Sheraton Salt Lake City

Hotel Stay Details
Hotel: Sheraton Salt Lake City
Dates: April 11-12 and 14-15, 2014 
Rate Paid: $144/night (including taxes) 
Points Earned: 1,765 SPG

According to my obsessive father, it simply wouldn't be a real trip if there weren't a Starwood hotel stay in there somewhere. Despite spending the majority of his Utah trip staying at the Hampton Inn in Provo, there were a few nights where he stayed in Salt Lake City's Sheraton Hotel, racking up a few more elite qualifying stays and nights towards his 2015 Platinum status.

The first night, he and Paul were staying for Friday night to check out the city and have a great Mexican dinner at the infamous Red Iguana. So for $120/night (+ $15 taxes), the Salt Lake City Sheraton was a great choice. In addition to being at a full service hotel with all the amenities you'd expect, they offered a free shuttle to any nearby area within 5 miles, including a complimentary ride to/from the SLC airport.

My father had booked the cheapest room under his AAA membership rate, but since he was a Platinum, they offered him a larger room with a view in the Tower section of the hotel. Politely asking if there were any suites available, they immediately offered a Loft Suite, but it was a King Bed and there were 2 of them. So instead, they stuck with the regular high-floor room with Double beds since it wouldn't be fair to have someone sleep on the pull out couch in the Loft suite.

The room itself was particularly nice for a Sheraton. It may just be my father's individual experience, but he's never been overly fond of Sheraton and much preferred Westin which seemed to be of a higher class and caliber at a comparable price point. But this Sheraton seemed to be more modern and recently renovated, even though it had been over 5 years since their last refresh.

For example, take a look at the sleek modern bathroom at the Salt Lake City Sheraton versus the other Sheraton bathrooms we've experienced in the recent past.

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Our room on the 10th floor also had a small balcony that had a nice view of the city and the mountains in the background. While it didn't rank among the best hotel room views in my father's life, it was a nice change of pace from the parking lot view at the Hampton Inn Provo.

The best part of staying at a Sheraton is that they have Club Lounges that you can access for free as an SPG Platinum. There you can get mid-afternoon snacks and beverages as well as take breakfasts in the mornings.

 

  

As mentioned in another post, we left Saturday morning to head over to Park City to check out that scene for a night. But on Monday, April 14th, my father returned to Salt Lake City to sleep there before his flight home the next day. This time, he was traveling solo and could take advantage of the upgrade to the Loft Suite.

Unlike the Tower rooms, the Loft Suites were a longer walk to the other end of the 2 story building that overlooked the inner courtyard. But the additional hassle was worth it when my father opened the door to the spacious livingroom area.

Then he looked up to see the elevated loft where his bedroom would be. The room would have been perfect for my mother and me to stay with my father, but less convenient for two friends since one person would have to take the pull out couch.

But chances are, if my father had to share the room, he would have taken the downstairs couch, because despite being a frequent flyer, he's actually afraid of heights. What a wimp!