El Portal Sedona Hotel Recognized with Condé Nast Traveler’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Award

Condé Nast Traveler has announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards with El Portal Sedona Hotel recognized as the #6 HOTEL FOR HOTELS IN THE SOUTHWEST & WEST, #2 FOR THE STATE OF ARIZONA AND #1 IN SEDONA!

More than 800,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to provide a full snapshot about the places they can’t wait to return to next. The Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. The full list of winners can be found here.

“El Portal is a boutique hotel with only 12 rooms. We have always tried to be different; it’s nice to be recognized and appreciated. We are thrilled for this extraordinary award!” says owner Steve Segner.

After 30 plus years in the pet industry, owners, Steve and Connie Segner dived into the hospitality industry and opened pet friendly El Portal Sedona Hotel. Theirs was a dream of an all-inclusive feeling of oneness with the land and spirit of the Southwest. They brought all the elements of nature and the soul of the Southwest into the creation of this beautiful Sedona hotel. After careful planning and execution, their vision became a reality. A spectacular “Adobe Hacienda” in the Arts and Craft tradition; true to nature, true to the soul of Sedona, was theirs and fortunately Sedona’s. 

The 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue.

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About El Portal Sedona Hotel
El Portal Sedona Hotel is dedicated to providing an extraordinary lodging experience for guests and their pets in unpretentious luxury.  The boutique hotel was designed and built with pets’ needs in mind with tile and wood flooring throughout, while at the same time offering guests the best in modern amenities and unparalleled concierge services for the Sedona area. It is a AAA Four Diamond Hotel in the heart of Sedona.
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336
https://elportalsedona.com/
info@elportalsedona.com
Toll free:  1.800.313.0017
Local:  928.203.9405
Steve and Connie Segner, Owners

The Story of El Portal Sedona Hotel by Steve Segner

Hi, I’m Steve Segner, owner of El Portal Sedona Hotel, a boutique hotel in the heart of Sedona. And I LOVE MY JOB! I am so fortunate to meet so many different people from all walks of life, every day. I love to visit with them, talk about their plans for the day, etc. In our talks, people usually want to know how old El Portal Sedona Hotel is. When they find out that it was only finished in 2003 they are SHOCKED! 

This is our story of El Portal – our historically accurate, labor of love, pet friendly inn.

Here is a tiny review of the book from “xmyshmrx” on TripAdvisor…

We stayed in the Governor’s suite and it was just stunning. The pictures do no justice. I read Steve’s story online before booking and just felt drawn to the story, intrigued by what went into making El Portal a dream come true for him and Connie and I wanted to stay in one of the nicest rooms available. We were made to feel very welcome by the lovely Carol. My son scarfed down the delicious chocolate chip cookies which were offered complimentary in our room. We enjoyed the pool and hot tub next door at Los Abrigados. If we come back to Sedona, we will stay at least one night at El Portal. We were very impressed, comfortable and felt right at home. Sad to leave for Atlanta today… We will be back.”

 

El Portal Sedona Hotel is now a Certified Sustainable Business

El Portal Sedona Hotel is now a Certified Sustainable Business at the Conservationist/Bronze level from the Sustainability Alliance.

It’s easy to feel at home in El Portal Sedona Hotel. Owners Steve and Connie Segner have created a charming, healthy space to welcome guests and their dogs. The building is made from natural materials wherever possible. Recycled wood from a 200-year-old bridge trellis frames the windows. Floors are sandstone and white oak trellis wood. The reclaimed furnishings, collected by the Segners over decades, give every room an eclectic, inviting feel. The pet-friendly design means there is no carpeting to harbor allergens.

El Portal is extremely energy efficient. The adobe walls are 22 inches thick, with additional foam insulation for the walls and ceiling. Segner is testing a green roof on part of the building, and the results so far are excellent. The greenery keeps roof temperatures to 70 degrees, down from 180 degrees with the original material. He plans to extend the green roof to guest rooms in the future. The hotel is also efficient in other ways. Rather than using natural resources to build their own pool and gym, El Portal shares the facilities at Los Abrigados. LED lighting, newer kitchen appliances, and commercial laundry equipment all save energy. Water is conserved with low flow toilets and the option for guests to reuse their towels.

