Waldorf Astoria Park City: an unforgettable luxury mountain vacation

Travel

Alpine Paradise

Story by Heidi Chackel

Photography provided by Waldorf Astoria Park City

Just 35 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport, Park City, Utah is incredibly easy to reach through one quick flight from Las Vegas and McCarran International Airport. Whether you are looking for respite from the Vegas summer heat or a colder getaway in the winter, Park City welcomes adventurers year round.

We chose wintertime for our visit, looking for some snow. Two year-round resorts fulfill snowbird dreams. Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort, as well as Utah Olympic Park are more than anyone can handle in one trip. Park City Mountain Resort is where we landed for our skiing adventure, and I would go back in an instant.

But let me back up a bit to where our extended weekend trip begins—the Waldorf Astoria Park City, set at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, offering an ideal setting for an unforgettable luxury mountain vacation.

The Waldorf Astoria Park City has been recognized as the top hotel in Utah on Conde Nast Traveler’s Golf List in 2014 and also voted one of the top resorts in the west by Conde Nast Traveler in 2013. The luxurious accommodations and high-end amenities we found upon arrival entirely lived up to the Waldorf name. Guest rooms and suites sport a mountain modern décor and are appointed with custom furnishings, top-of-the-line kitchens, and spectacular views of the ski slopes and picturesque Wasatch Mountains.

Additionally, Waldorf Astoria Park City features intimate meeting and event space, as well as an expansive outdoor patio with fire pits, a heated pool, and a Jacuzzi. We spent each evening enjoying this area, starting with s’mores by the fire pit that were graciously provided nightly by the staff, followed with a dip in the pool—yes, even amidst a light dusting of snow—and finally the Jacuzzi. The setting is picturesque and was fully enjoyed as we found our way to the outdoor patio after dinner. A platter of crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate along with roasting sticks are just waiting for guests’ attention. The fire pit is massive and warm, with amazing views looking out over the mountains. After filling our bellies, we made a quick stop by our rooms and emerged in luxurious robes provided by Waldorf Astoria Park City. Even in the cold weather, the pool was heated to a comfortable temperature and was thoroughly enjoyed before heading to the large Jacuzzi.

The resort’s signature restaurant and bar, Powder, features seasonal menus and offers contemporary mountain cuisine. Powder offers a diverse, unique, and flavorful menu, year-round serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a lively après ski scene. Menu items portray the chef’s dedication to incorporating natural, fresh elements by sourcing and foraging for local ingredients from the nearby farms, ranches, or the restaurant’s own on-site culinary garden.

We enjoyed several fantastic meals at Powder. Our first memorable meal was a casual one at the bar enjoying delicious shared small plates with friends after a day on the slopes. Steak nachos, ahi tuna poke, a local cheese and artisanal charcuterie board, and a Wagyu beef burger were all delicious and quickly enjoyed. A creative list of cocktails and an extensive beer and wine list accompanied the amazing food.

Our second day was spent meandering Historic Old Town. A complimentary shuttle is available all day to take you to and from Waldorf Astoria Park City and Historic Old Town, as well as Park City Mountain Resort, just a few minutes away. After strolling thorough town, shopping and enjoying the sites, we enjoyed a more formal dinner in the dining room at Powder. The service was truly amazing, as was the menu and atmosphere. The menu is extensive and boasts creative dishes such as seared diver scallops, Utah Corn Chowder, roasted monkfish, and Wagyu bavette. Our group of eight enjoyed a blind menu, as our server brought out special creations from the kitchen that surprised and delighted us. The ingredients and presentation were truly amazing, and created a dinner we won’t soon forget.

Another ammenity worth mentioning, The Waldorf Astoria Spa, boasts 16,000 square feet and offers an elegant and relaxing atmosphere for guests in addition to a plethora of services designed to beautify, enhance, and restore. Signature experiences combine local ingredients and contemporary techniques to invigorate and inspire. A total of 15 treatment rooms feature an extensive menu of signature therapies, rituals, and inventive treatments, as well as a full-service hair and nail salon. A custom designed fitness center features all the best equipment as well as a weekly schedule of classes.

