New openings are kind of our thing. We love a new hotel, restaurant, venue or café opening and bring as many as possible to you. New urban hotels seem to appear almost daily and that makes sense considering the ebb and flow of city life however, when a hotel pop ups in a secluded corner of nature (think: deserts, mountain tops, seaside cliffs), our interest in doubly piqued. Another mild obsession of  ours (and yours, we know) is glamping. Gone are the days of hauling your own equipment hundreds of miles into the middle of no where and here are the days of arriving to your destination already set-up and ready for use. Oh yeah, and with real beds and showers to boot.

We got word that a new glampsite was opening near the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park and were instantly intrigued. Imagined by Under Canvas, the brand responsible for putting glamping on the map in a big way, this new Grand Canyon glampsite was going to be bigger than ever with special touches like a welcome tent outfitted by West Elm and a yoga deck. The Venue Report has been long time supporters and fans of Under Canvas and their knack for scouting some of the most beautiful locales in the country for their luxurious camping meets hotel experiences. Moab, Yellowstone and the Glacier National Park are just some of the current outposts.

Catch up on all of 2019’s Hottest New Venue Openings Across the Globe →​

“Everyone, it’s time,” rang out as twenty of us, some strangers and some friends, chose our desired pillow or pouf to sit on at a table in the middle of the desert. Dressed in tones of the earth, we paused, placed our glasses down and took in the golden hour happening around us. As the sun set, murmurs of “This is absolutely magical,” and “I’ve never seen anything like this,” went around while charcuterie and wine was passed down the massive table scattered with flickering candles, clay vessels filled with foraged branches, and simple yet beautiful place settings.

Here, the twenty of us sat in an ancient desert surrounded by old friends and new ones for the opening of the newest glamping experience by Under Canvas while sharing a meal lovingly provided our hosts. The majority of us traveled from the beach towns of San Diego to the majestic land of the Grand Canyon and thanks to the creative eye of Pow Wow Design Studio, we were gathering around a beautiful mirage of a table.
 

Video: Bailey Made