A water station in the lobby eliminates the need for single-use beverage containers. Guests receive a one-quart bottle at check-in that they refill throughout their stay. Breakfast dishes and room cups are washable to reduce waste, and the hotel participates in Straw Free Sedona.

El Portal is a small operation, which fosters a collaborative, family atmosphere among the staff. Team members manage their own hours and cover for each other when needed. Segner leads by example, inspecting rooms and making some of the repairs himself while providing real-time coaching as needed.

Community contribution is a core value for the business. They contribute to many local nonprofits and donate rooms for a variety of key arts events. Segner serves on the board of the Sedona Historical Society, Chamber Music Sedona, and Sedona Lodging Council, and is also active in other organizations. At present, he is focused on tackling the critical issue of workforce housing in the Sedona area.

El Portal helps guests explore the area in a responsible way. Segner recommends less-used trails to guests looking for a hike. He also donates to Sedona Trail Keepers and is helping to enhance other trail support programs. He contracts with a tour company to offer local experiences that educate visitors and help reduce cars on the road. In fact, Segner is so committed to getting people out of cars that he designed and created the Sedona History Walk (or A Walk through Time). It is a free, self-guided tour that highlights the people, places, and events that shaped the area’s vibrant history, and it entices people to walk from the hotel into Uptown.

By Darcy Hitchcock, Sustainability Alliance
darcy@sustainabilityallianceaz.org 928-554-5171

Contact:
Steve Segner
El Portal Sedona Hotel
info@elportalsedona.com
800.313.0017
www.elportalsedona.com

El Portal Sedona Hotel Showcases Landscape Painter Dawn Sutherland

Sutherland’s depictions of Sedona’s breathtaking scenery will be on display at El Portal for the October First Friday Art Walk.

On October 4, 2019, El Portal Sedona Hotel will present local landscape painter Dawn Sutherland, along with two other artists, as part of the Sedona Gallery Association’s First Friday in the Galleries Art Walk. The First Friday event, which is free and open to the public, is designed to help Sedona residents and visitors explore the city’s thriving arts scene, described by the New York Times as a “New West enclave” of artists and galleries. Held from 5-8 pm on the first Friday of each month, the Art Walk showcases both established and emerging artists representing a wide variety of mediums. Attendees of the October 4 event will enjoy Sutherland’s enchanting Southwestern landscape paintings amidst the charming setting of El Portal, an adobe-style architectural masterpiece located in the heart of the Sedona arts district.

A former teacher and counselor, Dawn Sutherland has been a painter since 2001. After moving from Wisconsin to Arizona in 2004, Sutherland became captivated by the state’s striking blue skies, intricate canyons, and distant horizons. Inspired by the raw beauty of nature, she prefers painting outdoors — or “en plain air” — as a way to capture the depth, definition, and feeling of the landscape. Many of Sutherland’s works depict the majestic red rock formations of Sedona, as well as scenes of the Grand Canyon. For the past five years, she has been invited to participate in the annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, which features selected artists painting en Plein air on location at the Canyon for a week. Sutherland is a founding member of Arizona Plein Air Painters and is also a member of The Nature Conservancy, Grand Canyon Conservancy, Best Friends Animal Society and Morris Animal Foundation.

El Portal Sedona Hotel has been displaying a selection of Sutherland paintings since 2007. Located steps from the famed Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Shopping Center, El Portal is a AAA Four Diamond Hotel, a 12-suite boutique inn offering unpretentious luxury and personalized concierge services. Recognized as one of the most pet-friendly hotels in the country by Dogster Magazine and USA Today, El Portal never charges pet fees and greets all four-legged guests with a welcome basket. Upon entering El Portal, visitors — and art lovers in particular — will instantly notice the inn’s unique architecture and décor, which include building materials sourced from nature, handcrafted furniture, and an amazing art collection on the walls. As a champion of the local arts scene, owner Steve Segner has worked with the Sedona Chamber of Commerce to develop a walking tour guide of the city’s galleries in an effort to help residents and visitors alike discover what makes Sedona a world-class art destination.

