A new luxury glamping resort broke ground on April 8 in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, high in the Rocky Mountains. When complete, it will boast spa and health and wellness amenities, uniquely designed villas, and the main attraction — according to the resort’s founder, Gamal Zalaquett — a full-size planetarium and observatory.
The massive Kosmos Resort project will sit just outside of an International Dark Sky Park (IDSP).
“People are looking to disconnect from the city and connect with themselves, with their significant others, or connect with nature, with the stars,” Zalaquett told GearJunkie. “We want to provide everybody with the tools to do that. And I think we’re going to do so in a very well-rounded way.”
The cost to stay at this immersive “astro-tourism” luxury glamping resort will range from $700 to $1,200 per night (tax included). Zalaquett said the resort will eventually be all-inclusive, so once you’re there, all amenities, services, tips, food, and drinks will be paid for.
While Kosmos has officially acquired building permits and started construction, Zalaquett confirmed the project is still raising money. When complete, he estimates the total cost at $11.5 million. Zalaquett says he’s hoping to welcome his first guests in January 2025.
Kosmos Resort: Location, Location, Location
Colorado’s San Luis Valley is renowned for its stars. It’s home to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, an IDSP, which restricts light pollution to protect the area’s naturally spectacular night skies. The local nonprofit, San Luis Valley Great Outdoors, is also working to have the entire Sangre de Cristo Wilderness designated as an IDSP.
Furthermore, the Valley plays home to an active UFO watchtower.
So, it’s a fitting place for an observatory and a spectacularly picturesque place for a glamping resort. The Great Sand Dunes are 15 minutes from the planned resort.
For the adventure-seekers, the Sangre de Cristo mountains bordering the San Luis Valley are chock full of 14ers, networks of hiking trails, forest service roads, and outdoor rec galore.
There is a lot to do in this region year-round. It’s popular among backpackers, mountain bikers, climbers, and general outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors will have plenty of opportunities to recreate outdoors, but the resort will also offer several amenities of its own, Zalaquett said.
Kosmos Resort: Villas & Guest Amenities
The Villas
The resort will host 20 luxury stargazing villas of different sizes and layouts, all with uninterrupted views of the Great Sand Dunes. These will be energy-efficient and sustainably constructed using materials like hempcrete (concrete made from hemp).
According to the floorplans Zalaquett shared with GearJunkie, the Kosmos Galaxy Villa will be its largest option. It will be fully outfitted with a geodesic dome themed after a specific galaxy, with a kitchen, living room, bar, office, loft, “tempo fit” home gym, and meditation space.
Then, there will be two sleep capsules in each Galaxy Villa with their own custom high-end mattresses and private bathrooms. Each will also have its own cryotherapy spa with a jacuzzi, sauna, and cold plunge; a patio with a smokeless grill, firepit, and Vaonis Vaspera telescope; and an observatory patio with a Dobsonian telescope and a ground-floor hammock.
The smaller Stargazing Villas carry a much different floor plan. However, they offer similar amenities, minus the cryotherapy spa. They also only have one sleep capsule, but do have a stargazing spa with its own mattress.
Amenities
Kosmos Resort plans to have a lot for guests to do during their all-inclusive stay. Every villa will have its own golf cart to visit the site’s two double tennis and pickleball courts, gym, wellness lounge, and spa.
Zalaquett said his vision is to turn Kosmos Resort into the San Luis Valley’s very own Blue Zone — a community with exceptionally long life expectancies and strong general health.
“We want to provide a better quality of life through diet, community, exercise, and wellness,” he said.
The spa will also have hyperbaric chambers, saunas, cold plunges, and acupuncture. The wellness lounge (what Zalaquett calls “The Greenhouse”) will offer yoga, breathwork, meditation, and healing ceremonies. Meanwhile, the gym will be weightlifting-focused.
For food, Kosmos will have a full-service Mediterranean and International Restaurant. Zalaquett said he is already talking with a James Beard award-winning chef. He added that room service would also be available.
But the amenity Zalaquett said will be his favorite is a concierge who will call guests ahead of time and help them plan their entire stay.
Kosmos Stargazing Center: Planetarium, Observatory, Interactive Museum
The entire Kosmos experience will be centered around the resort’s Stargazing Center. Zalaquett has been talking with Dr. Raphael Attié, an astrophysicist at NASA Goddard and George Mason University, to help plan out the center.
The current floorplan for the Kosmos Stargazing Center shows the first floor with an art installation room, zodiacal constellation room, cafeteria, lounge, and star museum. The second floor has 10 mini observatories, three classrooms, and a lounge. And all of it will be open to the public — not just Kosmos guests. Although, the resort has yet to work out how much a day pass to the Stargazing Center will cost.
Zalaquett said visitors will get to have “an immersive Astro experience where an astronomer will curate a night of the best viewing objects for that date.”
Staff members will personally guide people through their own custom stargazing itineraries in their private rooms with a mini planetarium and telescope.
Zalaquett’s goal is to create an entertainment experience, but also an educational one. He wants this observatory to be as much a local tourist attraction as a scientific resource.
“A big part of Kosmos is empowering the next generation of kids to learn about [astronomy],” he said.
Kosmos Resort: When Can You Visit?
Kosmos broke ground on the construction of its septic system on April 8. When asked about the timeline for opening, Zalaquett said, “The timeline is now.”
However, the project is very much still in its fundraising phase. Zalaquett is actively talking with investors and will be launching an Indiegogo campaign this summer. On Facebook, the Kosmos Stargazing Community is also acting a resource for crowdfunding, according to Zalaquett.
By early 2025, he hopes to have five operational villas on the property. Those will only be available to book for crowdfunding backers and will not be all-inclusive. All-inclusive reservations will be available to crowdfunding backers by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Reservations will not be open to the general public until 2026, when all 20 villas are completed and available. You can get on an early reservation list by signing up on the Kosmos Resort website.
