Park City is a mountain town with the spirit of an American metropolis. While restaurants and hotels in this northern Utah city are on par with venues in bigger markets, Park City still manages to maintain the quaint charm of a happy little hamlet. It’s a best-of-both-worlds combo that ensures world-class hospitality and cuisine, juxtaposed with an all-natural backdrop of pristine peaks and sublime nature. It’s the rare city where you can lose yourself in the mountains by day, and then literally ski directly up to an après-ski lodge or farm-to-table eatery. From idyllic slope-side inns to wood-fired dining on postcard-perfect Main Street, these are the gems that make Park City a singular American destination.
Peerless Park City Lodging
Sprawling luxury, stunning architecture and above-and-beyond hospitality make Park City’s lodges look more like Disney castles than hotels. Fantasy places like Stein Eriksen Lodge, the Waldorf Astoria Park City and the Grand Summit Hotel far exceed standard hotel expectations, ascending to new levels of opulence entirely. Seemingly every lodge in Park City feels like a full-blown town in and of itself, outfitted with on-site restaurants, shops, cafes and spas, with easy — or direct — access to slopes and trails for skiing, snowboarding and hiking. In a lot of ways, these mountainside lodges perfectly exemplify the Park City spirit, immersing modern luxuries in the region’s natural wonders.
The Stein Eriksen Lodge
The Stein Eriksen Lodge, named for a Norwegian Olympic Gold Medal skier, is like an elegant European chalet amidst Utah’s world-renowned mountains. Consistently among the hightest rated hotels in the country and complete with a world-class spa, the property is the quintessential destination for après-ski traditions, fine dining and of course, upscale accommodations. With ski-in/ski-out access, it’s easily accessible for mountain-goers to pop in for some fireside wine, cocktails and snacks. The lodge also added an intimate movie theater to its amenities.
As with all its locations worldwide, the Hilton flagship luxury brand sets a standard for excellence at the Waldorf Astoria Park City. Near Canyons Village, nestled along the mountainside, the property feels like an extravagant hideaway.
It’s the kind of place you can hole up in and never want to leave, thanks to the sheer decadence of each and every room, including the two-level, four-bed suites. In addition to direct access to seasonal activities like golf, snowmobiling, skiing, hiking and horseback riding, the hotel sets itself apart with its “signature experiences.”
The Waldorf Astoria, Park City
These immersive options allow guests to venture out and explore Park City from a unique vantage point, whether it be via motorcycle rides through Uinta National Forest or behind-the-scenes tours and tastings at Park City Brewery. The resort also caters to families with children and to pet owners, offering in-room welcome packages for furry friends and indoor “camping” experiences for kids, complete with tents, stuffed animals, lanterns and story books.
While most resorts in Park City are tucked in the foothills, Main & Sky is unique for its location right on historic Main Street. An iconic all-American thoroughfare lined with indie boutiques, saloons, theaters and restaurants, this is the heart and soul of Park City. Due to the restricted size of the street, however, lodging options are limited.
In contrast with castle-sized resorts nearby, Main & Sky packs all of its grandeur into just 33 suites and penthouses, many with balconies offering prime Main Street views. If you have money to burn, the three-bedroom penthouse is as regal as it gets: full kitchen, pool table, and outdoor hot tub.
A penthouse suite at Main & Sky
Be warned: this kind of luxury is all too easy to get used to. There’s also a spa and a soulful, locally sourced restaurant called Coal & Lumber.
Fresh off a multi-million dollar renovation, Grand Summit Hotel in Canyons Village is ready for its closeup. Here, at the foot of Park City Mountain, you’ll find an ornate facility filled with suites and majestic vistas. Beyond the stunning surface, though, the hotel brings the decadence with a huge heated outdoor pool, hot tubs, health club, ski-in/ski-out access, chef-driven restaurants and immediate access to a slew of slopes. Lifts whisk skiers up to moderate slopes, while a sleek “orange bubble” express route, a fully-enclosed and temperature-controlled tram, takes more experienced visitors up to the steeper peaks. In the summer, crowds can take advantage of hiking trails, mountain bikes, zip lines and alpine coasters.
A thriving dining scene
Park City’s international reputation is largely hinged on ski slopes and movie festivals, but the town’s restaurant scene is rapidly on the rise as well. For a place with only a few thousand year round residents, the ratio of high-quality restaurants per capita is astonishing. And Main Street is A veritable Restaurant Row.
The Mustang
Be sure and book a meal at The Mustang, a Main Street mainstay helmed by an owner and chef duo who met while working together at the inimitable Stein Eriksen Lodge. Their attention to hospitality and quality is evident in the friendly service, artful ambience and menu, which toes the line between locally sourced ingredients and global inspirations. It’s the kind of place where fried Utah goat cheese and local trout share menu space with shrimp potstickers, duck chile rellenos and Chilean sea bass with lemon beurre blanc.
Decked out with enough internationally sourced artifacts, Turkish chandeliers and Shanghai-inspired paraphernalia to constitute a museum, Wahso is one of the most striking dining destinations on Main Street’s restaurant-packed strip. The restaurant hails from prolific local restaurateur Bill White, the man behind other Park City hits like Ghidotti’s and Chimayo. Wahso dives deep into contemporary pan-Asian cookery with dishes like crispy Brussels sprouts with gochujang mayo, larb duck lettuce wraps, Wagyu pho and caramelized Japanese eggplant with yuzu-cardamom coconut milk.
Pork buns at Wahso
You can’t stroll down Main Street and not stop in at The Spur for a shotski. The infamous mountain town pastime, wherein groups do simultaneous shots off a ski, is best ordered at this timeworn saloon, which packs the house for nightly live music, dueling pianos, eclectic comfort food and cocktails made with local spirits.
You’d be remiss not to follow the aroma of wood-burning ovens down Main Street to Firewood, a sleek and stylish haunt from acclaimed chef John Murcko. As the name suggests, the centerpiece of the restaurant is the wood-fired kitchen, which utilizes an array of different woods to imbue specific flavors and aromas into hearty, seasonal dishes. This includes smoked duck breast with grapes and mostarda, coal-roasted beets with cinnamon-sherry vinaigrette and blue cheese, juniper-spiced elk loin with parsnips and cauliflower cream and bronzini with artichokes and caper pesto. Don’t miss the Nickel Bar downstairs, a casual nook more focused on snacking and sipping, with items like empanadas, burrata and excellent cocktails that mimic the kitchen’s ethos in terms of fragrance and complexity.