Salt Lake City, Utah For a Non-Skier, Like Me?
When you grow up in a household where your mother plays Donny Osmond music over and over again, you learn about Salt Lake City, Utah, the home of the Osmonds. However, growing up on the East coast made it seem like the state of Utah was a million miles away, so our family never visited.
Fast forward 30 years. My friends and family continuously trek to Utah for breathtaking ski vacations. I do not ski. I don’t even like cold weather. However, I recently heard something about Utah that I never knew, and I can explain in two words: hot … springs. I have always been curious about hot springs wondering just how they form and are they really as hot as the steam you see floating above the water.
Well, I never considered flying on an airplane 4 hours and 44 minutes to take a dip in a hot spring … until recently when I made the journey to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Selecting The Grand America Hotel Was Easier Than You Think
Long story short. Selecting The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City was practically a gift. You see, Susan, a long-time friend of mine, was visiting the hotel for a family wedding. She booked a suite for a full week to share with a cousin, but her cousin was only staying two nights. Since she had plenty of room in the suite, she invited me to spend the following 5 nights with her and tag along for some sightseeing in and around Salt Lake City.
The Grand America was a short ten-minute ride from Salt Lake International Airport. The hotel is “grand” indeed, set on ten acres of beautiful, manicured grounds in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah.
24-Story Utah Hotel Provides European Flair
The Grand America Hotel, with 775 rooms and 24 stories, is more than just a city hotel. One step inside as a bellman opens the iconic golden doors, and you will marvel at the European décor.
:: Handcrafted Richelieu furniture
:: Original works of art
:: Shimmering chandeliers
:: English wool carpets
:: Italian Carrera marble bathrooms
:: Floor-to-ceiling windows
:: Finely trimmed topiaries
:: Gardens of tulips blooming in springtime
:: French bakery and coffee shop
:: Elegant grand ballroom
Accommodations Fit For a Queen
The Grand Hotel boasts comfort, down to the smallest details. Floor-to-ceiling windows in guest rooms showcase breathtaking views of downtown Salt Lake City, the surrounding Wasatch Mountains, and the most beautiful, landscaped gardens surrounding the hotel.
Room types include:
:: Premier Rooms
:: Executive Suites
:: Kitchenette Suites
:: Presidential Suite
I had the privilege of staying in an Executive Suite thanks to the invitation of my friend, Susan. From the Italian marble soaking tub to the huge walk-in closet and separate bedroom with two fancy, plush queen beds, we felt like royalty! The housekeeping team was impressive, visiting our suite daily, maintaining an impeccably clean appearance.
The hotel offers many accessible rooms with generous accessible amenities to meet the needs of the guests. If you’re traveling with children, you can request a crib, bath accessories and toiletries, a bottle warmer, diaper disposal system, humidifier, and more.
Complimentary in-room amenities:
:: Panoramic views of Downtown Salt Lake City
:: Luxurious down pillows and comforter
:: Plush bathrobes and slippers
:: Comfortable work desk with power outlets
:: Alarm clock radio with Bluetooth connectivity
:: Wireless Internet
:: Coffeemaker
:: Minibar
:: Flat screen TV
:: Personal safe
Hotel Amenities and Activities
The Grand America is set upon ten acres of beautiful gardens mixed with the rich history and culture of Salt Lake City. There are multiple on-site restaurants, a world class indoor pool, a seasonal outdoor pool, a 24-7 fitness center, relaxing spa, a sauna, a lounge, and a poolside bar. You can enjoy a Sunday brunch, an afternoon tea, and delicious treats from a Parisian style bakery that sells authentic French macarons. There is a selection of upscale shops, including boutiques, a toy store, and more.
The indoor Pool is conveniently located on the 4th floor. The seasonal outdoor pool (weather permitting) is located on the 1st floor. The 24-7 fitness center offers state-of-the-art cardio machines plus workout equipment with ample space for stretching. We were not interested, but you can attend a complimentary yoga class offered on Saturday mornings.
Besides dining options, the hotel also provides family-friendly entertainment and activity suggestions. You can even arrange for private tours using personalized concierge services.
If you’re visiting in the winter, the hotel has a sister property, Snowbasin Resort, where you can hit the slopes. In summer months, there are trails at the Snowbasin Resort to explore the Wasatch Mountains at Snowbasin.
Parking is available at The Grand America, but as we experienced, there are fees associated with parking on-site and higher fees when you select valet parking. The hotel offers airport transportation for guests, but I suggest you call ahead to confirm.
Dining at The Grand America Hotel and Nearby Restaurants
Salt Lake City is known for its trendy restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops. However, The Grand America hotel is equally as popular for the special dining establishments onsite.
Laurel Brasserie & Bar offers a menu of European-inspired cuisine, yet we were happy to discover that it’s actually a casual atmosphere. The Pasta Bolognese, fresh bread and warm chocolate cake – all delicious!
