I Pre-Paid for a Remote Utah Resort Stay Long Before the Resort Was Complete. Here’s How It Worked Out.

I'll come right out and say it: I am susceptible to advertising. Strong advertising, especially on social media, will get me time and time again. If something looks cool and appears in my feed at the right times, in the right way, and at the right frequency, I will soon fork over money with limited qualms.

This part of my personality has turned around and bit me several times. I bought an expensive pair of slippers that I only wore a few times. I purchased a knockoff of a pricey jacket I wanted and when it arrived, it was too tiny to wear. I've been sold a number of other things that looked cool at the time, like decorative pieces that had no place in my home's aesthetic, and art project kits that were quickly abandoned.

On the other hand, though, I've also landed some real winners. I have a bunch of shirts I love that I bought online on impulse, and a few different kitchen tools that have really improved my life. The wins may be fewer than the losses, but often, they're good enough to outweigh the disappointments. So onward I go.

Usually, these random investments are small. I don't mind taking the risk when the potential loss is only a few dollars. Recently, though, an advertisement on Facebook was a big spend - for me, at least - and in that instance, the wait to see if things worked out in my favor was rather long. At many points over a nearly two-year period, I wondered if what I'd paid for even existed. Fortunately, in September 2024, I finally got the chance to find out.

In early 2023, an advertisement for a cool new accommodations project started rolling by periodically in my Facebook feed. It was for Outpost X, a unique resort hotel in western Utah. I'm a big fan of Utah and as a Coloradan, I try to visit as frequently as I can. That was the first thing that drew me in, but after watching a few videos that presented the design and vibe with great enthusiasm, I was further sucked in.

The videos featured Travis Chambers, the founder and chief experience officer of Chamber Stays. His presentation about Outpost X was well edited, fast-moving, and exciting. Outpost X, Chamber Stays' first project, would offer standalone, luxury caves, domes, and houses on stilts on a 240-acre property on a dry lake bed. It would also feature shared amenities like hot tubs, a cold plunge, a sauna, places to gather and relax with other guests, a community pottery wheel, and even "sandcruisers" - yes, like from Star Wars - to drive across the desert.

Chambers also talked of future, down-the-road plans to build a 100,000 gallon reservoir, grow a hybrid popular forest with mycelium, and more. It sounded like a big project, indeed!

Never mind that the video was fast paced. Never mind that it said the place would open in Summer 2023, and that was, well, actually kind of soon, in the grand scheme of things. Never mind that some of the images in the video were artists' renderings of what the place would look like eventually, and that what they looked like at the time were unfinished, incomplete structures with potential, but certainly with a long way to go.

I signed up on the "interest mailing list" and soon, Chamber Stays announced a pre-sale. The pre-sale offered stays at the future resort at a deep discount, and I was curious. After talking to my partner about it and after showing him the video, he was hooked, too. We were especially excited about the sandcruisers. As "Star Wars" enthusiasts, that was the tipping point for both of us.

The money from the pre-sale would go to completing the resort. I have always appreciated the concept of crowdfunding, and here was our opportunity to help something cool actually happen, so that was a driving factor, too.

We decided to take the risk. The discount was deep indeed, but it was still more than we usually spend on a night at a hotel. We're bargain travelers! And, there was a two-night minimum. But, we gave it a shot, and sent our money along. We booked a Zen Dome for September of 2024 in May of 2023 and hoped for the best. We purposely booked super far out with hopes that all the kinks would be out of the place before we finally arrived, far in the future.

Months went by, and periodically, I checked the Chamber Stays Facebook group, the Outpost X website, and other online sources to see how things were going. Initially, reviews weren't great. It didn't truly open entirely, in all its glory, when Travis Chambers said it would. I was a little nervous in reading these things, but not really; many businesses have a bit of a bumpy start. That doesn't necessarily mean anything - right?

Finally, after many many months of waiting, September 2024 arrived. My partner and I planned a Colorado and Utah road trip around our Outpost X stay. We visited Durango Hot Springs on the way west, drove the perilous Moki Dugway, and returned to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks for a few days as well. Outpost X was to be our final stop before driving back across Utah and Colorado to our home in Denver.

Before heading to Outpost X, we stopped in St. George, Utah, to pick up provisions. We'd have a kitchenette in our Zen Dome, so we needed groceries. Outpost X would also supply food for an additional price, but we chose to bring our own food to save money. Then, we pulled up the written directions Outpost X had sent us, and followed them to the site.

