – so I was exposed to a lot of the world at an early age while others stayed home.
I’ve always been a creative person as well as a storyteller. My career has taken me from publishing to broadcast media to social media now.
3 Nights at Sundance Mountain Resort
I love the American West and Utah has always been one of my favorite states. However, I had only been there during winter and so I wanted to have a unique summer visit – a diet dude ranch experience, if you will.
I also wanted to go someplace to beat the heat during summer. While Utah still gets pretty hot during the day, it’s a dry heat so it doesn’t feel too hot, and it cools off quickly as soon as the sun dips behind the mountains.
Most of my trips are short as I like to stay busy and maximize my time, so I only stayed at Sundance Mountain Resort for three nights which was perfect for doing everything. There were no events when I stayed but I enjoyed all the experiences offered by the resort like fly fishing, horseback riding, guided hiking, fat tire biking, spa treatments and a scenic lift ride.
Sundance is a quintessential Western ranch experience in the United States. It’s rustic, rugged and relaxed all at once. The level of service and amenities are the same as any other five-star resort would be in the US or abroad, however the styling is unique and authentic to the area.
If you are someone who is used to glass and steel or crystal chandeliers and gold leaf, coming here is a great way to reset your idea of luxury and comfort, and expand your expectations of what a luxury experience can be.
Rooms & Facilities at Sundance Mountain Resort
I stayed in a two bedroom cabin (they call their villa-style properties cabins). It was very comfortable, with a large living area that had a fireplace, dining room that seats up to ten, a full kitchen, two king bedrooms, walk-in closets, and bathrooms with large soaking tubs, shower and steam.
The unit also had a large back patio that overlooked the grounds and a large hot tub that could accommodate up to 8 people. It’s definitely a more residential-style room where you have the option to cook your own food or reserve a chef. But they still offer full hotel amenities as well such as 24 hour room service, daily maid service, bell service, and a full concierge.
The property is expansive and has all the amenities you would expect, and then some. It’s a sprawling property and most of the cabins are free standing in clusters spread throughout the property. There is a main lodge where the restaurants, store and boutique are located, and everything else like the gym, spa, sport centers, etc. all radiate around that point.
Sundance is unique in that it has a private ski mountain with lifts that run daily. One of my favorite activities was riding the lift and having lunch at their restaurant on top of the mountain. The ski trails do double duty as hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in the summertime, all of which I did while I was there and I highly recommend those activities.
There is even a hidden waterfall that flows from May to August on the backside of Mount Timpanogos that is worth the 3 mile hike to get there!
Activities To Do Outside the Property
There is so much to do on the Sundance property that you really don’t need to leave. However, I do recommend spending one morning fly fishing on the Provo River – it runs across the street from the entrance to the hotel and has some of the best freshwater fishing in all of Utah.
The hotel can arrange a private or group tour and match you to a guide that fits your experience level. Just keep in mind that fishing is highly regulated in Utah and requires a permit from the state government.
My Review of Sundance Mountain Resort: 9/10
I would give Sundance Mountain Resort a solid 9/10. The fresh mountain air, the abundance of activities, the unique setting and the food were all memorable. I think they could benefit from some modernization though.
Things like a text message system for communication instead of using a landline phone in the room (which sometimes took a while to get someone to answer) or smart TVs you could sync with your devices. But to be honest, I didn’t really have time to watch TV and part of the reason you come to a place like Sundance Mountain Resort is to disconnect with technology.
Need to Know Before you Go
Keep in mind that the rooms are not air conditioned. You do have a fan in each bedroom, and it does still get fairly cold at night, but if you are like me and used to having the AC blasting 24/7, you may want to plan your day accordingly so that you have the opportunity to cool off in the shade or get a spa treatment during the hottest part of the day from 1-3pm.