To learn more about Dawn Sutherland and view samples of her paintings, visit https://dawnsutherlandfineart.com.
El Portal Sedona Hotel 1.800.313.0017, https://elportalsedona.com.

Crooked Figure Theatre Performs William Shakespeare’s “King Lear” at El Portal Sedona Hotel

El Portal Sedona Hotel is pleased to announce Crooked Figure Theatre’s return to Sedona July 26 and 27, 2019. Crooked Figure Theatre will perform William Shakespeare’s King Lear at El Portal Sedona Hotel where the actors will be moving and interacting with guests. The production will move through El Portal, asking audiences to accompany performers through the beautiful space. “We’re really planning to localize the play,” says Gutiérrez-Dennehy. “We’ll use both the beautiful great room and relaxing courtyard as performance spaces, and really pull the audience into the story as we go.”  William Shakespeare’s King Lear is the story of a diseased mind and heart that leads to the downfall of a kingdom.

Crooked Figure Theatre is a summer production company based in Northern Arizona University’s Department of Theatre. Crooked Figure Theatre marries direct, honest storytelling with experimentation and audience engagement. Their site-specific company tells both old and new stories in culturally relevant and imaginative ways, pushing the creative boundaries of what a theatre can be and the impact it can and should have on everyday lives. CFT is sponsored in part by Northern Arizona University Department of Theatre.

“Crooked Figure is focusing its work on representations of mental illness in Lear. We’re re-imagining one of the play’s characters as a voice in Lear’s brain that results from the sudden recognition that he has, possibly for the first time in his reign, made a grave error that destroys his family. The guilt and grief that result from this decision, and the depression that Lear falls into, create space within his mind for a growing disturbance. We’re excited to explore these contemporary issues of mental illness within Shakespeare’s classic story,” says director Gutiérrez-Dennehy. The performance features 12 talented actors, including Ben Alexander, CFT’s Resident Scenographer as Lear.

King Lear is 6:00 p.m. on July 26 and 27, 2019 at El Portal Sedona Hotel (95 Portal Lane, Sedona, AZ 86336). The production will be free of charge to the public. No reservations are needed; seating is first come, first served. Parking will be available at El Portal and in nearby lots, signage will direct guests to parking locations.

El Portal Sedona Hotel offers guests a luxurious lodging experience that exemplifies AAA’s Four Diamond quality standards in every aspect. With only twelve, amenity-filled suites, the entire property features unique architecture and decor that reflect its stunning Southwestern setting. Guests and their pets are welcomed with exceptional service at this architectural masterpiece in the heart of Sedona. Visit www.ElPortalSedona.com for more information, or call 1.800.313.0017.

El Portal Sedona Hotel Receives 2018 AAA Accolades

Not only has El Portal Sedona Hotel received the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Hotel Award for 2018, but also Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping as well as Inspector’s Best of Wow Factor!

With thousands of hotel properties evaluated each year, AAA’s Diamond Rating Process is recognized as the preeminent and most reliable hotel rating system in North America.

“We are honored to have received this award for the seventh consecutive year, and are proud of the commitment to excellence from our knowledgeable staff,” said owner Steve Segner. “We love the personal connection we make with our guests, and we are dedicated to providing an extraordinary lodging experience for them and their pets in unpretentious luxury.”

To ensure that its ratings accurately reflect a hotel’s quality and the experience that it offers guests, AAA’s Diamond Rating Process takes into consideration the observations of professional evaluators who conduct onsite evaluations, feedback from members, and clear quality standards. Properties earn a rating between One and Five Diamonds, ranging from budget accommodations to the ultimate in luxury. According to AAA, the Four Diamond Award® is bestowed upon hotels that are “upscale in all areas,” with physical attributes that “reflect an obvious enhanced level of quality throughout.” Fundamental hallmarks of these properties “include an extensive array of amenities combined with a high degree of hospitality, service, and attention to detail.” The methodology behind AAA’s Diamond Rating System is complex and very strict; based on member expectations — cleanliness, comfort, security, and safety.

