Where to Stay in Salt Lake City

The survey results are in! Thanks to input from 103 genealogists, I can now report the results of this newsletter's survey of "Where to Stay in Salt Lake City." In effect, this is a mini travel guide for those of you planning future trips to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Last month I wrote an article entitled "Your Input is Needed: Where to Stay & Eat in Salt Lake City." I asked newsletter readers to fill out survey forms describing their recent experiences with various Salt Lake City hotels, restaurants and travel services. The intent is to create a genealogist's travel guide to the city of great attraction for all of us. All the information is based upon the experiences of genealogists.

This week I can report the results of the hotel surveys. Experiences with restaurants and travel experiences will be reported in future articles.

By far, the most popular hotel among survey respondents is the Best Western Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. Anyone who has visited the Family History Library will not be surprised by this popularity. After all, that hotel is next door to the Library. But is popularity the same as "the best?" The results seem to indicate otherwise.

I asked survey respondents to rate each hotel as to the number of "stars" it deserved. A rating of one star qualifies as "unacceptable" while a rating of five stars indicates "outstanding." The ratings are for a combination of quality of the hotel and reasonable prices. The following results show the average responses received from genealogists:

5.0 stars: Crystal Inn Downtown
4.5 stars: The Inn at Temple Square
4.5 stars: Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown
4.0 stars: The Kimball
4.0 stars: Prime Hotel*
4.0 stars: Embassy Suites*
4.0 stars: EconoLodge on N. Temple*
4.0 stars: Hilton*
3.9 stars: Best Western Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
3.7 stars: Holiday Inn Downtown
3.5 stars: Little America Hotel
3.3 stars: Carlton Hotel
3.0 stars: Shiloh Inn
3.0 stars: Hampton Inn Salt Lake City-Downtown*
3.0 stars: City Creek Inn
1.3 stars: Travelodge

An asterisk after a hotel's name indicates that only one person responded to the survey for that hotel.

I am very impressed with the five-star rating of the Crystal Inn Downtown. Three people responded to the survey with information about that hotel, and all three rated it as five stars! Rooms at that hotel start at $83.00 per night, a moderate price for hotels in the area.

The next to the highest rated hotel was a tie between The Inn at Temple Square, which is only a few steps further away from the library than the Best Western Salt Lake Plaza Hotel (#9 on the survey), and the Marriott, which is a bit further away.

While not a hotel, one respondent gave a glowing report about the VIP campground. Anyone planning a trip to Salt Lake City in an RV might want to check out the details of that campground as listed near the end of this report.

Here are the details of each hotel, as reported by newsletter readers. The hotels are listed in descending order according to the number of stars given by newsletter readers.

NOTE: With one exception, I elected to not list prices in this article. Room prices in most downtown Salt Lake City hotels vary widely, depending upon the season and the events being held in the area on the date. For instance, I checked a number of dates at random for the Marriott Downtown. The same room costs $99.00 on December 10 but jumps to $179.00 the next day. On January 10 the same room costs $189.00. Most all the other hotels in the area have similar variations from day to day.

I have included the web site address for each hotel in the listings, whenever I could find them. You can easily check the rates and availability for the dates you wish to stay on the hotel's web site.

5.0 stars: Crystal Inn Downtown (3 respondents)
http://www.crystalinns.com/slcdt.html
Items reported by newsletter readers:

• Hot buffet breakfast with eggs, breakfast meats, and specialty items
• No restaurants on the premises, but nearby restaurants are available within a very short walk
• FREE shuttle to and from the airport
• Downtown shuttle service is provided by this hotel; two respondents reported the downtown shuttle is free, but another reported there are fees.
• High-speed wireless Internet access
• High-speed Internet Café
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna
• Exercise facility
• Comments:

1. Full breakfast included in the room price.
2. This hotel also comes with a free hot breakfast buffet. This is included in your room rate. When you call, just tell them you want the genealogy rate.
3. The shuttle always comes when called, no matter the time. I've become ill before, and they came to pick me up at the library very quickly.
4. The shuttle provides excellent service. Always had pickup within 15 minutes of calling.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes (100%)

Comment by Dick Eastman: I am impressed with the reports of this hotel. Three survey respondents offered comments about the Crystal Inn Downtown, and all three reported it as a 5-star rating!

