Bluff Dwellings is a striking, pueblo-style resort rising three stories high in a narrow canyon off Highway 191 in Bluff, Utah. Its colors take cues from the adjacent sandstone cliffs, and the exterior stonework resembles the cliff dwellings hidden throughout the Four Corners area.
The amenities at Bluff Dwellings align with those of a luxury resort: suites, double rainfall shower heads, soaker tubs, a spa, on-site dining, a conference center, a sparkling pool, a playground, fire pits and much more.
When you visit, it feels special. On the third-story deck of the hotel, there’s nothing between you, the red rocks and the sky. It’s an immersive experience that’s hard to come by in crowded tourist destinations.
But this isn’t a story about another beautiful hotel built by a developer with deep pockets. It’s a story about grit.
Establishing any business in San Juan County takes incredible effort and sacrifice, but when it comes to a $10 million hotel in a town of 246 people, it’s another story entirely. In this remote area of the state where nothing comes easy, it took someone like founder Jared Berrett, who has a background as a professor and teacher, to will it into existence. With his family, they confronted relentless challenges to build something great for the people and the area they love.
From professor to pioneer
Jared is the kind of owner who picks up trash and straightens light fixtures when he walks around the hotel. He knows every employee, greets every guest, and offers suggestions for nearby hikes. But he’s not just the owner — he’s also the architect and builder.
Jared got his start not in San Juan County, but on the Wasatch Front teaching technology education courses at Brigham Young University and working in corporate settings at Novell and Microsoft. In 2006, the Berretts took a leap of faith to live the adventurer lifestyle and moved to Blanding, Utah, where Jared started teaching high school.
In 2011, Jared was recognized as the Teacher of the Year runner-up for the entire state of Utah. The expectation of excellence, hard work, and love for all people — attributes that made him a good teacher — also make him an exceptional founder.
On excursions with their eight kids, the Berretts continued to find experiences in the remote wilderness of San Juan County that were unlike any other. There aren’t many places in the world where you can take a hike and discover an ancient cliff dwelling or petroglyph like you can in the back country of San Juan County.
“We felt this landscape, the nature, the people, was world class,” says Jared.
They founded Four Corners Adventures and started guiding tours. A few years later, they bought Wild Expeditions, a river tour company based in Bluff, Utah, to acquire the necessary rafting permits for San Juan River excursions.
The idea of building a hotel grew naturally. They felt there weren’t enough accommodations to keep visitors in the area. A high-end hotel could attract visitors to the area, but it couldn’t be like every other hotel. The area isn’t — and doesn’t want to become — like another Moab. It had to reflect the tranquil, authentic nature of the landscapes and history found in San Juan County.
Jared started sketching ideas in AutoCAD, drawing inspiration from the Ancestral Puebloan people and cliff dwellings of the area. “We felt driven to create something better,” says Jared. “We, as a culture and community in San Juan County, have something to offer that is way above average. We want to put that light on the hill.”
Building against the odds
Finding the money to build the dream was one of the major tests the Berretts faced. Jared recalls, “The first commercial bank literally laughed at me.”
Building a $10 million hotel in a small county like San Juan was a stretch for any bank. The proposal was rejected by 13 lenders; however, the proximity to Moab gave lenders a reason to consider it.
The Berretts did everything they could to find a lender and get the loan approved. They had their business plan and architectural renderings drawn up, cashed in their 401(k), took out a second mortgage and brought on partners with stronger financials.
Ultimately, as Jared says, “You have to convince a bank that you’re worth it.”
Even after all their effort, finding the right bank with a combination of rural and hospitality lending experience took time. The loan approval process took over a year and a half.
After they finally got the loan, another pressing concern arose. Jared’s wife, Spring, says, “Even though we had a budget, we knew they wouldn’t loan us the amount of money the project would require.”
To make the budget stretch, Jared filled in the gaps by learning how to build all the custom elements himself. He took classes on hand-sculpting cement for the rock around the pool slide, mastered a technique to make the exterior look like the stone found on cliff dwellings, oversaw the installation of a septic system large enough for a small city, handcrafted sink basins, plastered built-ins, scraped pole logs, and worked on countless custom projects needed to complete the hotel. And alongside his general contractor, he learned to run a construction crew.
At some point, Jared realized he would need to quit his job as a teacher and focus all his efforts on the construction of the hotel. It removed their financial safety net, and felt like an incredibly scary jump at the time.
