Growing up as a New Yorker that never skied, my knowledge of the state of Utah was limited at best. Sure, I watched the 2002 Olympics, knew that Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival is where a lot of great movies premiere, had seen plenty of Utah Jazz games on television, and caught The Book Of Mormon on Broadway; later research would teach me that music videos I had caught many times by Jon Bon Jovi, Metallica, Katy Perry and Tiffany were all filmed in the state. However, I didn’t knowingly have any friends or family members that had been there.
When the opportunity came to travel to Park City, Utah — thanks in large part to the support of the promotional teams of Deer Valley Resort, UGG, NordicTrack, Montage Deer Valley, Marmot, High West, iFit, CeraVe, Clif Bar, Hearth & Hill, Smith, Swiftwick, the St. Regis Deer Valley and the Stein Eriksen Lodge — I jumped at the chance. 35 minutes by car from Salt Lake City International Airport (a hub of Delta Airlines, with direct flights to New York, London, Paris and Amsterdam), Park City’s population is well under 10,000 residents. However, the Sundance Film Festival alone regularly brings tens of thousands of people into the city. Forbes Traveler Magazine has it voted as one of the 20 “prettiest towns,” also voting it one of its “16 Top Destinations.
As one of the world’s premier skiing destinations, Park City had its first ski lift installed in 1946. Combined with what many call “the Greatest Snow On Earth,” Park City has two major ski resorts in the Deer Valley area. While ski season generally lasts from November through April, there is plenty to do outdoors year-round in Park City. Hiking and mountain biking are two of the more popular activities, which Deer Valley Resort and Park City both cater to. And as it turns out, aside from California, more visitors come to Park City from New York than anywhere else in the U.S.
In February 2020, I had the pleasure of staying a few nights at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. Four prestigious entities within its parent company, the Stein Collection, have been named Forbes Travel Guide Star award-winners. Both The Spa at Stein Eriksen Lodge and the Lodge once again earned the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award in 2019, making the property the only Forbes Five-Star hotel and spa in the state of Utah. Additionally, The Chateaux Deer Valley and Glitretind Restaurant at Stein Eriksen Lodge have again garnered the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award.
Should you visit Park City anytime soon, below are 10 “must-visit” spots in town:
Beyond its beautiful hotel rooms and aforementioned on-site dining and spa, the Stein Eriksen Lodge has an excellent outdoor pool and a modern fitness center. But my favorite on-site amenity is its Champions Club. Billed as “3,500 square feet of new entertainment,” the Champions Club features a variety of high-tech and old-school games. Pinball, skeeball, arcade games… I spent many hours at this spot, which also offers seated bar service and casual food options.
The Montage is a hotel resort featuring Utah’s largest spa, as spread out over 35,000 square-feet. Offering more than just treatment rooms for world-class spa treatments, Spa Montage also includes an indoor mosaic lap pool, an outdoor hot tub, his and hers relaxation rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and space for guests to meditate. Spa Montage is located in the midst of mountains, offering a beautiful view from every angle. Spa aside, I had the pleasure of dining at its signature restaurant, Apex, which offers classic continental cuisine in an unforgettable mountain setting. The restaurant transforms into Apex Steak for the dinner portion of the evening, offering a modern interpretation of the American steakhouse to its diners.
As situated on Main Street, the Egyptian was opened in 1926. It was built with a stage with Vaudeville performers in mind but was primarily used as a movie house in its early days. Unsurprisingly, it has movie theater vibes to it yet also a full stage, giving you an amazingly-intimate setting that makes it ideal to see a great band, singer/songwriter or small-scale theatrical production.
I had the pleasure of seeing singer/songwriter Howard Jones perform at the Egyptian while visiting Park City. Jones performed an unprecedented 10-show residency at the venue, with bassist Nick Beggs (writer of Kajagoogoo’s “Too Shy”) and guitarist Robin Boult in tow. Jones is currently touring in support of the 2019 album Transform, which he featured beyond hits like “Things Can Only Get Better” and “What Is Love.” Simply put, an excellent performance in one of the coolest theaters I have ever seen a show at.
Also on Main Street is the High West Saloon. Open seven days a week from 11:00 AM through 9:00 PM, High West was Utah’s first distillery — as opened in the 1870s — and is the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world. In other words, you can hop off the Quittin’ Time ski run and come in for some food and drinks. Almost needless to say, but High West’s made-in-house whiskey and vodka are the real deal, although they are only the start of what is offered from behind the bar. The eatery’s self-described “high country cuisine” includes a Charcuterie Board, a Cheese Board, and plenty of other items that you would expect from a high-end establishment with liquor. High West also has a fun General Store, which not only offers its spirits in packaging that is easy to pack into a suitcase, but also books, shirts, postcards and other take-away items.
