Park City
Construction began in October on a meeting-space expansion at the 180-unit Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. A new 6,000-square-foot space is being built above the existing Event Center. The project includes the addition of a new executive boardroom and breakout rooms in the Main Lodge. The new space will open this May, bringing the property's total meeting space to 11,000 square feet. The west-facing wall in the larger space will be all glass, looking out on the Flagstaff, Empire and Lady Morgan peaks. The lodge's two restaurants are the elegant and the casual: Glitretind features fine dining and polished service; Troll Hallen handles lighter fare in a casual atmosphere. A 23,000-square-foot spa offers a range of services and 16 treatment rooms.
The Washington School House, built in 1889 and now on the National Historic Registry, opened in December 2011 as a 12-room boutique hotel following an eight-month renovation. Within walking distance of Main Street and the Park City Mountain Resort's town ski lift, the hotel, ideal for incentives, is equipped with a luxurious pool, a spa, an après-ski lounge and a small meeting room. (435) 649-3800; washingtonschoolhouse.com
Beginning this winter, novice boarders will be able to unleash their inner daredevil in the new terrain park at the Park City Mountain Resort. While the resort already offers several areas for practicing tricks, this one is geared to younger and less experienced athletes seeking to develop their skills.
Meeting Hotels
Major properties include the 450-unit Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, 350-room Canyons Grand Summit Hotel, 227-room Lodges at Deer Valley, 220-room Montage Deer Valley, 199-room Park City Marriott, 185-room Newpark Resort, 181-room St. Regis Deer Valley, 181-room Yarrow Resort Hotel & Conference Center, 180-room Stein Eriksen Lodge, 178-room Hyatt Escala Lodge and 175-room Waldorf Astoria Park City. For more area hotels and meeting spaces, go to mcvenues.com.
Airport Transit
Salt Lake City International Airport, about a 35-minute drive from downtown Park City. Transfer cost to Park City, $76 roundtrip
Taxes
Room tax, 3%; sales tax, 7.45%; total tax on hotel rooms, 10.45%. At the St. Regis Deer Crest in Wasatch County, room tax is 11.6%.
Group Venues
Last summer, Park City's Main Street acquired a new hangout for creative types: The Paint Mixer, a studio that offers casual classes in painting and wine appreciation. Groups of 15 to 70 people can reserve the space for private events. (435) 604-0820; thepaintmixer.com
The Park City Museum, right, which underwent an extensive $9 million renovation in 2009, charts the history of the city from its early years as a prosperous silver-mining community through its virtual abandonment in the early 20th century to its current prominence as a skiing destination. The museum can be taken over for up to 150 people, for whom a docent is always in attendance. (435) 649-7457; parkcityhistory.org
Main Street offers a wonderful array of places to eat. Among local favorites is Wahso, inspired by the food and culture of Shanghai in the 1930s, offering Asian fare with French influences. Tempting dishes include miso black cod and shrimp masala stir-fry. The restaurant welcomes groups of up to 210 for dinner and 400 for a reception. (435) 615-0300; billwhiterestaurantgroup.com/wahso.html
Contact
Park City Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 453-1360
Dine Out
Zagat offers a list of Salt Lake's 10 best restaurants at
bit.ly/Z4g0Oi.
Salt Lake City
The new 600,000-square-foot solar-panel system at the Salt Palace Convention Center debuted last May. Since its introduction, the system has exceeded expectations, providing about 19 percent of the power used by the center. Salt Lake County buys the power at a fixed rate from CarbonFree Technology, which owns and operates the panels.
The TRAX light-rail extension connecting the airport to downtown Salt Lake is scheduled to open this April. The 20-minute trip will include a stop at the convention center and near several of the city's hotels.
Southwest of the city, the Embassy Suites Salt Lake-West Valley City opened last month in Fairbourne Station, a 40-acre downtown development. The 162-suite hotel offers a Shula's Steak House, indoor pool and 7,500 square feet of meeting space.
About $10 million was spent upgrading the 499 guest rooms at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. New Hilton Serenity beds were installed, along with 38-inch LCD televisions, Cuisinart coffee makers and new workstations with ergonomic desk chairs.
