Zion Shores Taps Ember for a New Luxury Resort Development Blueprint

WASHINGTON, Utah – July 22, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant evolution in the luxury resort market, Zion Shores, a private surf community under development in Southern Utah, has announced an exclusive, dual-front partnership with Ember. The deal integrates Ember's tech-driven co-ownership platform for property sales with its hospitality arm, Ember Stays, for exclusive vacation rental management. This alliance is more than a standard vendor contract; it represents a strategic blueprint for how amenity-rich resort developments can accelerate sales, ensure operational excellence, and build a cohesive brand experience from the ground up.

At the heart of the agreement, Ember Stays will become the sole operator for all vacation rentals within the exclusive 65-property community, handling everything from marketing and guest services to housekeeping and maintenance. Simultaneously, Zion Shores will leverage Ember's co-ownership platform to sell deeded, fractional shares of select luxury residences. This provides a more accessible entry point for buyers and a powerful new sales channel for the developer, creating a symbiotic relationship between selling inventory and managing it for long-term value.

An Integrated Blueprint for Sales and Hospitality

The traditional resort development model often treats property sales and ongoing hospitality as separate, sequential stages. Zion Shores is collapsing this timeline, embedding a long-term operational partner into its initial sales strategy. By offering co-ownership through Ember, the developer can attract a wider pool of buyers who desire a piece of a multi-million-dollar vacation home without the full financial and management burden of sole ownership. With co-ownership options starting at $430,000 for a townhome, the dream of owning a luxury property in a premier destination becomes attainable for a larger market segment.

"Zion Shores needed a partner that understood both resort real estate and the level of hospitality this community will require," said Cody Larkin, CEO of Zion Shores. "Ember gives us another way to connect buyers with ownership opportunities, while Ember Stays brings the local expertise, technology and operational capabilities needed to support homeowners and create a better guest experience."

This integrated approach offers a powerful de-risking strategy. For developers, it can accelerate the absorption of high-value inventory. For homeowners, it provides a clear, professionally managed path to generating rental income, enhancing the property's value as an investment. Crucially, by mandating a single management company for all short-term rentals, Zion Shores ensures a consistent, high-quality experience for every guest, protecting the community's premium brand reputation—a critical factor for long-term success.

Riding the Wave in a High-Demand Desert Market

The strategic importance of this partnership is magnified by its location. Zion Shores is not just another luxury development; it's a destination built around a unique and ambitious concept: a world-class surf park in the middle of Utah's iconic red rock desert. The community is planned around the world's largest PerfectSwell® surf pool and two next-generation UNIT® surf pools, all contained within twelve acres of lagoons. With only 65 exclusive residences—ranging from luxury townhomes to 10,000+ sq. ft. custom estates—the project promises an unparalleled lifestyle for adventure and water sports enthusiasts.

This development lands in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions. Southern Utah, anchored by the magnetic pull of Zion National Park, is experiencing a boom in both population and luxury tourism. The demand for high-end, experience-driven accommodations far outpaces supply. The Zion Shores project, with its blend of rugged outdoor access and private, resort-style amenities, is perfectly positioned to capture this demand. The developers have also addressed sustainability concerns in the drought-prone region by investing in a sophisticated on-site water treatment facility that will use non-potable brackish water, ensuring no impact on public drinking water supplies.

The Ember partnership allows Zion Shores to capitalize on these market dynamics fully. It provides a sales mechanism that aligns with modern buyer preferences for accessible luxury and a rental program designed to maximize returns in a hot tourism market. The promise of professional management by a proven local operator makes the investment proposition for a fractional or whole owner compelling.

Fractional Ownership 2.0: The Power of a Tech-Driven Platform

This alliance also highlights the maturation of the co-ownership model, a space where technology is finally solving the historical pain points of shared property. Unlike traditional timeshares, which often involved confusing usage rights and poor resale value, Ember's model is built on deeded fractional ownership—a tangible real estate asset. Their technology platform acts as the central nervous system for the ownership experience, simplifying everything from scheduling stays to managing shared expenses.

"Resort developers are looking for partners who can support more than one part of the homeowner journey," noted Kurt Avarell, CEO of Ember. "By combining Ember's co-ownership platform with Ember Stays' property management capabilities, we can help resorts create another path for selling select inventory and then professionally support those homes after closing."

Ember's strength is not just its technology, but its proven operational track record. Ember Stays was recently ranked the No. 1 vacation rental manager in St. George by Manager-Review.com and boasts an average Airbnb guest rating of 4.96 across its properties. This on-the-ground excellence is a critical differentiator. It assures both the developer and the property owners that the asset will be meticulously maintained and effectively monetized, creating a virtuous cycle of high guest satisfaction, strong rental performance, and appreciating property values.

For business leaders and investors watching the evolution of real estate and hospitality, the Zion Shores and Ember partnership serves as a powerful case study. It demonstrates how aligning sales, technology, and operations from the outset can create a more resilient, profitable, and desirable product in the competitive luxury vacation market.