Utah’s Winter Wonderland

Salt Lake City is having a moment, as this once quiet, extremely conservative Mormon-dominated town has transformed into a much more welcoming place to those who do not follow that religion. These days it’s completely changed from when I started visiting in the winter (both for skiing and for the Sundance Film Festival) back in the 1990s, when finding even a glass of wine with dinner was the impossible dream.

Today SLC has acknowledged that visitors and locals alike are interested in a craft cocktail before dinner and even a glass of wine, too, which means that the nightlife scene is jumping year-round, complete with cool bars, restaurants serving up international tastes and elegant hotels with a focus on culinary delights (and wellness, too). This change to the city that also serves as Utah’s state capital and the jumping-off place for adventure in the rugged Wasatch Mountains nearby is a welcome one – and one worth making sure to stop and stay a while before or after hitting the powder.

Start (or Finish) Your Vacation
with Savoring Salt Lake
If you’re champing at the bit to hit the powder up in the Wasatch, then go straight to Park City or Deer Valley to get in your runs (and read more on that below). But be sure to pause and check out the airport’s new terminal as you travel, which has transformed SLC into a scenic center, with huge glass walls opening out to incredible views of the mountains. 

We really recommend staying for a few days in the city, perhaps after all your athletic exertion on the slopes, or ahead of to do some dining and decompressing beforehand. The Grand America Hotel is the place to make home base, the 5-star hotel built to accommodate visitors to the 2002 Winter Olympics that’s been going strong ever since.  

The hotel’s elegant spaces and beautifully designed rooms and suites will suck you right in; then add treatments and swimming interludes at The Grand Spa and perhaps you’ll discover that this is the place to take your first “calmcation.” That’s the newest travel trend that suggests doing absolutely nothing is the way to really unplug and reset – and we think it works pretty well après an intense ski or snowboarding stint, too.

Food, Culture and Wellness in Salt Lake City
Don’t miss the fabulous Sunday Bruch at The Grand America’s Laurel Brasserie and Bar, complete with Champagne, live music and groaning tables filled with fine foods. And settle in for a High Tea in the Lobby Lounge, which is served every afternoon and of course includes classic English scones on the tiered trays. Follow up with a post-prandial meander on the Art Tour at the Grand, the self-guided look at all the treasures found inside the hotel.

Do leave the hotel at some point and wander around downtown SLC, for it is right out the front door. Grab a Salt Lake Downtown Discovery Pass for discounted admission to numerous attractions around town, from the Clark Planetarium to the Red Butte Garden, plus museums, the zoo and more.

Dine at Urban Hill, one of the city’s most innovative and creative restaurants, and be sure to sup at Takashi, where the Omakase is to die for. And for a wellness experience that’s been a staple of SLC for decades, visit The Kura Door Holistic Japanese Spa, found in the midst of one of the city’s lovely residential neighborhoods. It’s a local treat! 

Skiing and Snowboarding the Wasatch
For breathtaking beauty and challenging runs, there’s nothing quite like Utah’s Wasatch Mountains for skiing and snowboarding. From the spectacular back face at Alta to Deer Valley’s expert terrain that goes on for miles, this is the place for steep chutes and heady vertical ascents.

And now there’s a whole new skiing-only area, as Deer Valley East Village has added a whole new dimension to that resort’s already prime skiing terrain. Beginning with the 2024 season with three chairlifts and over 300 new acres of slopes, the 2026 season brings even more, with 100 new ski runs on the back side of the Wasatch, and all interconnected with Deer Valley’s front side original location.

Where to Stay
Stay at the impeccable Goldener Hirsch Auberge Collection Resort in Deer Valley, where you’ll be able to ski-in, ski-out in a spectacular winter setting. This is a hotel that will take your breath away, with gorgeous suites, rooms and even residences that make anywhere else seem second best. And when it’s time to take a break from skiing, Goldener Hirsch’s concierge is ready to book sleigh rides, snowmobiling, winter horseback riding, dogsledding and even a bobsled ride (if you dare!). 

More Mountain Adventures
Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Park City all offer unique mountain experiences and challenges, so don’t limit yourselves to just one ski resort on a Wasatch visit. And if you’ve never experienced the Sundance Film Festival, 2026 is the last year to jump into all things film in Park City and SLC. For after 40 years, the festival begun by Robert Redford is moving in 2027 to Boulder, Colorado. It’s the end of an era, but Park City and the surrounding Wasatch will certainly continue giving winter sports lovers exemplary outdoor experiences for generations to come.

Looking Ahead
And mark your calendars for 2034, when Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains will once again host the Winter Olympics. See you there!

For more information about Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, Visit:
www.visitsaltlake.com, www.grandamerica.com, www.visitparkcity.com,
www.deervalley.com, www.auberge.comgoldener-hirsch