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

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.

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.

The hotel is new — but the Rusty Parrot Lodge isn’t

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 wrap-around wooden staircase and antler chandeliers. The owners also made space for many sculptures and pieces of art salvaged from the flames, part of a collection built over the founder’s many decades of collecting Western-themed American art.

The hotel is in the same location it always was, just a few blocks from downtown Jackson. That makes it easy to walk to bars and restaurants, but far enough away that you won’t hear drunk après-skiers stumbling out of the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar at 1 AM during your vacation.

Every room has complimentary perks

Sure, little details may not change the fact that the Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa is expensive, but they do make the experience of staying there feel more luxurious. When I checked into my King Fireplace Room, I noticed plenty of unexpected details. There was a complimentary gourmet snack tray with options like flavored popcorn and Kate’s Real Food Bars. In the bathroom, I found a package of under-eye face masks, branded by the hotel’s Body Sage Spa. Near the bathtub were full-sized, high-end shampoo amenities, as well as bath salts.

There was a cozy hooded robe in the closet, and the bed linens were fluffy and soft, but with a perfectly firm mattress. While the room definitely had a mountain lodge feel, details like well-placed USB ports, cozy throw blankets, and super-fast Wifi made it feel like a modern interpretation of a classic hotel, rather than being stuck in time.

There are also perks for guests outside the rooms, including an outdoor hot tub and fire pit, a large sun deck and wildlife viewing deck on the top floor, and a coffee and tea station each morning near the communal lounge area.

The spa has some of the quirkiest treatments I’ve ever seen

Sure, you can get a standard massage or facial at the on-site Body Sage Spa. But the menu goes way beyond that, with offerings ranging from an “energetic crystal exfoliation” with “quantum essences” to a “wild nature invigorating experience,” to “awaken the WILD within.”

While I didn’t have time for a full package to awaken my WILD, I did opt for a 60-minute “energy force” massage with quantum physics with custom aromatherapy. I had no idea what that entailed, but after booking, I was sent an online questionnaire with all kinds of questions to drive my treatment. Instead of asking about my skin or sore muscles, it asked more personal questions, including what kind of flowers I liked and where I’d like to spend a Friday night.

Based on the survey answers, the massage staff determined that my best match was the Phia “Imagination” essential oil scent. There was a quick aroma test, as well as an unexpected balancing test, to see if it was a fit for me.

I was slightly surprised to see Phia used so heavily in the Rusty Parrot’s Spa, until I learned that the brand’s founder was a former Olympian athlete who went to one of the best chemical engineering schools in the US. She created the brand when she noticed that certain scents and aromas made her feel happier, more confident, and more physically able — three things helpful to anyone competing in high-level sports. Even though there’s not much science to support direct medical benefits of essential oils, it’s absolutely true that your mindset can impact your physical well-being. And scents can influence your mood and energy levels. So if Phia blends were able to help her win global ski competitions, I figured they’d be good enough for me.

And indeed, they were. The massage started with a minute of sound therapy, followed by a truly relaxing massage using the oil blend. I’m still not completely sure what the “quantum” part was (Phia’s website says “Quantum nutrition is harnessing bioenergetics from the botanical world,”) but I can say it was more relaxing than most other massages I’ve gotten. After my massage, I headed to the outdoor patio to make a hot tea from the tea blending bar and soak in the jacuzzi before heading back to my room.

I’ll go to the Wild Sage Restaurant whenever I’m in Jackson

I spent most of my time in Jackson away from the hotel, leaving early in the morning to look for wildlife and staying out well past dark most evenings. So I only got to have one dinner at the hotel — but it was a good one.

Before the 2019 fire, the hotel’s Wild Sage Restaurant was one of the highest-rated in Jackson. And having eaten there, I’m not surprised that it’s back on the first page of Yelp less than one month since its reopening.

I started with a well-balanced cocktail I was only able to select thanks to advice from the server, since multiple options on the menu looked tasty. I was told every option was imagined and crafted by the on-site mixologist, using ingredients I’d not had before, like Asian pear ginger shrub and toasted black cardamom.

Dinner was equally fantastic. I’m a vegetarian, and while I find that most restaurants have vegetarian options, I’m sometimes limited to just veggie burgers or soup. But at Wild Sage, the vegetarian option was one of the prettiest and most interesting on the menu (the server’s words, not mine). And he was right, with a unique bright blue rice paired with avocado and sesame. After dinner, the chef asked me what I thought, and it was clear how passionate he was about finding fun ingredients and creating a flavorful, creative dish.

The bottom line

The Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa is luxurious, comfortable, and welcoming, with an air of sophistication but a level of approachability and modernity that will make even first-timers to Jackson feel welcome. Visiting in November will score you the lowest rates of the year, but know that the weather can be iffy, and some businesses and restaurants take a short shoulder-season break at some point during the month. If you stay elsewhere in Jackson, you can still make reservations for the restaurant or spa, both of which are open to non-guests.

If you do stay there, try to find one of the owners to ask them why the hotel is called the “Rusty Parrot.” Apparently it’s a fun story, but one only shared by the owners. And since I was gone during most of the daytime hours,  I didn’t get to hear it. But that’s not a problem — it just means I’ll have to go back.