Lodging ideas for family trip to Utah in January.

[akjen]

We're planning a weeklong trip to the Park City area in January, and we're trying to figure out where to stay, which ski areas to visit (Deer Valley definitely), etc. We're fairly advanced skiers and we have 2 kids (ages 5 and 6) who are comfortable skiing blues and blacks (sometimes more comfortable than my hubby or me!). Any suggestions?

 

[corduroyslut]

whitefish, montana

Hi all, would love to hear from any that have skiied whitefish and what your experience was like there as far as trail quality and general vibe goes. Am planning a trip there in January...

 

[Gloria]

We're planning a weeklong trip to the Park City area in January, and we're trying to figure out where to stay, which ski areas to visit (Deer Valley definitely), etc. We're fairly advanced skiers and we have 2 kids (ages 5 and 6) who are comfortable skiing blues and blacks (sometimes more comfortable than my hubby or me!). Any suggestions?

https://www.allseasonsresortlodging.com/

Is who we rent from condos in all price ranges. I'll let some of the locals chime in on the skiing end of things.

 

[Christy]

With a whole week you have time to ski all 3 areas, then hit up your favorite multiple times if you want. As for lodging, maybe first decide if you want something slopeside or if you'd prefer to be in town?

 

[akjen]

Gloria - thx for the site recommendation. I'll definitely be looking into some of the places.

Christy - I think we'd prefer slopeside, but would be happy in-town too. How easy/convenient is it to take the free shuttle? And how far are Deer Valley and the Canyons from town?

Jen

 

[marzNC]

Jen,

Just finished researching VRBO for condos or houses in SLC for a trip in early Feb. Was looking at 2BR/2BA to 3BR/2BA, generally for 6-8 people. The prices ranged from $900-1800. Let me know if you would like to see the details for those I contacted.

The VRBO listings for SLC usually say about 30 minutes to Park City.

I've stayed at Alta Lodge for my recent trips. But this time we are looking to check out Powder Mountain and the Big Cottonwood areas, so plan to have a 4WD and go exploring. In comparison to lodging, the car is going to be the relatively expensive part. Looked like $450 for a small SUV.

 

[Slidergirl]

Gloria - thx for the site recommendation. I'll definitely be looking into some of the places.

Christy - I think we'd prefer slopeside, but would be happy in-town too. How easy/convenient is it to take the free shuttle? And how far are Deer Valley and the Canyons from town?

Jen

Our Park City bus service is free. Depending on where you are, you could have multiple choices of lines to get to where you want. If nothing else, the lines hit each stop at least once every 30 minutes. I'm not a frequent bus rider, but for guests to town, it really is a good way to go. The busses stop at all 3 ski areas, as well as our downtown "Main Street" and outlying neighborhoods. The areas that are not on the bus routes are largely local residential, but are still within a 10 minute walk to a stop.
Unless you are a Marriott person, I'll say that condos are the way to go in Park City. Slopeside at Deer Valley will cost you dearly. The Marriott has the slopeside hotel at Park City Mountain Resort, and there are some condos in the Plaza buildings. At The Canyons, I can't really call anything "slopeside", but they are adjacent to the Plaza there.
From Main Street Park City, you are right at PCMR via the Town Lift on Main, or a 5 minute bus ride down Park Ave to Empire Ave. You are a 5 minute bus ride to the Snow Park area of Deer Valley and maybe 10 minutes up the hill to the Silverlake area. For The Canyons, you are about a 10 minute bus ride (5 miles) out of town. I live on the other side of the Interstate and it takes me about 15 minutes to get to work at PCMR. So, everyplace in Park City and the Snyderville Basin (the area between the Interstate and the town limits) is within easy reach.

 

[Gloria]

At The Canyons, I can't really call anything "slopeside", but they are adjacent to the Plaza there.
.

Bear Hollow? IIRC. These are a pretty good deal and convenient location.

 

[akjen]

MarzNC - We're hoping to stay in Park City this trip since we'll be targeting the 3 ski resorts there (will need to do another trip for Alta, Snowbird...). With 2 young kids, convenience is key.

Slidergirl - Thanks for all the info on the town. It looks like everything is so close, that slopeside doesn't matter too much. And I think we'll probably go the condo route...

 

[Slidergirl]

Bear Hollow is one of the little subdivisions out in the Snyderville Basin. It's a mix of residential and nightly rentals. It would be a little like my commute - 10 minutes to PCMR, 15 minutes to Deer Valley,maybe 5 minutes to The Canyons. One thing - if you stay out there, I would recommend a vehicle. The bus service out in the Basin is not as frequent as in-town, and you have a walk to the bus stop (the bus stop is down on the highway - it doesn't go into the subdivision).

