Salt Lake City, Utah, may be one of the most seriously underrated cities in the US for an extended family vacation, a flying visit, or a weekend getaway with the kids.
This is a shame – not only are there plenty of great things to see and do in and around Salt Lake City (or SLC, as some locals call it), but it’s arguably one of the most picturesque cities in the country!
As Utah’s biggest, most populous city, the seat of Salk Lake County, and the state capital of Utah, it’s no surprise Salt Lake City gets its fair share of visitors. But it ain’t all work and no play; Utah is home to some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery, stunning national and state parks, and fascinating landmarks.
Believe it or not, Salt Lake City is one of the most popular tourist sites in Utah, with plenty to keep visitors entertained in downtown Salt Lake City, as well as easy access to more adventurous activities such as skiing and snowboarding, exploring hiking trails around the city and fishing in the Great Salt Lake.
That’s just a taste of the treasure trove of things you can get up to in this neck of the woods, and if you’re planning to visit with the family, you’ll need a place to stay.
Well, fearless traveler, as a reward for your curiosity, I have compiled a list of the best Salt Lake City hotels for families to help plan accommodations for your visit. Read on for some of the best hotels in Salt Lake City!
Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Salt Lake City, Utah
1. Grand America Hotel
555 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, United States
Google “best hotel Salt Lake City” and this one literally comes at the top of the list. You may want to stop reading here, as the Grand America Hotel is arguably the nicest hotel in Salt Lake City, a veritable champion among Salt Lake City luxury hotels, and one of only two 5-star hotels in Salt Lake City.
Conveniently located downtown, 5 minutes from Salt Lake City Airport, and within walking distance of great bars, restaurants, retailers, and attractions, this magnificent luxury hotel is the ideal place if you want to visit the city in style.
This all-inclusive hotel has all the excellent facilities you could possibly want or need for a luxury stay, including on-site retail areas, a business center, a fitness center, superb dining options, and other amenities. It’s also a haven for families with kids!
They can enjoy the indoor swimming pool or the excellent outdoor pool, get some sweet treats from La Bonne Vie Sweet Shop, or find treasures at the jaw-dropping JouJou toy store.
JouJou has to be the highlight of you’re visiting with kids, or maybe even without – trust me, one step inside this magical place and you’ll be transported back to childhood with its blend of vintage and modern toys, interactive displays, and Roald Dahl-esque decor.
A kid’s paradise this hotel may be, but it’s still a serious luxury hotel, ideal for a romantic getaway. Grand America Hotel has spacious, elegant rooms with large windows and marble bathrooms. There is complimentary wireless internet, 24-hour room service, on-site parking, a bar and restaurant and a decadent spa to rejuvenate in.
2. Courtyard by Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown
345 West 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
Courtyard by Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown is also located in downtown Salt Lake City, conveniently located near key downtown attractions such as the Salt Palace Convention Center, Temple Square, the Family History Library, and Vivint Arena.
Guest rooms feature a crisp modern design and come with a microwave, work desk, flatscreen TV, free wi-fi, and a chic bathroom with bath and/or shower and a hairdryer. If you’re bringing the family, larger rooms come with seating areas and sofa beds.
You can even bring the furry members of your family, as this Salt Lake Marriott Downtown hotel is pet-friendly! In fact, the hotel gets pretty good reviews when it comes to their friendly staff in general. You can always ask for assistance at the 24-hour front desk.
Other amenities include room service, an on-site restaurant and bar, a business center, a hot tub, an indoor pool, and a fitness room loaded with weight machines and cardio equipment. There’s also a nice terrace to enjoy and a dedicated barbecue spot if you want to do some grilling!
3. SpringHill Suites by Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown
Another Salt Lake Marriott Downtown entry, SpringHill Suites is another crisp, modern, and inviting accommodation for families with kids and business travelers alike.
Convenience is a priority at this hotel, located in the heart of the city center, near Temple Square, the main campus for the University of Utah and Vivint Arena. The hotel also offers a free shuttle service from Salt Lake City Airport.
Among the top on-site amenities, you can make use of the hotel’s fitness center, indoor pool, and hot tub. There’s also a convenience store for snacks, drinks, and sundries, as well as an in-house laundrette in case your kids (or you) have a laundry emergency! Did I mention there’s free parking?
The hotel rooms feature a warm, sophisticated aesthetic, with roomy family suites available. All suites are equipped with complimentary high-speed internet, cable TV, a microwave, a mini-fridge, and tea and coffee-making equipment. Guest reviews about the comfy beds are glowing!
