I Got a 'Quantum Physics' Massage in the Billionaire Capital of America

25.09.2024 - 14:42 / matadornetwork.com

It’s not New York or California where you’re most likely to run into a billionaire on the street — it’s Wyoming. The state has the highest number of billionaires per capita (as well as a relatively small population), and it’s no secret that the bulk of Wyoming’s wealthy live in Teton County, home to the celebrity-loved (and expensive) tourist town of Jackson.

So when I arrived in Jackson, stepping into the lobby of the just-opened Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa, I expected the hotel’s pricey spa to offer the usual tried-and-true treatments, like sports massages and couple’s romance packages. Instead, I found a menu of treatments more akin to what I’d expect to find at a pop-up hippie music festival, not an old-money mountain town in the tax haven of Wyoming.

That was the theme of the next few days I spent at the Rusty Parrot. It feels like an old-school, old-money-type of place, style-wise. But otherwise, it’s surprisingly modern, with amenities that will appeal to younger and hipper travelers, like a cool on-site cocktail bar, homemade cookies every afternoon, complimentary e-bike rentals, and one of the most creative fine-dining menus in Jackson — not to mention the overwhelmingly unique spa offerings.

All guests can access the hotel’s top-floor wildlife viewing deck. I had it entirely to myself every time I went up. Photo: Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa

Yes, it’s pricey. But for better or worse, so is everything in Jackson. During my stay in mid-August, even the most basic room at the town’s Super 8 Motel was close to $350 per night. Airbnbs in Jackson can be in the five digits per night. Jackson is not the place to go mid-summer if you’re planning a budget vacation. So while the Rusty Parrot’s starting summer rates of about $900 per night are certainly quite expensive for most destinations, it’s just par for the course for a luxury hotel in the summer in Jackson. In fairness, the rates drop quite a bit in November, starting at $400 per night.

Here’s what to know if you’re thinking about booking a stay at what may be Jackson’s most unexpectedly cool hotel.

You wouldn’t know by looking at it, but the Rusty Parrot was completely destroyed by a hotel fire on November 18, 2019. A piece of fabric got too close to the hotel’s outdoor fire pit, and the hotel went up in flames in the middle of the night. The hotel had been open since 1990, but the fire forced a four-year closure. The damage was significant, though fortunately, no guests or staff were injured.

The owners took advantage of the opportunity, rebuilding the Rusty Parrot Lodge to add extra rooms and expand and update the spa while maintaining the hotel’s Western-style details. It reopened in July of 2024, keeping quintessential features like the massive