Why Here

Feb 2019- I attended a Marriott Vacation Club Promotion in West Palm Beach the year prior. I didn't end up buying the vacation share being sold, and because of this, they invited me to check out another property for a heavily discounted price. When I looked at the locations, a 2-bedroom villa in Park City sounded like a place I'd be interested in visiting. I wanted to go during peak ski season at the end of February, so this ended up costing me an extra $200, for a total of approximately $900-1000, for a 4-night trip. This trip without any promotion would likely have been three times as much. The place could accommodate 8 people, so I invited 4 friends and made this a girl's trip. 

Getting there

I flew Delta Airlines, ORD to SLC. On arrival, I knew one set of friends would be renting a car, so I decided to Uber from SLC airport to Park City. This took about 45 minutes in the late morning. I didn't have any of my own gear to tote around but don't worry if you do. The Ubers there give you the option to choose a vehicle that can carry your equipment. The city of Park City is quite small and gets very congested during peak season, so I would avoid having too many vehicles if you can avoid it. 

The Hotel

Marriott Mountainside

This was a great location near the slopes and allowed for ski-in/out access with adjacent equipment storage, free of charge. The hotel is also next to Park City Mountain, to purchase lift tickets (buying online is cheaper), lessons, or gear.

For those avid skiers, Park City Mountain is a part of EpicPass. The resort has daily scheduled activities for children and adults. 

There is also an outdoor pool and hot tubs that are heated to relax after a long day on the slopes.

The hotel itself does not have a restaurant (only a bodega-like market for simple groceries and food), but there are plenty of nearby restaurants within walking distance. 

What to do

Me snowboarding

It had been close to 10 years since the last time I'd seen a ski slope, so I opted to take a group lesson for beginners snowboarding (this is what I tried 10 years back on my first official ski trip in Vermont). Due to the abundance of instructors and me being the only person at my semi beginner level, it actually worked out that I had my own personal instructor for the day. I probably spent more time on my butt than skating down the slopes, but I had a fun time and got a perfect re-introduction into the foundations of snowboarding. Only one other friend came out that day, but she went skiing, so I essentially spent the day alone with my instructor except for my lunch break.

Explore Main Street to check out shops (familiar big names and boutiques), art galleries, restaurants, and bars. If you are a fan of whiskey, check out the High West Distillery Saloon. 

To pass some time, we decided on a last-minute Escape Room adventure (my first one) and stumbled upon a Banksy while looking for parking. 

My friends scheduled for a snowmobile trip on our last full day while I attended my mandatory presentation for the promotion. I didn't purchase the vacation ownership, but I did buy another discounted promotional trip, this time to Lake Tahoe, so stay tuned.

On my last day, a friend and I had a late afternoon flight, so we decided to explore Salt Lake City after checking out of the hotel. We really didn't explore much besides grabbing tacos for lunch and then checking out the Beer Bar next door (Ty Burrell's bar).

Park City Utah is almost 7000 feet above sea level. I didn't experience any altitude sickness, but this is high enough for some people to have symptoms, so take precautions. 

Drink plenty of water. Avoid too much alcohol, stay hydrated. Altitude sickness has similar symptoms of feeling hungover, so keep this in mind.