Bonne Vie is a European-inspired patisserie and coffee shop where you can take out pastries other baked delights, coffee, tea, espresso, lattes, hot chocolate, cider, and smoothies. It was my favorite visit each morning of our stay to pick up an iced latte and a chocolate croissant.
Gibson Lounge offered a vintage style bar where we could relax before or after dinner to enjoy a cocktail at the hotel and conveniently walk to our room when the evening was done.
One evening, we were so tired from taking a 5-hour tour of Antelope Island State Park, that we chose to take advantage of the in-room dining that offers 24-hour service.
We enjoyed visiting a few local Salt Lake City restaurants as well. The Copper Onion was highly recommended to us, and it was as good as described. The sourdough bread with salted chilis and whipped ricotta and my House Meatloaf entrée were simply the best.
At Whiskey Street, the Grilled Portobello with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, buffalo mozzarella, pesto aioli, on focaccia bread was divine! The Apple Crostata with brown sugar & bourbon glazed apples and vanilla ice cream drizzled with whiskey caramel is a must-have.
You Won’t Be Surprised at My Favorite Part of Visiting Utah
Utah really is one of the most beautiful states that I have ever visited. The landscape, red-rock arches, plunging canyons, nature’s beauty, and yes, the HOT SPRINGS!
As you can expect, Crystal Hot Springs, known as one of the best hot springs in Utah, was a highlight of my trip. It’s a natural hot spring in the northern Utah town of Honeyville. I’m not going to lie, it was a 69-mile drive from Salt Lake City. It was not around the corner, but it was worth the drive.
History dates this hot springs back to around 1901 when it has been stated that soldiers would board a bus to Crystal Hot Springs to recuperate in the mineral-rich hot waters.
Crystal Hot Springs offers visitors:
:: 3 mineral hot tubs
:: Main soaking pool
:: Olympic sized pool
:: Two, 365 ft. water slides
:: Small retail area
The Hot Springs water temperatures range from about 120 to 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold spring feeds into the pools with the highest mineral content of any hot spring in the world with temperatures ranging from 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. The pools are open year-round, but Spring turned out to be an enjoyable time of year for us to visit. I can only imagine how exciting it would be to visit in the winter to see spectacular snow-topped mountains while wading in the hot springs.
As advised, we arrived at Crystal Hot Springs about 90 minutes before sunset, so we’d benefit from the dropping temperatures. I was pleased by how clean the area was and impressed by how welcome the Crystal Hot Springs team made us feel. We were told ahead of time that we should bring our own drinks and snacks as there is a limited selection of retail products offered on site near the front desk area.
There is an $18 per person entry fee which seems steep but since this was an attraction that I had never done before, it was cost justified. We also made our way to enjoy the different sources of water, from hot to cold and back to hot, until around 10pm, so we certainly got our money’s worth.
The mountain views provided a heavenly feel as the water provided a noticeable level of buoyancy from the high number of minerals. Hot springs are a natural wonder that you must see and feel in person.
Other Activities Near Salt Lake City, Utah
One day we visited Antelope Island State Park and took a 5-hour guided tour with the most amazing guide. While I thought Crystal Hot Springs was extra special, exploring Antelope Island made me feel like I was visiting an African safari. The free-ranging wildlife including bison, coyotes, buffalos, owls, monkeys, and antelope was a bit scary (to me) yet so breathtaking! The Utah scenery is majestic and there is so much fascinating history to learn about the Fielding Garr Ranch and Great Salt Lake in addition to some impressive conservation efforts. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. Tours go out rain or shine.
The Natural History Museum of Utah and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art added some art and culture into our sightseeing days in Salt Lake City. We spent 3+ hours walking around the Natural History Museum and we definitely needed more time to view the nearly 2 million objects that they boast is part of their world collections.
And totally unplanned, we attended a Utah Jazz professional basketball game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It was so much fun and there is something nostalgic about eating stadium food like hot dogs, nachos and soft pretzels!
Of course, no vacation for me would be complete without some local destination shopping. The Grand America hotel was ideally located within walking distance of shopping and restaurants, in the downtown area. The hotel offered some boutique-style shops onsite, but there was additional shopping in Salt Lake City. We shopped in some of the local vintage boutiques and drove to the outlet center in Park City to look for bargains at our favorite brand name stores.
The Grand America Hotel and Salt Lake City: Equally Charming
The Grand America was a spectacular hotel. It was the picture of European charm with breathtaking gardens, and our room was like a royal palace to sleep in every night. The prime location allowed for us to enjoy downtown Salt Lake City, and our chosen activities kept us on the move. I would not describe this vacation destination as a relaxing venture, more like a whirlwind of activity to see as much of the history, arts, culture, and natural wonders as possible. The staff was helpful and attentive to our every need.
While there was no sign of any snow when we visited, I can only imagine what a winter wonderland that The Grand America would be during a ski trip to Salt Lake City.