El Portal Sedona Hotel offers guests a luxurious lodging experience that exemplifies AAA’s Four Diamond quality standards in every aspect. With only twelve, amenity-filled suites, the entire property features unique architecture and decor that reflect its stunning Southwestern setting. Guests and their pets are welcomed with exceptional service at this architectural masterpiece in the heart of Sedona. Visit www.ElPortalSedona.com for more information, or call 1.800.313.0017.

Sedona VegFest 2018

Healthy World Sedona presents the Second Annual Sedona VegFest January 20 & 21, 2018 at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road. This year’s theme is “Peaceful Plates, Peaceful World.” The event will feature speakers, cooking demonstrations, an art show and exhibitors, all of which will focus on promoting the health, ethical and environmental benefits of a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet and lifestyle.Some of the most widely respected experts and proponents of WFPB living for informative and motivational presentations will be participating. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, will deliver the keynote address on the personal health benefits of a WFPB diet. Several other widely renowned and highly respected speakers —  including Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Keegan Kuhn, Dr. Michael Klaper, Brenda Davis, Jane Esselstyn, Sid Garza-Hillman and Jane Velez-Mitchell — will address additional benefits of this type of diet. These benefits include improved personal health, promotion of the humane treatment of animals and advancement of environmental sustainability.A unique component of the Sedona VegFest is the Art Show, where over a dozen of our most gifted local artists will display original works reflecting the “Peaceful Plates, Peaceful World” theme. Sale proceeds will support Healthy World Sedona and its mission. Additionally, Sedona VegFest 2018 will feature cooking demonstrations by plant-based chefs, delicious plant-based foods and an exhibit area showcasing a full range of healthy and sustainable products and services.

Early bird adult registration discounts for either day of Sedona VegFest 2018 are available at $25 per day or $40 for both days, through December 15, 2017. Students with IDs may purchase early bird tickets for $15 per day or $25 for both days. Children under 12 are admitted free with a paid adult.

El Portal Sedona Hotel is only five miles from VegFest 2018 and all the activities! All VegFest goers to who stay with us at El Portal Sedona Hotel will receive 10% off!  To experience the festival and explore all Sedona has to offer, make El Portal your home base. We are a twelve-suite, luxury boutique inn located just steps from Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, and are proud to be a pet-friendly hotel here in Sedona. Upon arrival, pets receive a welcome basket including a blanket, treats, and waste bags. After a day at VegFest, enjoy cozying up by the lobby fireplace with a warming beverage or admiring the hotel’s unique architecture and décor. To reserve your rooms call 1.800.313.0017, or book online.

El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336
800.313.0017
info@elportalsedona.com
www.ElPortalSedona.com
Owner:  Steve Segner
 

Fall Open Studios Tour Presented by The Sedona Visual Artists Coalition

At El Portal Sedona Hotel we love to keep visitors, guests, and locals all informed about events in the Sedona area. Next weekend is no exception…The Fall Open Studios Tour is the 10 – 12 of November!

Working artists in the Verde Valley will be opening their private studios to the public for the weekend of November 10-12.  Under the auspices of the Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition (SVAC) is presenting this exciting self-guided event that is free to the public. The Tour runs daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, November 10 through Sunday, November 12^th.  The Tour’s co-chairs are clay artist Mike Upp and painter Julie Ronning Talbot who are counting the days until the Fall Tour kicks off. “Astounding, gratifying, exciting,” are words both say pretty much describe the phenomenal growth of the 14-year-old Open Studios Tour in the four years they’ve been at the helm.

The SVAC Tour has become known as a wonderful weekend for art lovers to visit with professional artists in authentic working studios, as well as the opportunity to purchase art while enjoying the lush landscape of Sedona and the Verde Valley. It also offers a fabulous venue for local artists to shine by engaging visitors and fostering a community that values the arts.