4.5 stars: The Inn at Temple Square
http://www.theinn.com
Items reported by newsletter readers:

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.85
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 3.14
• FREE shuttle to and from the airport
• No need for a downtown shuttle as the hotel is right at Temple Square.
• Hotel is on Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments about this hotel:

1. It was very convenient for going to the library and very nice hotel. The only negative was that the bed was very uncomfortable for 2 people. We couldn't wait to get to a better bed.
2. I really like this pleasant hotel. Quiet, nicely renovated and decorated older hotel, with some nice amenities. Free buffet breakfast. Good restaurant. Just across the street from the library.
3. This is probably one of the nicest hotels we have stayed at. Very comfortable, large rooms and bathrooms. Unfortunately, they have raised their rates. Last year we paid, if I remember correctly, $86 per night, and that included breakfast for two people. This was a genealogy rate. When I called this year they said they didn't have a genealogy rate and the rooms were $120 per night.
4. Expensive, but the amenities are well-worth it!
5. Perfect location - Just around the corner from the FHL. The low price belies the fine decor and amenities. I always feel pampered when I stay here, and I stay here once a year. Breakfast buffet included.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes - 85.7%, No - 0%, No comment: 14.3%

4.5 stars: Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown
http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/SLCUT

• High-speed wired Internet access for an extra charge ($10/day)
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 4.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 4.0
• No airport shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• No downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments about this hotel:

1. My room faced the Mormon Temple, which allowed for beautiful photo opportunities seeing that the building was totally surrounded when down on the street by buildings, canvases, tents, etc. The view of the mountains and the temple was ethereal.
2. It had excellent service, was very convenient to the Family History Library, easy access to public transportation, and a short walk to a number of restaurants, including the mall it is attached to. Not cheap, though, unless you are getting a convention or special rate.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes (100%)

4.0 stars: The Kimball
(801) 363-4000

• FREE High Speed Internet on community computer in addition to dial-up in rooms
• No restaurants on the premises, but nearby restaurants are available within a very short walk
• No airport shuttle service
• No downtown shuttle service
• Comments:

1. Each unit is more than just a hotel room. They all have either a mini-kitchen or full kitchen, some with dining rooms. There's room to spread out the day's research findings and make plans for the next day. The staff is friendly and accommodating. Laundry facilities and a sauna are available for the guest's use.
2. Although a timeshare, well-kept condos can be rented. Full kitchen, living room and large dining room tables make it easy to work and socialize with roommates. Highly recommend the two-bedroom condo that has two queen beds and two twins. If someone doesn't mind doubling up or sleeping on the pull-out couch, the cost can really plummet with the number of roommates. A pleasant walk through Temple Square to the Library (when work on the tabernacle is not blocking the west entrance.)

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes (100%)

4.0 stars: Prime Hotel* (one respondent)
(801) 531-7500

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 4.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 3.0
• Shuttle service is available to and from the airport but for an extra charge
• No downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

4.0 stars: Embassy Suites* (one respondent)
http://tinyurl.com/83j4v

• Free high-speed wireless Internet access in the lobby but not guaranteed to work in the rooms
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 4.0
• Several other restaurants are within a short walk
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• Is NOT on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

1. Excellent hotel! Great suites with lots of room. Free cooked-to-order breakfasts, not "continental" breakfasts. Free "happy hour" drinks in the afternoon. Mini refrigerators in each suite. Very quiet.
2. The wireless Internet signal was marginal in my room but worked well in the lobby, restaurant and lounge.
3. It is a seven-block walk to the Family History Library, and Salt Lake City has large blocks! It is about a mile or so. I walked it most every day and enjoyed it, but that is not so good for bad weather or for seniors. The hotel's shuttle is available and is free, but its schedule is sporadic. It is primarily an airport shuttle, but the driver cheerfully took a longer route the one time I asked and he dropped me at the front door of the Family History Library when he was en route to the airport. No charge.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