This place was really out there. Outpost X is an hour or more off the interstate no matter which way you approach it. We love rural spots and seek them out, so this wasn't a problem for us. However, most of our rural spots tend to include some natural attractions to check out, and Beryl, Utah, raeally doesn't. You're just out there! Even Cedar Breaks National Monument was over an hour away. We're active travelers more than "relaxers," so I wasn't sure how we were possibly going to fill two days in a place like this.

Upon arrival, we pulled up to our Zen Dome - we knew which one it would be thanks to an email from Outpost X - and we're always thankful when self check-in is an option. The Zen Dome looked pretty cool from the outside, actually. It consisted of a rectangular, mirrored section attached to a clear geodesic dome.

When we stepped inside, we were thrilled! The interior was even better than the exterior. A huge, comfy, king bed was inside the dome. You could see out, so anyone could see in, but it was very far from the other accommodations structures and there were privacy curtains as well. It was pretty warm in there, so we turned on the air conditioning, and it cooled down almost immediately.

The rectangular section of the Zen Dome held the kitchen, a small living room area, and the bathroom. There was a mini fridge, a sink, a stovetop, and a microwave. A tv hung from the wall and could be angled in a way where it could be watched from the living area or from the bedroom. Seating was low to the ground but comfortable. The shower and bathroom were classy and luxurious, too.

In short, we were quite pleased!

After settling in, we stepped out to check out the rest of the property. There were only a few accommodations structures, and it didn't appear that all of them were occupied yet for the night. We wandered over to the common area and found that we were rather impressed with that, too. The X-Spa area included the promised hot tubs, sauna, and cold plunge, as well as the community pottery wheel. An attendant was present to provide towels and answer questions.

We continued to wander and found plenty more cool things, too. The Kaan Lounge was an interesting building from the outside, and inside, we found musical instruments, a projector and screen and movies to watch (all appropriate for the setting; think "Dune," "MadMax," and of course, "Star Wars!"), and comfortable furniture for lounging.

The Game Room contained board games, a PS5, and a gaming table. The outdoor Common Area included fire pits with firewood provided, and an elevated deck for stargazing. The deck led to the BYOB Mocktail Cantina which included bar seating and a self-serve bar space.

After seeing our Zen Dome and all of the other amenities, it seemed our risk worked out. We were thrilled in general with the place and settled in for our two-night stay. Admittedly, this place was very different in countless ways from our usual preferred accommodations. Despite the wide variety of amenities at Outpost X, we did find ourselves to be a little bored, but honestly - that was just what we needed. We loved sitting on the deck at night looking at the hundreds of stars above us. We loved the silence all around us. We loved relaxing in the dome bed and taking many naps. I read most of a book. My partner watched several hours of one of his favorite shows: "Columbo." It was a vacation on vacation, and sometimes, we need to be reminded that that's how its supposed to be - that we don't have to be moving when traveling every bit of the time.

We loved Outpost X! There was just one disappointment, we found, but it fixed itself, too. As I mentioned above, we were extremely excited about the sandcruisers, and the photo opps that came with them. The first few times we tried to take one out, we didn't get very far. The batteries died almost immediately, and one of them, we even had to push back to their home in the shed. After all, they're just art built over golf carts, and those batteries - especially with the extra weight - don't last very long. But shucks, they really looked really cool. We didn't think we'd get a chance to live that part of our dream.

Finally, though, we found one that had a good charge - another vacationer gave us his when he was done with it - and we had a blast driving around the property for a bit. The sandcruiser ride was a highlight of our stay and we took a lot of fun photos of each other on our adventure.

Overall, the risk of booking Outpost X unfinished and super far in advance was well worth it. It all worked out. It could have gone either way, certainly. I wasn't confident when I hit "purchase" on my order way back in early 2023, but in 2024, I was more than satisfied.

Sometimes - often, even - a risk is worth taking. You never know what will happen or what you might find. Sure, there are times that taking a chance like this one will result in a total failure, but isn't that an adventure, too? You don't gain anything if you don't occasionally take a blind leap. Take those leaps whenever you can, and you'll have a richer life for it. Our Outpost X experience is proof of that - and I hope to go back there soon.