Due to the improved airlift into Salt Lake City from the East Coast, Park City, Utah has become a top choice for both winter ski vacations and spring/summer outdoor adventures. Park City, Utah is just a quick 35 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport and has both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort, as well as the Utah Olympic Park. Guests can enjoy a bucket list experience of a Bobsled ride or explore Park City from above through hot air balloon rides. Historic Main Street has been revived with restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries. It's one of the top upcoming destinations in the US for year round adventure options!
Deer Valley Mountain
Montage Deer Valley, 5 star, 220 Sleeping Rooms, ~12,000 Sq Feet Traditional Meeting Space
This property could be the perfect fit for your next incentive trip. The ski in/ski out property not only has the 5 star luxury you are looking for but also plenty of activities to do on site. For those looking for year-round swimming or relaxation, there is a large heated pool complex with hot tub outside facing the mountain along with one large spa with an indoor pool and hot tubs. Did we mention the hotel also has its own bowling alley??
Daly's Pub and Rec is a great spot for evening gatherings for groups as it offers a full service bar along with a 4 lane regulation bowling alley. There is everything from 5 star dining to Burgers & Bourbon right on property. Plus for those looking to head into Park City to explore the town and the ambulance of restaurants, bars, and shops there is a complimentary shuttle from the hotel.
The St. Regis might have the daily sabering of its champagne for apres ski on its terrace bar but the Montage has the seasonal Clicquot Apres-Ski Lounge which is a yurt located right on property for those who want to enjoy a glass of champagne after a long ski day. It's truly unique and a hit for an afternoon get together for a small group.
The rooms are elegantly decorated with gorgeous bathrooms and high end amenities. The Vista Lounge & Terrace is a great spot for groups to meet with both indoor and outdoor space. This is a large open space in the center of the property which allows for some great networking opportunities throughout the trip.
For those looking to also host a meeting, don't worry this property has plenty of meeting space to meet those needs. This could be a perfect option too for an off-season meetings event in May or October with generous rates for a 5 star experience but still plenty to do!
The only drawback is that due to the location on Deer Valley this is a Ski only property. Those who are looking to snowboard will need to be shuttled over to Park City for the day. There is a rental on-site outfitter who makes the process as smooth as possible from rentals to skiing.
Other activities offered in the area for the winter are ice skating, snowmobiling, alpine coaster, sleigh rides, dog sledding and powder park. In the summer you can mountain bike right outside the back door of the hotel, fly fishing, golf, horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, tennis, archery, and more. There is so much to do and it's all located either on property or a short distance away.
Compared to the other properties in the area this takes the cake for your next incentive trip. It combines the perfect balance of indoor and outdoor space along with those additional amenities sought by non-skiers.
The St. Regis Deer Valley, 5 star, 174 Sleeping Rooms, ~8,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space
Another 5 star option on Deer Valley, the St. Regis is a more intimate property with a large condo/private residence aspect to their hotel. If you choose to take the Funicular from the lower lodge at check-in, that experience provides the Wow factor from the moment you enter.
This hotel is truly luxury but presents a size challenge. For any mid sized group the only option for evening events on site is through the rental of a costly heated tent as the largest indoor space is only 2,800 square feet.
The spa is everything you need but small in comparison to the Montage across the mountain and some other 5 star ski hotels. There are plenty of treatment rooms but just limited water features within the spa. The outdoor terrace, where the traditional sabering takes place, is perfect for a small welcome reception or for guests to meet up for apres after a long day of skiing.
The rooms are well decorated in a more traditional lodge feel versus the Montage which was a more contemporary feel. The rooms are generously sized and the base rooms include a Juliet balcony and all rooms include the bonus of a fireplace. The large soaking tubs are perfect after a long day on the mountain, skiing or mountain biking.
Overall this is a good fit for a small sized (50 max rooms) incentive trip for a company looking for 5 star service with an exclusive feel. For those looking for more action and amenities, the Montage might be better for you. The St. Regis is true AAA five diamond refined luxury with five-star service.
