09/13/09

Good by Utah Standards

by nospamatol

The people of Utah are rightly proud of this hotel as it is the best they have. That's not saying much. It has no serious competition in state. If you come in from the mountains or the desert for your honeymoon or other special event, it will bl*w your cowboy boots off. But if you are an experienced and informed traveler..... and if you have stayed at REAL 4 and 5 star hotels, this hotel is nice to look at and is built of fine materials, however.... you always have the feeling that they are trying too hard to clone the real thing. Amenities close early. Utahns are still uptight about liquor and s*x. These attitudes permeate your visit in and out of the hotel. The TV offerings are well-screened so as not to be offensive to the temple crowd. And the local gentry's attitude about all these things (including this review) would be: "So what? That's the way we are and if you don't like it, go somewhere else. We don't need your kind around these parts." So, Paris it is not.

As an example, the first time I tried to post this review, it was rejected because it contained the words "bl*w" as in "bl*w your socks off", and "s*x" (missing letter e). Pretty racey, eh?

But the Grand America isn't terrible as poseurs go. Be prepared to spend a lot of money for a paper-thin veneer of luxury and back-country service.

• Pros: Esthetics, freshness, location
• Cons: Parking, censorship, mediocre staff, so-so cuisine

07/30/08

Ok hotel in a city with not many choices

by jadenslc

I like to spend a romantic night with my wife someplace special once and a while and we tried out the Grand America. There aren't alot of choices in SLC or Utah for that matter, so with that said, this is probably your best bet. I splurged for a suite and was very disappointed. The shower was so tiny, the toilet room was bigger than the shower! Granted the bathrooms are nice and well done, but I can barely move in the tiny shower! The room was so/so, nothing horrible, nothing great. Not that I was there to watch tv, but they were in odd locations that made it difficult to see. The room with the bed was very tiny. Breakfast room service was HORRIBLE! I got an omelette, with some of the most disgusting cheese I've ever seen in my life, the fruit plate was so sad and small, and my wife's oatmeal looked disgusting. I never go out for breakfast when staying in a hotel, but I would rather drive 30 miles than eat their room service again.

06/21/08

Poor customer service

by slcbride

This hotel is beautiful - marble bathrooms, large open rooms, gorgeous wallcoverings, fabulous lighting, etc. However, their customer service leaves much to be desired. Their event planners are unfriendly and difficult to work with. Planning a party should be a happy and fun thing; when plans change, event planners need to realize that their job is to make one want to return and schedule an event again and encourage future clients to book these rooms. I found this not to be the case at this hotel and would not recommend it for events.

• Pros: Beautiful furnishings, wonderful rooms, great ambience
• Cons: Very Difficult to plan events