Meeting Hotels
Near the convention center are the 515-room Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown, 499-room Hilton Salt Lake City Center and 381-room Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown. A short distance away are the 850-room Little America Hotel, 775-room Grand America Hotel, 362-room Sheraton City Centre Hotel Salt Lake City and 359-room Marriott Salt Lake City Center. For a more complete listing of area hotels and meeting facilities, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center
Salt Palace Convention Center; exhibit space, 515,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 67; (801) 534-4777
Airport Transit
Salt Lake City International Airport, about six miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $12
Taxes
Room tax, 6.85%; sales tax, 5.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12.67%
Group Venues
The Clark Planetarium offers free scientific exhibits every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Its IMAX and domed movie theaters show both educational films and Hollywood releases. The theaters and several exhibit spaces, which hold 900 people in total, are available for rental. (801) 456-7827; clarkplanetarium.org
Take the party outside at the Gallivan Center, which offers a grassy amphitheater for summer events and an ice rink for some winter fun. The entire facility can accommodate 10,000 people, but separate areas also host smaller groups. (801) 535-6110; thegallivancenter.com
A passion for modernized Mexican fare characterizes the food found at the restaurant named for passionate Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Items on the menu at Frida Bistro include fun combinations such as grilled lamb chops in a blood-orange reduction with fingerling potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and broccolini. The eclectic margarita choices are equally inventive: strawberry-basil, cucumber-black pepper, plantain-spice, to name a few. The restaurant accommodates cozy groups and the Diego room holds 25 for dinner. An event warehouse is available for larger groups of up to 500. (801) 983-6692; fridabistro.com
Contact
Visit Salt Lake, (801) 534-4900 or (800) 541-4955
Taste Test
Lauded executive chef Chad Luethje has returned to the 106-room Red
Mountain Resort in Ivins, near St. George, following four years at the
Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. His duties include conducting
healthy-cooking classes. The hotel has nearly 10,000 square feet of
meeting space. redmountainresort.com
St. George
Opening in April in nearby Springdale is the Hampton Inn & Suites, Zion National Park, with 90 rooms and 1,500 square feet of meeting space.
A number of green practices have been instituted at the Dixie Center, the area's convention facility. These include a comprehensive recycling program; the use of china and glass serviceware instead of disposable paper and plastic wherever possible, in meeting rooms as well as employee areas; and the installation of water-saving and energy-efficient systems.
Meeting Hotels
Group properties in town include the 164-room Lexington Hotel & Conference Center, 150-room Hilton Garden Inn, 131-room Courtyard by Marriott, 125-room Hampton Inn St. George, 122-room Comfort Inn, 112-room La Quinta, 99-room Fairfield Inn by Marriott. The 106-room Red Mountain Resort is in nearby Ivins.
Convention Center
Dixie Center; exhibit space, 47,500 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 21; (800) 748-5011
Airport Transit
St. George Municipal Airport, 15 miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $35.
Taxes
Room tax, 4.25%; sales tax, 6.25%; city tax 1%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11.5%
Group Venue
The scenery in southern Utah is so stunning, why not arrange an outdoor event? Groups of two to 100 have enjoyed the Canyon Sunset Dining Adventure put on by Fio's Culinary Adventures, the brainchild of Swiss chef Fio Antognini. Choose from a number of settings for the private dinner, such as a canyon overlook at sunset. Prices include transportation, park permit fees, the menu and more. The adventure lasts three to four hours. (314) 863-6866; fiosculinaryadventures.com
Golf
The St. George area is home to the Red Rocks Golf Trail, a combination of resort and standalone layouts. Many of the clubhouses offer space for private events. On the trail is the championship course at the 17-condo Sand Hollow Resort (sandhollowresort.com); the 27-hole Sunbrook Golf Course, which is owned by the city (stgeorgecitygolf.com/sunbrook.php); and Sky Mountain in Hurricane, near Zion National Park (skymountaingolf.com).
Contact
St. George and Zion National Park Tourism Office; 800-869-6635; atozion.com