In the lap of luxury: Utah's luxury reputation on the rise.

• Author: Beers, Heather
• Position: Business Trends

Beijing. Buenos Aires. Abu Dhabi. Park City. That's right, Park City is among the more recent additions to St. Regis' portfolio of 41 distinguished hotels worldwide. The city likewise joins the Waldorf Astoria's collection of 24 luxury destinations scattered from the Maldives to London to Saudi Arabia. And the new "it-place," the Montage, also singled out--you guessed it--Park City as the site for the newest of its four properties.

But it's not just Park City that's getting upper-crust attention. Southern Utah is now one of Amanresort's 20 global destinations, with the exclusive Amangiri opening in colorful desert country about 15 minutes from the shores of Lake Powell.

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Within the last few years, Utah has seen an increase in the number of luxury hotel properties. In fact, Leisure magazine named Utah the top luxurious destination for 2011, and Slate magazine featured Utah in an article titled "Utah: Why would you vacation anywhere else?"

Good to Great

So what took Utah from "wonderful getaway" to "luxury getaway?" Scott Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake, says, "You can't discount impact of the Olympics. Although it was nine years ago, it laid the groundwork for what we're experiencing right now." Beck explains the Olympics drew discerning travelers to Utah who might not have otherwise visited the Beehive State. They experienced high-end properties like Hotel Park City and the AAA Five Diamond Stein Eriksen Lodge and Grand America Hotel. Once travelers in that echelon saw what Utah had to offer, demand began to grow.

Beck also cites the vision of Gov. Jon S. Huntsman and the legislature, which in 2005 created the Tourism Marketing Performance Fund. The TMPF took the Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) marketing budget from about $ 1 million to an average of $7 million per year, according to Beck. Leigh von der Esch, UOT director, notes the "Life Elevated" campaign (which was created using TMPF funds) has done its job of raising awareness among travelers outside the state.

Bill Malone, president and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, also credits Utah's flagship luxury properties for helping bring about the recent influx of high-end properties. "People in the luxury brand element were always familiar with the Stein Eriksen Lodge and the success that it had. The secret got out. All you have to do is come here and kick the tires and you get it: this place is a player."

Malone points out Park...