4.0 stars: Econolodge on N. Temple* (one respondent)
http://tinyurl.com/7h2y6

• Internet access by dial-up only
• No restaurant on the premises, but nearby restaurants are available within a very short walk
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• FREE shuttle service once an hour on the hour to the Family History Library and/or downtown. When you are ready to come "home," give them a call and they will pick you up within a few minutes.
• Is NOT on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

Comparatively inexpensive, with lots of parking at your room's door (if on first floor) for your car if you drive. Clean, and staff is very helpful. Coin-operated washer/dryer on premises, and iron/ironing board in every room. Large laundry a couple of blocks away, as is a large Albertson's grocery store.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

Additional comments by Dick Eastman: I stayed at this hotel several years ago. I suspect this respondent rated it as four stars because of the hotel's economy, not because of its high-quality services compared to others in the area. Indeed, this is one of the lowest-priced hotels in the area but has limited services.

4 stars: Hilton* (one respondent)
http://tinyurl.com/cq77d

• High-speed wired Internet access for an extra charge ($9.95/day)
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 5.0
• Comments:

Expensive, especially with the extra charges for Internet access, parking, etc. The breakfast buffet was $13! The onsite dinner restaurant is a "club" with temporary free memberships for guests of the hotel. Otherwise NOTHING is free, and you are expected to tip everyone in addition. It is several blocks from the Library, somewhat difficult if you are taking lots of files with you. The TRAX is also a couple blocks away and not useful for getting to and from the Library.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? No

3.9 stars: Best Western Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
http://www.plaza-hotel.com

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.1
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 2.5
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

1. The elevator service is a bit slow. It seems that the hotel lacks a service elevator, so there is often a lot of competition for the three elevators.
2. The staff was friendly, and very helpful. Would definitely stay there again.
3. Because we are a group, we get a free class on Monday nights.
4. The response to services in this hotel is generally prompt. When there is NOT a conference, frequently one can get a Genealogist's room rate. That service was not available for this conference. If one is using the Family History Library, one can generally ask at the greeting desk for a pass of several days to eat at the Mormon Office Bldg. cafeteria at lunchtime or at breakfast, if that is your pleasure. The food is freshly prepared, and there is take-away service. My friends especially like the cookies to take for afternoon snack. If we can get a round table, we can generally have quite a lively discussion about genealogical techniques or hints to help one another. JB's, the restaurant in the Plaza, has a senior discount, and the meals, with the number of your room given, can be charged to a hotel bill, giving one rewards with a credit card!!! I am certain there are equally comfortable hotels in SLC, but this one wins because of its proximity to the Library, and because there is a special genealogist's rate (ordinarily). Women feel safe walking from the Library at night to their nearby hotel. My friend stayed at the Marriott, was not pleased with the food, and had a room overlooking the parking area. It was near the Salt Palace, however. Nordstrom's lunch room in the Crossroads Plaza is a good lunch place, when the Mormon Office Bldg. cafeteria is closed. Good service, comfortable surroundings.
5. Great location - but you pay a little more for that. The genealogy rate was $79/night.
6. Hi Speed access worked great in the room, next door at JB's, and even from parts of the FHL. Rooms looked like they'd been upgraded since my last trip there. In-room safe was large enough for my ultraportable laptop -- so I didn't have to lug it to the conference.
7. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown from 8/31-9/5 (alone) and the Plaza from 9/5-9/11 (with a roommate) this trip. I'll probably stay at the Plaza next trip.
8. One respondent reported: Had high speed wireless Internet access, but I could not get it to work.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

3.7 stars: Holiday Inn Downtown
http://tinyurl.com/c94y7

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 3.0
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• FREE downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• Is NOT on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

Downtown shuttle leaves the hotel every half hour. On return, call for pick-up and wait 2-40 minutes, depending on your timing.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

3.5 stars: Little America Hotel
http://www.littleamerica.com/slc/

• FREE wired high-speed Internet access included in room price (as reported by one respondent)
• High-speed wireless Internet access for an extra charge (as reported by another respondent)
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 3.0
• Comments:

Excellent hotel. Nice pool and gym to work out in. We ate at the Joseph Smith Building on the top floor in the restaurant that the roof opens up. I can't remember the name but excellent. We also ate breakfast and dinner at the Grand America across the street from Little America and had fine dining. I can't say enough about both restaurants. EXCELLENT CHOICES!!!!

