SALT LAKE CITY
- By late 2012, visitors will be able to ride the new Utah Transit Authority Airport TRAX Line (www.rideuta.com) into the heart of downtown, a connection that will take 20 minutes to reach City Creek Center, the centerpiece of Salt Lake’s dynamic downtown urban renaissance.
- The 172-room Hilton Garden Inn Salt Lake City Airport (801.519.9000; www.hilton.com) opened in October. The property offers nearly 3,500 square feet of meeting space in five rooms.
- Offering 24,000 square feet of meeting and banquet rooms for up to 1,000 guests, Hilton Salt Lake City Center (801.328.2000; www3.hilton.com) is nearing completion on a multimillion- dollar enhancement and modernization of all 479 guest rooms and 20 suites.
- This September, Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City (801.595.0000; www.monaco-saltlakecity.com) unveiled its $5 million makeover. Aimed at meeting the needs of both leisure and business travelers, the complete transformation includes new interiors in all 225 rooms and suites and the remodeling of meeting and reception spaces.
- The 241-room DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City (801.359.7800; www.doubletree3.hilton.com) opened in July. Formerly the Embassy Suites Salt Lake City, the hotel features 6,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 3,666-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 440 guests.
- Operational as of this May, the 600,000 square-foot, 1.65-megawatt solar panel installation atop the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center (801.534.4777; www.saltpalace.com) is one of the largest roof-top solar panel installations in the U.S. and will provide 17 percent of the center’s annual power needs.
PARK CITY
- Valid through Dec. 25, 2012, the SunSensational Savings package at the five-star St. Regis Deer Valley (435.940.5700; www.stregisdeervalley.com) offers all guests a fourth night free when booking three nights, as well as a $50 daily breakfast credit. The first five-star branded hotel in Utah to offer meeting space, the 177-room property is also continuing its Ski Ambassador program from last year. Guests can book two-time Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke for full- or half-day ski tours, including down the resort’s ski run, where she won silver on moguls in 2002.
- Construction is expected to begin next spring on a $10 million building expansion project at the Kimball Art Center (435.649.8882; www.kimballartcenter.org). The new building, a half-twisted log cabin, will create larger galleries for the art exhibitions, a sunken theater for dance performances and a sculpture park located atop a grassy terrace.