They also speak well of the continental buffet breakfast offered to guests at the SpringHill Suites’ restaurant, as well as evening meals you can sample. Then, at the end of the day, enjoy a nightcap on the terrace.
See Related: Best Places to Travel in Your 20s in the US
4. Marriot Salt Lake Downtown City Creek
75 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
One of the main tourists draws for Salt lake city, apart from the history, the scenery, the winter sports, and watching the Utah Jazz just slay it, is the shopping. Ever heard of City Creek Center? It’s the premier retail destination in Salt Lake City center, home to “world-class shopping and dining” experiences!
Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek is one of two Marriot hotels within a stone’s throw of this marvelous mall, as well as having easy access to Salt Palace Convention Center, Temple Square, and the ski slopes just outside the city.
The decor of this place drips with cool, with fabulous common areas to chill and read or play card games with the kids. Guest reviews speak highly of the superb onsite restaurant, Salt Stone, the uber-cool bar, Destinations Lounge, and the friendly, helpful staff.
This place is great for groups. Business travelers can make use of the business center, and the hotel can host all manner of events in one of its various event rooms, everything from kids’ birthdays to school proms, to business meetings, to gaudy weddings.
While there is no complimentary breakfast, other on-site amenities include private parking, a fitness room, and a 24-hour front desk where room service is available.
Rooms follow the modern flair typical of other Marriots in this list, with larger rooms offering seating areas and balconies that afford amazing views of downtown Salt Lake City.
Each room comes with free wi-fi, a TV with cable channels, and tea and coffee-making facilities. Every room has a private bathroom equipped with a bath and/or shower, with a hairdryer and free toiletries.
5. Salt Lake City Marriott City Center
220 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, United States
You thought Marriot’s reign of nice hotels in Salt Lake City was over? Hah! I did say there was another Marriot with great access to City Creek Center and all the other brilliant tourist attractions you can enjoy in Salt Lake City, such as Discovery Gateway children’s museum, Vivint Arena, and the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Marriot Salt Lake City Center is a 4-star hotel luxury hotel that blends old world-class with modern chic and top-notch assistance from the concierge. The rooms are to die for at Salt Lake Marriot City Center, with handsome modern wood flooring, furniture, and accents and deluxe marble bathrooms with complimentary terry cloth bathrobes. Rooms feature free wi-fi, coffee makers, large wall-mounted TVs, fridges, and in-room safes as standard.
Make use of the business center, the exceptional on-site fitness center, events rooms for meetings, greetings, and parties, and then slurp cocktails and mocktails by the amazing indoor pool and hot tub, with insane views of downtown Salt lake city from literal floor to ceiling large windows!
Guests can enjoy great food at Piastra, a wonderful on-site Italian restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner services. Breakfast comes in an American and continental buffet, and comes highly rated! After dinner, adults can then sample some house cocktails at the cozy Club Piastra next door.
6. Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square
122 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel is a well-known, independently owned family hotel in the beating heart of downtown Salt Lake City, offering good rates on family bookings, $10 a day parking, and easy access to Salt Lake City Airport.
It’s next door to the Genealogy Library, and just a hop, skip, and a jump from Temple Square, City Creek, and the very best of downtown salt lake city’s nightlife. The clean and comfortable guest rooms in Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square feature complimentary wi-fi, a fridge, microwave, tea, and a coffee-making kit, a work desk, a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, a safe, and cable TV. Larger family rooms come with additional seating and dining areas, as well as rollaway, and cribs available on request.
The hotel offers a lot of bang for your buck with on-site concierge service, a comprehensive library, a seasonal outdoor pool, a great fitness center, a business and event center, guest and valet laundry services, and a one-of-a-kind western theme gift shop with snack bar the kids will love!
See Related: Best Places to Visit in Utah
7. Doubletree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City
110 West 600 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
Doubletree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City is arguably the coolest entry on our list and a great option for those visiting Salt lake city with family.
I say coolest, not just because its design effortlessly blends modern elegance with Don Draper and Mad Men, or the fact that the indoor swimming pool is fit for a Roman emperor, but because it also offers storage for any ski or snowboarding gear, making it one of the best hotels in salt lake city for anyone hitting the powder!