 

[Slidergirl]

I just saw that you are going to have 2 young kids with you. If you want to put them into programs part of the time (so you have ski time to yourself), definitely go to the Park City Mt. Resort website and check out the Signature programs. I know people are already making reservations for their kids - our phones are busy in the ticket office. Deer Valley also has a great kid's program that you should look at on their site. I'm not familiar with what The Canyons offers, but I'd look there, too.

Just a reminder about vehicle rentals: having a 4WD does not make you invincible on the highway! Every day on a snowy day, I drive past lots of 4WDs that have skidded off the road!

 

[marzNC]

Just a reminder about vehicle rentals: having a 4WD does not make you invincible on the highway! Every day on a snowy day, I drive past lots of 4WDs that have skidded off the road!

Any suggestion for renting a 4WD? Is there a local company worth considering over the ones onsite at the airport? Thanks!

 

[Slidergirl]

Any suggestion for renting a 4WD? Is there a local company worth considering over the ones onsite at the airport? Thanks!

Honestly, I don't know of any local companies.
If you aren't familiar with driving an SUV, you might want to try one out locally for a day, just to get a feel for it. Sometimes, the higher-up feel takes a little getting used to and the SUVs take longer to stop than a "regular" car.

 

[akjen]

Just a reminder about vehicle rentals: having a 4WD does not make you invincible on the highway! Every day on a snowy day, I drive past lots of 4WDs that have skidded off the road!

I agree - we got a bunch of new snow the other night, and I passed 3 flipped SUVs (as well as a couple more, right side up, in the ditches) within a mile. I have 4WD AND studded tires, and I was still sliding...

I'll have to check out the kids' programs too. It'd be nice to have a skiing day for just the hubby and I.

 

[SueBobTexas]

We got a great deal from Vacation Roost for our trip in January. We will be there the 12-16th. Here is the information:


Below are your instructions for check-in/check-out times and procedures. For your convenience we have also added a link to our Terms and Conditions.
If you have any questions regarding your booking please call 1-877-972-1311 to talk with your agent or send an email to [email protected] and they will get back to you promptly.
Thanks and have a great day.

Reservation Information
Reservation #: XXXXXXX
Destination: Park City
Travel Dates: 1/12 - 1/16
Number of Adults: 6 Number of Children: 0
Cost Breakdown
Lodging: $2,824.00
Lodging Taxes And Fees: $447.60
Vacation Services: $1,396.15
Discount: -$1,308.64
Total: $3,359.11
Payments Due To VacationRoost
Installment 1 - Due: 8/25/2010
Payee Name: XXXXXXX Amount: $1,205.28 Type: Credit Card
Installment 2 - Due: 11/13/2010
Payee Name: XXXXXX Amount: $2,153.83 Type: Credit Card

Reservation Instructions
Escala Lodges - 3BR/3BA
1/12/2011 - 1/16/2011

*PP* The Canyons Resort Lodging - UT -
4000 Canyons Resort Drive/PO Box 982197

Check-in Instructions:
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 10:00 AM
Front Desk Hours: 24 hours
Directions from Salt Lake International Airport
• From the airport take I-80 East through Salt Lake City. ( I-80 merges with I-15 )
• You will now follow I-80 East for about 15 – 20 minutes and take Exit #145 Kimball Junction / Park City.
• This exit is the main road that enters Park City and The Canyons. You will be on SR-224.
• Follow 224 for two miles from the exit and take a right at the stop light on to The Canyons Resort Drive.
• Continue a short distance up to The Canyons.
• Follow The Canyons Resort Drive to your destination.
For questions or emergencies during business hours, please call our office at 800-754-9378. For emergencies after hours, please call 888-276-7160.
After hours emergency phone #: 1-888-276-7160

Vacation Services
Supplier: Deer Valley ® Resort
Quantity: 5
Confirmation #: To be confirmed
Description: Adult Lift Ticket - [1 of 1]
Fullfillment text: Snowboarding is not permitted at Deer Valley Resort! You can pick up your pre-purchased Deer Valley lift tickets at the Will Call ticket booth located at the Snow Park Lodge base area of Deer Valley Resort. They will be cross-referenced with your name and Mountain Reservations. A photo ID is required. Deer Valley limits the total number of skiers on the mountain each day. Deer Valley historically reaches capacity during holiday periods and on some Saturdays throughout the season. Therefore Mountain Reservations highly recommends reserving your specific skier days with our office at the time of booking, so that we can make those reservations prior to your arrival and have your lift tickets at Will Call. *Lift tickets ARE guaranteed for date(s) specified on our Resort order form should Deer Valley reach capacity* If you do NOT reserve specific skier days, you will be issued ONLY a generic lift ticket voucher by Deer Valley. Official Deer Valley lift vouchers do NOT guarantee lift access on the day of skiing if the resort reaches capacity. In order to guarantee a lift ticket with such a voucher during high season the guest should exchange their voucher at a ticket window between 3 - 5 PM the day before.