The St. Regis Deer Valley is not just a luxury-oriented, pet-friendly, mountainside resort hotel in Park City. It features the only “Funcular” in North America, which transports hotel guests to the top of the slopes and/or to visit its private ski beach. For those who do not ski, like yours truly, the St. Regis — which famously originated the Bloody Mary at its King Cole Bar in New York — features three onsite restaurants. I had the pleasure of dining at RIME, which has a menu rooted in coastal-influenced seafood. Definitely the best seafood I have ever had in a non-coastal city. And interestingly, RIME recently opened up its satellite RIME Raw Bar at the top of the Jordanelle ski run; the Raw Bar is ski-in/ski-out and also accessible by foot via the Jordanelle Gondola.
The Waldorf Astoria was a New York City Midtown staple until its February 2017 closing as a hotel, only not everyone realizes that the Waldorf Astoria still has beautiful hotels in many major cities. The Waldorf Astoria Park City includes a full-scale spa for hotel guests and locals alike. In addition to its spa treatments, the Waldorf’s spa includes a hair and nail salon. Visitors may also use its fitness center — which has an option of personal training — and its outdoor pool and two hot tubs. After a treatment, a visit to Powder in the lobby is worth considering. Another pet-friendly hotel — which is why many have referred to Park City as “Bark City” — the Waldorf also has a canine greeter, Sammy, a mini Australian Shepherd / Border Collie mix.
Located in Silver Lake Village, The Mariposa opened almost 30 years ago. Rated #1 for food and service in Utah by Zagat, The Mariposa is considered the premier evening restaurant of Deer Valley, as only open for dinner. Distinct about The Mariposa, beyond its excellent food and hands-on servers, is that all of its plates include tapas-style portions; its menu suggests guests to order at least four items to feel satisfied. The Mariposa also offers gluten-free and vegetarian menus.
The Farm Restaurant, as located in Park City’s Canyons Village, was named “Best New Restaurant” in Utah in 2012 by Salt Lake Magazine; the same publication called it one of “Utah’s 25 Best Restaurants” in 2015. The Farm’s cuisine can best be described as “fresh,” since its ingredients are local and/or sustainable and its menu items are made from scratch. The Farm’s menu also includes wines from over 450 hand-picked vineyards, ensuring that restaurant devotees will always have something new to try.
Part of Park City’s Main Street strip, The Riverhorse On Main is not only a AAA Four Diamond establishment, but also a Forbes Four Star spot, an OpenTable Diners’ Choice winner for 2016, and a DiRōNA honoree since 1995; fewer than 800 restaurants earn the DiRōNA honor, while Forbes only made 183 Four-Star recipients in 2013. The dining area where I experienced brunch was a warm, glass-enclosed deck that overlooked Main Street, making for great people-watching; skiers on the nearby mountain could be seen easily as can people strolling down Main Street.
While many cities offer “Escape The Room” adventures — there is even one in my hometown of Long Beach, New York — the one just off of Main Street was especially unique. Titled “Mine Trap,” this challenge was themed around Park City and its history of miners. To escape the room, one must preferably be part of a group, as the hour-long challenge — less than an hour if you escape sooner — includes a mix of puzzles, trivia, physicality and common sense. Appropriate for team-building, group-hangs, and family functions alike, Escape Room Park City should make for fun for all ages.
Several miles away from the Main Street stretch is Utah Olympic Park. One of the key sites of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Utah Olympic Park includes a guided tour of the Comet Bobsled Ride; during this Sunday morning visit, the Skeleton World Cup Race was taking place. Also on the grounds of the park are the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum. Admission is free to both museums, while a guided tour will cost $10. The more adventurous visitors interested in the Winter Comet Bobsled can try such for $175.
Destinations aside, the aforementioned Sundance, the Park City area has plenty of popular recurring events. The Park City Food & Wine Festival runs annually in July. The Kimball Arts Festival takes place each year in August, as including the Park City Gallery Stroll. Mountain Town Music, a local non-profit, presents over 200 community concerts every year, not counting the annual Deer Valley Music Festival. The Thin Air Innovation Festival is a recurring think-tank conference. And that’s without factoring in the local parades, seasonal festivals, or live entertainment.
If there is one thing for a New Yorker to take note of before visiting Park City, it is that it is a city of high altitude. Many of the spots I visited were higher than 7,000 feet, which created some shortness of breath when walking around the Stein Eriksen Lodge property. But if you stay hydrated, avoid rushing, and focus on your breathing, you should be fully-acclimated by your third day; if not, just pick up some canned oxygen at a local store.