Seriously, I love the decor of this place. Plus the mountain or downtown Salt Lake City views from most of the rooms is a choice. There are also event and business rooms, and a modern fitness center. You and the family can enjoy breakfast lunch and dinner at Stephen’s American Bistro.
The American buffet breakfast gets great user reviews and has to-go options for families on the go. Parents can enjoy a beer or a cocktail at Bar 110 West at the end of the day.
Spacious family apartment-style rooms feature comfortable seating areas and additional in-room dining options, as well as luxuriously soft beds, flat-screen cable TV, iPod docking stations, and a work desk.
8. Little America Hotel
500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
Trust me, there is nothing little about the Little America Hotel, except the cost of what you pay for one of the best Salt Lake City hotels on the map. It’s the perfect accommodation for families, oozing old-school class, charm, and just a pinch of magic.
It’s a great place to go if you and your folks like a good meal. The on-site bar and restaurant, Lucky H Bar & Grille, serves buffet breakfast and lunch, and an a la carte dinner menu. Lighter bites and hot drinks can be enjoyed at the hotel’s cozy cafe.
If that weren’t enough, the Little America Hotel also offers room service and an award-winning Sunday brunch! It’s not just the superb in-house dining families love this place for.
The hotel has both an indoor, and outdoor pool, and a delightful spa, with a sauna and hot tub. Kids will love the hotel’s very own gift and boutique shops and you can grab snacks and sundries from the general store.
All hotel rooms have a modern bathroom, comfy beds, cable TV, ironing facilities, coffee makers, and wi-fi. Larger rooms and suites include a separate sitting area, microwaves, fridges, trouser presses, charging stations, and potentially garden-side views.
As well as truly magnificent, grand common areas and a lovely garden, the hotel’s fitness center come very highly rated, there is on-site parking, and it’s a few minutes’ drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. Don’t forget to get insurance at AXA Travel Insurance for a safe and sound trip.
9. Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown
140 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
Part of the terrific Hyatt Hotels family, Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown is one of the best hotels in Salt Lake City center for the more independent family. That said, there is a 24-hour front desk for anyone who needs it, and user ratings of the hotel’s staff are among the best in the city.
The styling of this gem is among my favorite on this list, blending wood, stone, and metal, with bright colors, straight lines, and warm subtle lighting. All rooms come with a TV with cable channels, a work desk, a tea and coffee maker, a private bathroom, and wi-fi as standard.
The larger family rooms and suites are the real kickers here. In keeping with the hotel’s clean, modern design these lovely suites offer sofa beds, kitchen and dining areas, as well as a lounge. If you don’t fancy cooking, there’s a free buffet breakfast every day and H Bar serves a dinner menu, as well as drinks.
There is a modern gym to work up a sweat at and kids can have a splash in the pool outside. Another bonus to this place? It’s pet-friendly, so you don’t have to leave your dog or cat family members at home. Find cheap flights at Skyscanner and get the best Salt Lake City flight deals.
See Related: Things to Do in Orem, Utah
10. Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City, an IHG Hotel
15 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
Last and by zero means least on this compendium of the best salt lake city hotels is the ultra-fancy Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City. If you and the fam are looking for a touch of royal treatment in the perfect setting for such pampering look no further. Your first dash of royal treatment? Complimentary tea and coffee in the lobby!
There’s also room service, a 24-hour front desk, a modern gym which is also 24-hour, and storage space for any skiing or snowboarding stuff. Plus it’s pet-friendly, so your doggo can get in on the royal treatment too!
The interior decor of this vintage Salt Lake City hotel is beyond regal, featuring antique furniture, rich carpeting, stunning wall art, frescoes and reliefs, and wooden accents everywhere you look. The events rooms are ideal for celebratory banquets or fairytale weddings, and the food is some of the best in Salt Lake City.
The superb in-house Bambara Restaurant serves a wonderful continental breakfast with a Mediterranean flair, featuring fantastic surf and turf dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Adults can enjoy craft cocktails at the hotel’s exclusive bar, The Vault.
Each room of the Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City comes wonderfully furnished and decorated, with a bevy of amenities as standard, including flatscreen cable and satellite TVs, docking and charging stations, speakers, ironing facilities, safe, tea and coffee making facilities, a safe and wi-fi.
Each room also comes with a decadent bathroom, with plush bathrobes, a hairdryer, and deluxe toiletries. Family rooms and suites are particularly nice if you’re looking to go all out, featuring additional beds, seating areas, and even minibars to compliment the incredible views of downtown Salt Lake City.
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