“Most of the time, we’re just working hard and hoping we survive,” he says. “If we would have known how difficult it was before we started, we wouldn’t have started.”
Operationally, they had never run a hotel and would need help with the business. “It’s one thing to be able to build it — it’s another to operate it,” says Jared. “The key to that is my wife’s patience and learning all we needed to do with the books and the finances.”
They’ve also found incredible help along the way. General Manager Dallin Tate was one such person, bringing front desk systems and experience in the industry.
“When we feel overwhelmed, the right people walk through the door,” says Jared.
Creating a culture of care
For the Berretts, building a team has been their favorite part of bringing the resort to life. They employ around 50 staff members, most from nearby Montezuma Creek and surrounding areas, and they are very intentional in providing opportunities for leadership, personal development and growth for their employees.
“The Berretts have made such a positive impact on the tourism industry and workforce in San Juan County,” says Allison Yamamoto-Sparks, San Juan County visitor services manager. “They really seem to want to help their employees see a career path with their company, rather than just looking at their jobs as stagnant positions. … I love that kind of team building and employee development.”
“These individuals care about the local community and maintaining the heritage of the community. Jared’s a great example of what happens when an investment in tourism and visitation provides for communities.”
— Natalie Randall
The culture they strive to create also helps to attract top talent. “We strive for perfection and we’re not bashful about that,” Jared says. “We want the best of the best — and we’ll grow with you.”
The culture shows in the guest experience. With Bluff Dwellings sitting at an average 4.8-star rating across booking platforms (Google, Tripadvisor), travelers consistently mention how friendly the staff is, how spotless the rooms are, and how much care goes into every detail.
Opening in the shadow of COVID-19
The challenges didn’t end with learning to build and operate a hotel. With the grand opening falling on March 6, 2020, the timing couldn’t have been worse. In the beginning, the Barretts were able to maintain reservations and employees on staff — but as time went by, that was no longer possible.
“Our family had to do the housekeeping and follow the rules and time in between for rooms to sit,” Spring remembers. “We were working our guts out with the housekeeping and laundry. …The day we shut down, we didn’t have any more reservations. We were closing up things, not knowing if we were ever going to open up again.”
Paycheck Protection Program loans offered temporary relief, and investors made sacrifices to keep going. Eventually, they were able to pull out of the hole.
But COVID also brought a blessing in disguise. With the bank withholding funds, Jared fully took over managing construction crews to move the next phase of construction forward.
Impact on the community
Jared’s projects continue to produce positive ripple effects in the area. Not only is Bluff Dwellings one of the top tourism tax contributors and job creators in San Juan County, but they also create events to bring people together.
Bluff Dwellings has expanded its offerings to include dark sky programs, music events, yoga classes and partnerships with the local communities. They added dining options, a spa, meeting space, and activities that made the property feel like a destination in itself.
“The more we can get local business owners to drive the economy, the better,” says Natalie Randall, director of the Utah Office of Tourism and previous economic development director of San Juan County.
“These individuals care about the local community and maintaining the heritage of the community,” she says. “Jared’s a great example of what happens when an investment in tourism and visitation provides for communities.”
The bigger picture
The Berretts have more projects in the works. They’re currently building an upscale RV resort in Blanding with a host of cabins, glamping sites, RV sites, tent sites, pickleball courts, an indoor swimming pool, playground, zipline, and game room.
With their experience in running construction crews, they’ve also looked at building housing for first-time homebuyers in the area.
Their goal isn’t simply to build businesses; it’s to create infrastructure and opportunities that allow San Juan County to thrive.
But it’s difficult. They’ve given everything they have, and they still worry they won’t be able to recoup their investment. “We are busting our tails, and it’s hard to get lift off,” Jared says. “We’re not sure if we can do it. We’re still not sure if we’ll be sustained.”
Berrett compares his journey in San Juan County to climbing a mountain. They take one step at a time and keep moving forward. It can be steep and difficult, and you often can’t see the top from where you’re standing. When you do eventually get to the top, it’s an incredible view. It’s breathtaking when you take a look at where you’ve come from and what you’ve accomplished, but it took a hundred thousand steps to get there.
And they’re still in it — there’s always another mountain to climb. The Berretts take steps every day to keep moving forward and hope that the businesses they’ve built in San Juan County can be sustained.
“We’re not special. We try to go out every day and do good things. Wherever that takes us, we try to be happy with the ending,” Jared says.