Stein Ericksen, 4.5 star, 180 Guest Rooms, ~15,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space
For the company looking for more traditional and larger meeting space, Stein Ericksen lodge might be for you. The rooms at this unique lodge blow away the competition. The lodge luxury suites include a private terrace and hot tub and have anywhere from 1-5 bedrooms. Unlike many hotels, their suite product is a large portion of their inventory. For the cost of a basic room at the other 5 star hotels in Deer Valley you can book a 2 bedroom luxury suite at the Stein. The rooms are perfectly decorated for an outdoor mountain vacation. From the minute you walk in to the lobby you enjoy that lodge feel.
The layout is the only confusing part and downfall of this hotel. The restaurants and rooms are split between two sides of the property. Many people do not mind this layout but the walk between the lobby and restaurants did not feel natural. Also the communal space outside the restaurants need a renovation. The challenge the lodge faces is how to keep the authenticity of a traditional mountain lodge while also providing 5 star luxury experience. The restaurants have an amazing mountain view terrace but the inside space felt small due to low ceilings.
The hotel is undergoing an expansion which once complete will bring this hotel from a 4 star to 4.5 star. They have added a theater and coffee bar already to the space and currently underway with an additional pool area, pool lounge with food/beverages, and outdoor event space.
The spa is everything you need for an incentive trip with cold and warm plunge pools in the locker rooms and access to the new hotel pool right outside the door.
Overall the meeting space, rooms, and terrace views are a perfect fit. The property needs to upgrade some of the communal space and this will be a top contender for both meetings and incentive trips.
Park City Mountain
Unfortunately in general we felt as though the hotels in Park City lacked the 5 star experience in comparison to Deer Valley. Sadly most tech companies would prefer the Park City location as there is more to do in the evenings but the hotel options are limited to 3-4 star hotels. Keep in mind at Park City you can ski or snowboard and your ski pass allows access across the Park City ski mountains.
Hyatt Centric - 4 stars, 118 Sleeping Rooms, ~7500 Sq Feet Meeting Space
For a small group this was our favorite hotel in Park City especially with the ski in/ski out location right on the mountain. The largest challenge is the evening event space and the lack of a real gym.
The option of a buyout is also very interesting for this property but the challenge would be which space to use in the evening. If you could think outside the box you might be able to transform the newly designed ski chalet area or work with the hotel restaurant.
The rooms are beautiful decorated and designed. A recent renovation in 2017 was the perfect facelift to this property. They have some great large suite products for guests looking to interact as a group.
One thing to note, there is no spa on property. So for a non-skiing group looking for spa appointments they would need to be transferred off property.
There is a outdoor heated pool/hot tub on property but that is the extent of the amenities. The gym is a make-shift setup in what used to be a hallway.
Overall a great 4 star option for the ski focused group. Just keep in mind there is limited entertaining space.
Waldorf Astoria, 4 stars, 159 Sleeping Rooms, ~4,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space
This property shares some of the same issues as the Hyatt Centric in terms of size. The rooms at the Hyatt are nicer than the Waldorf as the Waldorf needs a renovation to update its décor/design in the rooms and hallways. But this property has the amenities in terms of pool and spa. Both were recently renovated and provide a great escape for those non-skiers or those skiers looking to relax after their day on the mountain.
This is not a traditional ski in/ski out but the lift is located a 30 second walk across the street and the bellman will even bring your skis over to make it as seamless as possible.
Overall a decent option for your next incentive skip trip but just know the rooms are a bit dated.
Westgate, 3.5 stars, ~488 Sleeping rooms, ~10,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space
The Westgate has the perfect size and location for your next incentive trip but is in need of a renovation to bring the standards up to a 4 star experience. The rooms are actually well decorated mountain lodge design, similar to Stein, but the hallways, pool area, and lobby need a facelift. The low ceilings in the hallways created a dark feel to the space.
Unlike the surrounding properties the Westgate had multiple pools, fitness center, and spa right on property. Plus there is plenty to do right out the back doors as there are additional shops and restaurants at the bottom of the lift. This is also not a traditional ski in/ski out but the hotel is located at the bottom of a lift only a 1 minute walk away.
The location for this property is the best of all and the number of sleeping rooms. Similar to others, they also run a daily shuttle into town for those looking for lunch, dinner or drinks off property.
Overall the size of the property is perfect for a larger incentive trip but at this point it would only be ideal for a lower budget event.
Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
As is standard practice, our group of talented and experienced travel agents will often accept hosted stay invitations and hosted dinners and activities within destination in order to facilitate more detailed reviews.