Past tour visitors report one of the distinct pleasures of shopping on the studio tour for their own collection or for gifts, is spending time with the wide variety of artists who offer a personal look at how and where a piece is made. Open Studios’ co-chair Mike Upp explains that artists enjoy demonstrating their creative processes as they show off their work spaces and, more importantly, make that special and personal connection with buyers and visitors alike.

“For the visitor, the Open Studios experience invites the artwork to speak much more intimately to them as it provides an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the creative process,” says Upp, adding that a major appeal of such an experience is the chance to buy gorgeous, one-of-a-kind and locally produced artwork direct from the artist. “The wide range of style, quality and art forms is a testament to the thriving vitality of the arts community in Sedona and the beautiful Verde Valley.” 

This year there will be over 40 studios and 66 individual artists participating in Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cornville, Cottonwood, and Clarkdale. Open Studio visitors agree the event is a way to experience the creative process as a real hands-on learning event, with the invitation to watch a demo as a top draw. It can be something as basic as exploring the variety of artist’s tools used in creating the beauty on display– from brushes, cameras, canvas, paper, paint, kilns, glass, fibers. “There’s really no way not to be charmed, beguiled, and thrilled with something different, or original in whatever your favorite medium is, be it glass, ceramics, pottery, sculpture, digital art, jewelry, painting, drawings, photography, fiber, weaving, mixed media, silks…it’s all here!” Talbot and Upp cheerfully promise.

Brochures with a complete list of participating artists, including a map, will be conveniently available at numerous locations around the Verde Valley, including hotels and restaurants as well as the Sedona Arts Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in Uptown Sedona. For complete information, including artists’ name and medium, studio locations, a downloadable map, and suggestions and ideas for planning a personalized tour, please go to the SVAC website: http://sedonaartistscoalition.org/.

At the end of a long day of experiencing the Open Studios, you will need somewhere to relax and rejuvenate for another day of adventures. El Portal Sedona Hotel, a twelve-suite luxury boutique inn located just steps from Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, is proud to welcome guests and their pets. Upon arrival, pets receive a welcome basket including a blanket, treats, and waste bags. El Portal has earned significant recognition for its enthusiastic commitment to giving all guests and pets personalized concierge services for the Sedona area. Recently, Dogster Magazine named El Portal the second most dog-friendly hotel in the country, and it has previously ranked number one as the “Best Pet-Friendly Hotel” in USA Today and 10Best.com. Human guests will enjoy cozying up by the lobby fireplace or admire the hotel’s unique architecture and décor, which Sunset Magazine described as having a “rustic elegance that beautifully captures the romance of the Southwest.” 

El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336
800.313.0017
info@elportalsedona.com
www.ElPortalSedona.com
 

Give an Inspired Gift this Holiday Season

Looking for an inspiring gift? Give your someone special a gift certificate to El Portal Sedona Hotel this holiday season. The boutique hotel inspires imagination, beauty, serenity, and more!

Now through November 30, 2017, for each gift certificate you purchase, of any amount, you will receive 10% off!  Just call 1.800.313.0017.

Behind the custom-made door of each suite, you will find museum quality Arts and Crafts furnishings. Each suite may include such features as an adobe corner fireplace with river rock stone, French doors, stencil designs, hand-painted detailing, stained glass ceiling panels or accents, tile and flagstone flooring, high-beamed ceilings of natural, organic juniper or burl logs, rich tile detailing and arched windows. Bathroom designs may include free-form granite counters, Jacuzzi tub, steam shower, and free standing claw foot tub. You will find luxurious linens, a hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and mini-fridge, in your air-conditioned suite. Outside the suites, guests can enjoy spectacular views, a private garden or sitting terrace, and our Greene & Green and Santa Fe suites each have a balcony.

At our pet friendly hotel, four-legged guests receive a welcome basket and there are no pet fees!

Call 1.800.313.0017 for the gift of inspiration!