ULUM Moab — Hotel in Four Corners States

After having several fantastic stays at Under Canvas properties, we decided to give Ulum a try for an even upgraded experience. Overall, it was a decent stay but definitely not the “best of Under Canvas” or “luxury” experience Ulum claims. And definitely not worth the $3,000 price tag. On the positive side: the location, though a drive from Moab, is secluded and scenic. It’s the perfect place to relax (fyi- there is zero cell service and very limited WiFi, if that’s important to you). The restaurant and staff there are fantastic, though the food offerings are quite limited. The dipping pools, electricity, and upgraded shower are nice improvements from the Under Canvas locations. However, we won’t be returning to Ulum due to their management’s disinterest in providing quality customer service and responding to issues. Upon checking into the tent, we noticed a layer of ash/soot covering every surface in the room. When we lit the wood stove that night, we understood why. The stove, even when operated per the instruction manual- both the one provided by Ulum and the manufacturer’s manual, which we looked up- produced a high level of smoke into the room. On the second night, we were awoken at 3 am to a smoke alarm and a tent filled with smoke. The stove was completely closed and we hadn’t added wood for several hours, yet smoke was seeping through the stove door and chimney. This would be alarming to any visitor, but particularly me, as I was 7 months pregnant during the stay. We tried our best to air out the tent, but with the amount of smoke and temps in the 30s, had no choice but to leave our tent in the middle of the night. The woman on duty overnight was lovely and understood the issue, and explained there had been issues with the stoves. She assured us our room would be cleaned first thing in the morning and bedding changed to help deal with the smell, and that management would talk to us about resolving the issue. Unfortunately, when we returned to our tent later that afternoon, nothing had been tended to. We had to call housekeeping to change our bedding, and maintenance to look at the stove (maintenance also explained the issues Ulum has had with the stoves, and told us the chimney on our stove was filthy and hadn’t been cleaned in some time). We didn’t want to ruin the rest of our stay, so we decided to stay positive and not make a huge issue. We didn’t use the stove again, though it was quite cold (they did give us space heaters, which helped a bit). We were again assured that all management staff was aware of what had gone on and would reach out. We checked out this morning and received our final bill for the stay, and no word from Ulum management. This property is now in its second season and should have the kinks worked out, but feels very green in terms of operation. If looking for an elevated glamping experience in the area, Under Canvas Moab may be a better choice until Ulum gets luxury...

Having had a prior underwhelming stay at another Under Canvas property, I was curious to see how its new “luxury” property, ULUM Moab would compare.

The property setting itself is beautiful, set against a backdrop of Looking Glass Rock. The tents do have some good upgrades, which make the stay a bit more comfortable, and allow this property to be more of a true glamping experience. The enclosed lobby also provides for a much needed reprieve from a full day of exposure to the elements while hiking. However, I was left with a similar impression as my prior experience - ULUM does not live up to its potential.

Hospitality-wise, the staff is friendly enough, but appears over-worked or inattentive, and often fails to capitalize on opportunities to truly provide a personalized experience.

The food served in the main building is serviceable but comes nowhere near to justifying its price point (food is not included in the accommodation cost). As examples, the prosciutto used for the flatbread is the worst prosciutto I have ever eaten anywhere, and the sunny side eggs served for breakfast are very underdone. In brief, very rustic hit-or-miss fare at premium prices. As an aside, I had a much more pleasant experience eating dinner at Thai Bella in Moab on one of the nights of the trip.

Overall, ULUM over-promises and under-delivers; it tries to be something that it’s not.

Don’t tell the customer that you have wifi if you have the shoddiest possible network. It’s ok to not have wifi in such a place.

Don’t tell the customer that there is hot water available 24 hours a day in the main building for tea- at 9 pm, the water was already tepid.

When a customer asks if they can borrow a yoga mat, go retrieve a fresh one for them; don’t just point vaguely in the direction of where one can be found.

When you see customers checking out, ask if they need help with their luggage. Even if they don’t, the courtesy is to ask.

When you offer yoga/meditation sessions in the morning, make it such that kids are not running around and screaming in the immediate vicinity of these sessions.

I realize this is quite critical. But, I still think ULUM deserves 3 stars based on its concept/potential. It’s the execution that is lacking. And the price point just remains too high for what it is. Free s’mores won’t cut it.

Finally, if your main reason for being in Moab is to visit Arches National Park over several days, I would say that ULUM is far enough from the entrance that it makes the commute a little bit longer than ideal, particularly when having to negotiate the winding road back in pitch black.

In the end, a good experience but not one that I am interested in repeating...

We stayed at ULUM Moab this past weekend and were deeply disappointed by the experience. While the natural landscape is breathtaking and the location near Looking Glass Arch is undeniably beautiful, the accommodations fell far short of the luxury glamping experience that was promised—especially at this price point. Despite their claims of “upscale accommodations” and “luxury amenities that enhance your comfort and wellbeing,” we found the tents entirely unprepared for cold desert weather. The wood-burning stove was no match for the freezing temperatures, especially given the cheap wood that burned quickly and offered little lasting heat. Our tent wasn’t even pre-heated before arrival, which made the first night especially miserable. The tent lacked basic comforts I’ve experienced at much more reasonably priced glamping sites: no rugs on the cold floor, no slippers, no dresser or storage, and robes that were thin cotton—not the warm, spa-like robes one would expect at a luxury resort. They also advertise wellness experiences like yoga and mixology classes. Neither were offered during our stay. The only place warm enough to sit was the restaurant, and even that required a blanket and my winter coat to endure. Metal chairs in the cold dining space made it even more uncomfortable. The food was mediocre and overpriced—certainly not in line with the “premium” experience we paid for. To make matters worse, guests are not allowed to bring their own wine or snacks into the only warm common space. When the tent is too cold to enjoy and the restaurant is both expensive and uncomfortable, it leaves few options. This location might be enjoyable in the summer when the weather is warm—but it is absolutely not equipped to host guests comfortably in cold weather. If you strip away the landscape and the word “luxury,” what remains is a tent with a bed and not much else. For a quarter of the price, I’ve had far better glamping experiences elsewhere. I felt completely misled by the advertising. ULUM is not a luxury hotel and should not be charging luxury prices without delivering even basic comfort or amenities. Until they make serious improvements—or lower the cost dramatically—I cannot...