There are a lot of nice hotels. Places that are clean, comfortable, and maybe even trendy enough to have a hip bar or a coworking space onsite. Far rarer is a great hotel. One where you can feel both opulence and a separation from the property’s surroundings, but that still feels approachable even after arriving defiled from a hectic travel day. One that’s common areas bustle with beguility but whose guest floors revere a vibe both austere and muffled. The Grand America Hotel, in downtown Salt Lake City, is a great hotel.
Photo courtesy Grand America Hotel
Salt Lake City's Best Hotel Combines Classic Elegance, Contemporary Cool
The Grand America Hotel’s ornate lobby is characterized by oversized Italian glass chandeliers and elegant, French-inspired decor and furniture. This is iconic of the Grand America brand, which also operates several Little America Hotels across the southwest as well as Snowbasin and Sun Valley ski areas. Here, the lobby, rooms, and amenities are lined with historic works of art, enough so that the hotel’s management finds it appropriate to offer an in-house art tour. The property feels almost colonial. Iits offerings, however, are strictly modern – a high-end spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an elevated Brasserie whose primary purpose seems to be to defy musty stereotypes of its host city.
I recently visited Salt Lake City with my wife for a romantic getaway (code for “we had Blink-182 tickets,” the most romantic activity a couple can pursue), and chose the Grand, with rooms from $264, for its amenities and downtown location near the venue. We walked out the door standing straighter than when we walked in, having slept, dined, and spa’d ourselves into a mode of relaxation neither of us has known since before we became parents.
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Rooms at the Grand America Hotel
Plenty of space to lounge. Photo: Tim Wenger
We slept in, which is a major accomplishment for the parents of a toddler. Photo: Tim Wenger
The Grand America Hotel has 775 guest rooms across 24 floors. We stayed in an Executive Suite with a king bed. When writing about hotels, I typically begin discussion of my room based on first impression. The Grand, however, warrants a different approach. I’ll start at 7 AM the morning after our first night, because it was about that time when I realized why this hotel is special. In most hotels, even higher-end ones, this is about the time when room doors begin being opened and slammed shut, followed by the sound of boot-clad feet stomping down the hall. Giggling children’s voices penetrate the walls, and the building buzzes with the sound of dozens of shower heads simultaneously raining down onto the manes of dreary-eyed guests.
All of this was very likely happening inside the Grand America at that moment. Thing is, I’d never have known, because I couldn’t hear any of it. Our room, halfway down a long hallway on the second floor and overlooking the pool, was the quietest hotel room I have ever stayed in. That’s saying a lot from a travel editor who spends upwards of 60 nights a year in hotels. It was SO quiet in our room that my wife, who typically wakes by 6:30 AM each morning, slept until nearly 10 AM.
By the time she’d awoken I’d already pushed through two hours of work on my laptop, visited the cafe in the lobby for coffee, and ordered breakfast to be delivered to the room. We have a toddler and I haven’t had a moment to twiddle my thumbs since she was born, but I nearly did so on this day, lounging on the couch in our suite, wondering whether I should open the blackout curtains and rouse my partner or let her sulk in a rare moment of true rest.
The bed was plush and soft. The pillows and sheets were crisp. The bathroom featured two vanities and a jacuzzi tub, in addition to the shower. I noted above the work that I did that morning. The living room area had a large wooden desk with ample lighting, in addition to a couch and two chairs. I had options of where to post up and push through emails. Another thing that stood out to me about the room was the Wi-Fi. In most hotels, whether or not the Wi-Fi works well, I must log in or at least select the network each time I wish to connect. Not the case at the Grand America. After one login, my laptop and phone connected automatically throughout our stay, which included multiple comings and goings from the property. The signal was strong enough to stream video and upload with alacrity. I felt far more productive than I typically do while holed away in a high-end hotel.
Dining at the Grand America Hotel
Salmon with spring pea risotto and Crème Fraiche Vinaigrette. Omega-3s! Photo: Tim Wenger
Never has a cup of soup been so refreshing on a hot day. Photo: Tim Wenger
Before heading out to the concert our first night in town, we dined at the Grand’s Laurel Brasserie & Bar. The vibe is hip and modern, a nice contrast to the classic elegance on display elsewhere onsite. Bright greens and whites played fancifully throughout the dining room and bar area. Local craft beer flowed like it does with plentitude in today’s Salt Lake City, freer of the Mormon church’s once prevalent dominance over local liquor laws. I had a Cutthroat Amber from Uinta Brewing, and a glass of Argentinian red with dinner.
The menu and service are European rooted but American in presentation. We had drinks on the table within a few minutes of sitting, and a round of soups a few minutes after that. The roasted tomato soup was refreshing, and the Maple Glazed Pan-Seared Scottish Salmon was perfectly cooked and wasn’t too much before a night out. As is standard in mountain-adjacent cities like Salt Lake, my wife and I were appropriately dressed for a nice dinner in “elevated casual” attire. I wore a button-down collared shirt and shorts, she wore jeans and a button-down shirt. We were in and out and on our way to the show in about an hour, though tables around us lingered longer over drinks and dessert.
To access the restaurant we passed through Bonne Vie, the French patisserie and coffeehouse from which I snatched our coffees each morning during our stay. This bright spot offers limited seating with excellent coffee and snacks. I spent an hour or so working at a table one morning, watching people come and go, and the Wi-Fi was equally strong as it was in the room. The hotel also has a lobby bar and cafe that makes a great space for group get -togethers or a nightcap after returning following an evening out.
The breakfast I ordered to the room after our first night was delivered in about 30 minutes and prepared quite well. We each had eggs, toast, and a protein, with coffee of course. It was standard and delicious, not over-the-top or unique but just what we needed for a morning meal before heading out.
Our experience at The Grand Spa
It's easy to unwind in a setting like this. Photo courtesy Grand America Hotel
Look at all those showerheads. Photo courtesy Grand America Hotel
As noted above, we have a small child at home. With busy careers and our home life spent chasing around a near-three-year-old, self-care isn’t often on the docket for us these days. This trip was to be different, and we visited The Grand Spa for a Couples Massage, $430, after our penultimate night in the hotel to ensure this. I don’t often indulge in spa services, not for disdain but simply because I just never seem to prioritize this type of stuff, to my own detriment I’m sure.
The couple’s massage experience began with a shower featuring heads spraying from every direction, including underneath. The exact number I believe was 17, though I was too focused on letting loose to confirm. This was followed by the massage itself, a 50-minute practice with us each on separate massage beds positioned next to each other. We were paired with opposite-gender masseuses, though guests can request a preference if they prefer. The experience left us both feeling quite relaxed. After the massage I relaxed in the steam room then enjoyed a cup of tea in the lounge, and left the spa feeling better than I have in years. I told my wife as we departed that I now plan to get a massage at least every few months. I don’t think she believed me, but if that proclamation stands as a testament to The Grand Spa experience, from a vagabond journo and former punk rocker, it’s a high mark indeed. 