Supplier: The Canyons Resort
Quantity: 5
Confirmation #: To be confirmed
Description: Adult Lift Ticket - [2 of 7]
Fullfillment text: Your pre-purchased lift tickets will be held at The Canyons Resort lift ticket office. Tickets will be held under the group leaders name. They will be cross-referenced under the Mountain Reservations account. A photo ID is required.

Supplier: *PP*Quicksilver Private Transportation
Quantity: 1
Confirmation #: To be confirmed
Description: Private airport shuttle service in a Suburban for 1 to 6 Passengers to/from Park City/Deer Valley/The Canyons [1 day(s)]
Fullfillment text: Please call Quicksilver at (435) 645 7845 upon arrival at Salt Lake City International Airport to coordinate your pick-up with your driver. Rate does NOT include gratuity for your driver. Please also call Quicksilver(435 645 7845) 24 hours prior to return trip to the airport to reconfirm your pick-up schedule.

 

[Slidergirl]

It sounds like you got a very nice place to stay. Escala Lodges is a relatively new place. Hyatt has just taken over management of it. It isn't a hotel, but Hyatt is going to add some amenities to it.

I hope you have a totally enjoyable time here in my hometown.

 

[SueBobTexas]

We saw some of the construction around it last year - like they were finishing out the units. The whole base area looks like they are investing a lot of money. Last year we rented a condo about two miles away from a private owner that I found on Craigslist. It was a nice unit but this year we needed a three bedroom and were able to negotiate a great price. We have definately gone towards condo's and away from hotels - we like the flexability in the mornings for breakfast.

We looked at Deer Valley but with just a four night stay it was more difficult to find a place and more expensive.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar?

 

[Slidergirl]

We saw some of the construction around it last year - like they were finishing out the units. The whole base area looks like they are investing a lot of money. Last year we rented a condo about two miles away from a private owner that I found on Craigslist. It was a nice unit but this year we needed a three bedroom and were able to negotiate a great price. We have definately gone towards condo's and away from hotels - we like the flexability in the mornings for breakfast.

We looked at Deer Valley but with just a four night stay it was more difficult to find a place and more expensive.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar?

Let's see...
Out in the Basin (between the Interstate and The Canyons), I like:
Cafe Rio - fast mexican food, but good stuff.
Loco Lizard - sit down Mexican food. Some surprises in the Mexican food, not just tacos, burritos, enchiladas.
Maxwell's - bar and Italian food. Darn good pizza!

In town:
Squatter's Roadhouse - good variety of menu items so it's easy to please a family. And, fresh locally brewed beer that has won awards all over the place.
The GrubStake - in Prospector Square area. A decent steakhouse that is reasonably priced. Good steaks, good salad bar, good desserts (yummy bread pudding).
Bangkok Thai on Main - Actually really good Thai food. An award-winning wine cellar to go with the Thai food.
Nacho Mamas - in Prospector Square area. Good Southwestern Mexican food. Hefty portions at a good price. It's a small place, but when I still lived in town, I'd eat there once a week.
Shabu - on Main Street. Asian fusion food. Fantastic sake martinis!!!
Any of the Deer Valley restaurants...
Red Rock - out by the Interstate in Redstone shopping area. It's a brewpub. Again, good beer and a decent selection of things to please a family. Cold Stone ice cream is across the street.

This is what I thought of right now. I don't get out to eat much anymore, but when I have friends over, these are where we go.

 

[akjen]

We decided to rent a condo at Newpark. It's 2bd/2ba + loft for $265/night. Even though it's not ski-in/ski-out, it'll be convenient for us as a family with young kids...

Slidergirl: Question about PCMR's kids programs: I have a 5yo son who skis blues and blacks comfortably. On the website, the signature 3 superstars program says something about ski lessons only, green terrain. Would he be bored?
Thanks for all your restaurant recs!

 

[Slidergirl]

I think he might be bored in the Sig. 3. Give PCMR a call, ask for the children's program people. Tell them that your 5 year old is past the green stage. See what they can offer. I'm sure that you would not be the first parent with this problem.

You picked a good place to stay in Newpark. It is it's own little mini-town in conjunction with Redstone. Several restaurants, markets, a bowling alley, theaters. If you want to grab some food for your condo, there is a Smith's supermarket and a Whole Foods market.