Grand America Hotel - Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is one of the great cities of the American west with many residents who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. One event which confirmed this reputation was the successful 2002 Winter Olympics which brought international and corporate attention to the city. The Grand America Hotel located near the center of the city was opened in March 2001 by an independent ownership group to provide lodging and amenities to handle events of this magnitude. Since that time the hotel has maintained a refined elegance, a high standard of service, and made several upgrades to its facilities to satisfy changing tastes of its guests. The Grand America has been included in numerous lists of excellent hotels issued by various publications including receiving a AAA Diamond Award and Forbes travel guide recognition.

Design and Layout

The Grand America's design and layout reflects the wide open spaces of its home state. All of the public spaces from the entrance portico to the lobby to the activity centers are over sized by traditional hotel standards. The hotel takes up an entire city block and the main building is a 20 story tower which is visible from most parts of the city.

There are 379 premier rooms and 396 suite rooms in the hotel. What is truly unusual is the size of the guest rooms which range from a minimum of 700 square feet to up to 2,000 square feet. The furnishings throughout the hotel and the rooms are classical and refined. Nevertheless, there are numerous modern facilities such as flat screen televisions, high-speed internet service, premium bedding, and separate showers, bathtubs and changing areas in the bathrooms.

One major feature of this hotel is that it is a premium conference facility. There is 75,000 square feet of conference space available including three ornate ballrooms, 20 small conference rooms, and a business center. These facilities are attached to the main hotel but separated by a large courtyard, gardens, and a fountain making the area suitable for use as a wedding venue or pre-event cocktail party. A large corporate conference or convention can be readily accommodated using these conference areas.

Amenities

For a downtown hotel, the Grand America offers a full range of amenities for guests. First, the Grand Spa has an excellent reputation for providing quality services and offers a full range of treatments, massages and salon services to guests including saunas and steam rooms. Second, the outdoor recreation area has a large pool with plenty of lounge chairs and cabanas along with a kids pool and a jacuzzi. There are decent food and drink options available at the outdoor pool. A separate indoor pool is located on the fourth floor. Third, there is selection of boutique retail stores located on the hotel's main floor such as a large children's toy and candy store, a ladies' clothing store and haberdashery, newsstand and general store.

Dining

The dining venues offered at the Grand America seem to be undergoing some redesigns as the Garden Cafe has been closed and the Oak Dining Room is offering buffet style choices for breakfast and dinner. Fortunately, the Lobby Lounge offers an intimate and relaxing alternative for having breakfast along with dinner entrees, afternoon tea and snacks during the day. The service there is prompt and musical entertainment is provided for tea and after dinner relaxation. Another popular dining and drinking location at the hotel is the Gibson Girl Lounge open from 5 pm to midnight Thursdays through Saturday. The theme of using iconic 1920s drawings along with comfortable furniture and quiet sports programming creates a conducive atmosphere for adult guests to relax whether at the hotel for business or pleasure.

Summary

The Grand America remains an excellent choice for visitors to the Salt Lake City region based on a recent visit there. The size of the rooms, scope of the public facilities, and cleanliness offered go far beyond what is generally available in downtown hotels and provide guests with a resort experience at a competitive price. There seems to be an ongoing commitment to maintaining a high level of service and to upgrade the facility as needed into the future. Finally, the hotel's proximity to leading city centers of corporate, government, education and religion, and the short drive to nearby attractions in places like Park City and Provo add to its appeal. For the time being, it would seem that the main challenge facing the hotel is to develop more dining options to match the varied tastes of its discerning clientele just as cruise lines have done in recent years.