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

3.3 stars: Carlton Hotel
http://www.carltonhotel-slc.com

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.67
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 1.67
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• FREE downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

1. It is a two and a quarter block walk to the Family History Library if you prefer to walk than take the free shuttle. It is an older hotel that has been upgraded. There is a laundry room for your use. I am sitting in one of the rooms writing this email. My single room has a double bed, easy chair, desk with chair, eight drawer dresser and mirror, TV, small refrigerator, microwave, round table with two chairs. Very comfortable. There is a choice of bathrooms with tubs or showers.
2. This is a modest, cozy, not fancy, European style hotel...usually full of genealogists. Staff is accommodating. The only meal they serve, I think, is breakfast, and it is always been a plentiful start for a long day at the library.
3. Getting more run down. Smoke free rooms but not halls. Great cafe downstairs with included made to order (huge) breakfast. Great genealogy rate; friendly staff. After several years of staying there, I have decided the expense of being closer to the FHL and upgrading the room is worth it.
4. The downtown shuttle has always been great. It runs several trips a day to the library including one at the end of evening hours. I have even "sent" my briefcase back with the shuttle when I chose to walk back to the hotel.

Comment by Dick Eastman: The Carlton Hotel appears to be an exception to the widely variable pricing of most Salt Lake City hotels. The Carlton Hotel's web site proudly displays rates on the home page, making them appear to be fixed rates. As of the date this article is being written, the rates are: Single rooms $69.00, double rooms $74.00, and suites starting at $ 84.00. Ask for the genealogy rate and/or weekly rates for additional discounts.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes (Although one guest commented, "For the price, OK. Takes some getting used to.")

3.0 stars: Shiloh Inn
http://tinyurl.com/9clwn
NOTE: There were only two respondents for the Shiloh Inn. One rated it as five stars, and the other rated it as one star! In any case, that is an average of 3.0.

• High-speed wireless Internet access for an extra charge
• Rate the restaurant(s) in this hotel for quality and service? (not price): 3.0
• How expensive were the restaurant(s) in this hotel? 1.5
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• There is NO downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

All comments are anonymous, but it is easy to see which comment was written by the person who gave the Shiloh Inn a five-star rating and which comment was written by the person who rated it as one star:

1. I have been staying at the Shiloh for nearly 20 years! It is the ONLY place for me. All rooms have a microwave and refrigerator. Great for when I bring food from local restaurants and want the leftovers on a second night. Cookies warm from the oven are on the front desk from late afternoon. Breakfast of several choices included in room rate. They have a genealogy rate. There are several rooms that also have a wet bar and extra storage space.
2. The room was not clean, and even though I reserved a smoke free room (and was told mine was smoke free), there was a smoky odor. The restaurant was extremely limited. Room service pizza was a baked frozen pizza that was overpriced. The shuttle driver told me that they ran very limited hours.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? No surprise here, one respondent said, "Yes" while the other said, "No."

3.0 stars: Hampton Inn Salt Lake City-Downtown* (one respondent)
http://tinyurl.com/dovo5

• FREE wireless high-speed access included in room price
• No restaurant on the premises or nearby
• FREE shuttle service to/from the airport
• There is NO downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel.
• Is NOT on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

Nice hotel, but 6 long blocks from the library or 3 blocks from TRAX.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? "Yes, if they don't mind walking."

3.0 stars: City Creek Inn
(801) 533-9100

• No restaurants on the premises, but nearby restaurants are available within a very short walk
• No airport shuttle service provided by this hotel
• No downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel
• Is on or close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

City Creek is an outstanding value. The motel is recently renovated; no frills and a very short walk to the Family History Library. I recommend it highly.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? Yes

1.3 stars: Travelodge
http://tinyurl.com/c2mhc

• Dial-up Internet access only
• No restaurants on the premises, but nearby restaurants are available within a very short walk
• No airport shuttle service provided by this hotel
• No downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel
• Is not very close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

1. Filthy dirty room, but the linen seemed clean, and it is close to the FHL. The night desk clerk seemed to watch many more XX rated movies than anything else.
2. Stopped staying there years ago. Lack of security and noisy residents made it intolerable. There are better places and worth the extra few dollars.
3. Travelodge, last time I was there, was getting a bit run-down. It has been owned by the same family for years - long enough that I had met three generations of them. It was just above the Motel 6 category, but low priced, within a block of the Library, and was quiet and comfortable. I don't know if it has changed in 4 years.

