Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown

I needed a hotel bed for seven hours before catching the bus to Park City, Utah for a few days hanging out around the Sundance Film Festival. Last week I visited several Salt Lake City Downtown hotels to check out their lobby and location. I knew precisely where several hotels with low prices are located in downtown SLC when I searched rates online. I debated between three hotels. Marriott had low prices, but this is the two week period between MegaBonus promotions, so that chain was out of consideration.

Sheraton Salt Lake City had the best rate at $79, but a one night stay earning 158 Starpoints is like a $4 rebate. SPG’s current Double Play promotion requires two nights for double points. Five nights earns 1,000 bonus points. I do not currently even have SPG Gold elite with only a few stays in 2014. The best feature of Sheraton is a hotel shuttle service for Salt Lake City Airport. My late arrival at 11:45pm meant I would miss the last shuttle at 11:30pm.

Hyatt Place SLC Downtown and Radisson Downtown were $89. These hotels do not operate airport shuttles. Hyatt Place would have earned 445 base points + 133 Diamond bonus points and 500 welcome amenity points for 1,078 points. That is about a $20 rebate value. Hyatt Place also would mean free breakfast. My promotion bonus for Hyatt is 5,000 points after five nights.

Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown was $89.10 on AAA rate. With my Club Carlson Gold elite status and Visa card payment, this hotel earned 47 points per dollar for 4,187 points. That is about a $20 rebate value.  Even better value when using a 2-for-1 award stay as a Club Carlson Visa card member with one night free on award stays. Club Carlson’s promotion also requires two nights for bonus points so my stay did not count for Extend Your Stay bonus points. The location of the Radisson Downtown is closer to the bus stop at 200 South and Main St. in front of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco for the Park City Connect public bus service by Utah Transit Authority. One way Salt Lake City to Park City is $4.50.

Express Shuttle of Utah from Salt Lake City Airport has a set shared van fee of $8.00 downtown and operates service at midnight. The only other passenger on the shuttle was also going to the Radisson Downtown.

Radisson SLC Downtown seen from Arena stadium where Utah Jazz play basketball. Hyatt Place Salt Lake City Downtown/The Gateway is one block left (north) from where photo was taken.

The Radisson is 15 floors. The front desk staffer at check-in asked me if I would like the top floor with two Queens or the 12th floor with one King. In the darkness, there did not seem to be much point in a higher floor. I went with the King bed. He also gave me a coupon for a free coffee in the morning.

I saw the hotel’s Copper Canyon restaurant and bar last week.

In need of a bed and not a drink, I was upstairs and under the covers in minutes. Of course, I snapped some room photos first.

I have to comment on this bed. This was the most comfortable hotel bed I have slept on in several months. Even better were the soft pillows. I loved this bed and regretted having to get out of it after less than six hours sleep.

There were several outlets on the desk for electronics, a coffee maker and a refrigerator with one bottle of water. Refilling that water bottle has kept me hydrated the past two days in Park City at 6,500 to 7,000 feet in elevation.

This was the first room I had walked into in Salt lake City that was not too hot for a January winter night.

The bathroom had a combination tub shower with a rain shower head.

I had a few spare minutes before leaving the hotel to photograph the pool and fitness center.

The pool room has the large pool with a hot tub to the left and sauna room to the right.

Sauna room.

Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown hot tub. The covered device is an ADA device required in hotels and public pools since January 31, 2013 by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The fitness center is in two separate areas separated by a corridor hallway.

After my quick trip through the fitness and pool area, I ordered my free cup of coffee in the lobby coffee shop, a separate little facility from Copper Canyon. With hot coffee and suitcase in hands, I walked three blocks to the SLC-Park City Connect bus stop and caught the 7:37am Sunday bus to Park City. Sundance was happening and like I read on a storefront in Manhattan a few years ago, “You can sleep when your dead.”