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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."