Would you recommend this hotel to other genealogists? One respondent said, "Yes," but three others said, "No."

Campgrounds

One person reported staying in a campground and obviously liked it. The following information is offered to anyone traveling by RV:

4.0 stars: VIP Campground
1350 W North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT
801-328-0224

• High-speed wireless Internet access for an extra charge ($4.95/day)
• No restaurants on premises but some nearby
• No airport shuttle service provided by this hotel
• No downtown shuttle service provided by this hotel
• Is not very close to Salt Lake City's TRAX light rail system
• Comments:

Has bus service to downtown, but stops at 10:00pm. You really need a tow car to get around. Parking is only $3.00 a day near the library. The convenience is that you have everything with you and you do not need to worry about your "things" in a room. You just LOCK and set your alarm on your RV, and off to the library. We have stayed there every year for 2 to 6 weeks at a time.

This concludes the genealogists' guide of "Where to Stay in Salt Lake City." I hope to run a new survey about once a year or so in order to stay current with any changes.

In the meantime, if you have any comments about the survey results or wish to report any new good or bad experiences in Salt Lake City hotels, please feel free to post a comment at the end of this article.

Comments

[Sandy Lewis]

Regarding the comments about the Shilo Inn...Breakfast is included and wireless in the rooms IS free! My room was very clean. The day I checked out after the FGS conference, they replaced the mattresses in all the rooms. There were several people I met that would call for the shuttle to pick them up after a long day at the library. Shuttle runs hourly trips to the airport. I didn't like the iffy bar hours although I will definitely stay here next time.

[Edward L Strother]

CITY CREEK INN: My wife and I stayed in the City Creek Inn Oct 16-19, 2005. The rooms were clean, comfortabe and quiet. The room rates were very reasonable. The short walk to the Family History Library tended to wake us up each morning. We highly recommend this facility. It isn't fancy, but all we wanted was a place to sleep.

[Carol Austin]

I just returned from a week in Salt Lake City, staying at the Carlton with two friends. We had a room for three, and it cost us each $165 for the week, an incredible bargain. We got a free breakfast, cooked to order, every morning, the wireless internet worked in the room, and for some reason it also worked in the FHL if I sat near a window. I suspect it might be the same wireless server that the Plaza uses. We had a coffeemaker, sink, fridge, and microwave in the room, plus dishes and silverware if we had wanted to cook which we didn't. We each had our own bed, and one of us had her own room, although without a nightstand. She complained that it was too warm, but once she found a way to prop the window open, she was fine. We walked to the library for the exercise, rather than taking the van, and it was about a 10 minute walk. We'll be happy to stay there again anytime.

[Bneeamma]

BEST WESTERN PLAZA HOTEL: On 29 Oct 2005 I attended a seminar given by Ron BREMER from Salt Lake City. Ron announced at the seminar that the Plaza Hotel will be torn down shortly. The LDS Church owns the property surrounding the library and will be clearing several buildings, including the Plaza Hotel and the parking garage next to it in preparation for a shopping area, including a large apartment complex.

[willybobs]

On both our trips in RV to Alaska we went thru Salt Lake. Each trip we stayed over for 3 nites. We stayed at the RV KOA Park which is conventiently located several blocks West of the Temple. This Park is listed in the GoodSam RV Park listings. On each stay at this KOA Park, On the 5-Star scale we would grade it as a 4.9. - Or on scale of 4.0 we would grade it as: 3.999.

[Robert Stephens]

I stayed at the Quality Inn Airport Salt Lake City Airport just 3 miles from downtown on W. North Temple. Free parking, newly remodeled room, free hot breakfast, and all for about $60! Forget those expensive downtown hotels!!