The Waldorf Astoria Park City offers prime access to shopping, galleries, dining, Historic Old Town, and the myriad of year-round outdoor adventures for which the destination is known. Main Street in Historic Old Town is lined by world-class restaurants, quaint shops, hopping bars, galleries, music venues, and sweet shops.

The base of Park City Mountain Resort literally overlooks downtown Park City, which includes Main Street. You can even store you skis and wander over to any of the amazing restaurants for lunch and then return to the resort to finish your day on the snow. All the normal amenities are available—rentals, a ski and snowboard school, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snow tubing, ice-skating, and cross country skiing. Park City Mountain Resort recently combined with neighboring Canyons Resort in 2015 to create the largest ski resort in North America.

Canyons Golf—an outing we hope to enjoy on our next visit to Park City—is a par 70 course that surrounds Waldorf Astoria Park City. This incredible course winds through 97 acres in the heart of Canyon Village footprint and features over 550 feet of elevation change with spectacular views of the Wasatch and Unita Mountains and surrounding valleys.

Summer in Park City is a season full of fun and celebration with countless outdoor activities, concerts, street fair, and farmers markets. Tourists may partake in a variety of activities including hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, hot air balloon rides, golf, festivals, water sports horseback riding, the Olympic Park, and much more.

An incredible resort. An unforgettable experience.

Sneak Peak

See what guests of the Waldorf Astoria Park City can enjoy this winter

Become the BrewMaster

Guests of Waldorf Astoria Park City have the exclusive opportunity for a new take on après through a private brewmaster experience directly with the experts at Park City Brewery. Guests will dive into the hops and carbonation process to learn the details on what it takes to brew the different types of beer. Afterward, the brewmaster will share the canning and distribution process, showing the full scale of the process from hops to the beer in the can.

Pocket Meals

Whether it’s a powder day or there’s no time for breakfast, guests don’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience with Waldorf Astoria Park City’s new Pocket Meals program. Executive Chef Ryker Brown of Powder Restaurant is unveiling two gourmet on-the-go options, the pocket quesadilla and the early morning burrito, both of which are hand-crafted in the Powder kitchen each morning and perfect for the traveler on the move.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Personal Concierge

Taking the concierge experience to the next level, the Personal Park City Concierge at Waldorf Astoria Park City is dedicated to helping guests make the most of the destination. Guests will be paired up with their very own Park City assistant, who will be available through the stay to help plan and execute the perfect itinerary. In addition, guests will have an on-demand personal local driver to take around town to share insider tips, historical facts, and more.

Après All Day

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get a drink in Utah, and some pretty good ones, too. Waldorf Astoria Park City’s new Après All Day, taking guests on a tour of Park City’s best whiskey, beer, and wine offerings through the eyes of the experts who know each one best.

SKI Butlers Partnership

Waldorf Astoria Park City has partnered with acclaimed ski rental delivery company, Ski Butlers, to provide an elevated ski concierge experience for guests of the hotel on-property at Waldorf Astoria Park City. The partnership will allow a faster response time, unparalleled convenience, and a new level of service including overnight tuning and unmatched attentiveness to equipment adjustments.

Ski with a Pro/Olympian

This adventure provides guests with an exclusive, private all-day tour of the mountain with a local Olympian, Nate Roberts, who can provide an insider’s guide to secret stashes, local’s favorites, and customize the tour based on skiing ability and preferences. In addition, guests will be joined by a private ski instructor from Park City who will provide instruction and exclusive access to bypass all lift-lines. This experience also includes two nights lodging in luxurious accommodations, a dinner at Powder, and an Alpine Sports Massage at The Spa.

Waldorf Astoria Park City

2100 Frostwood Dr., Park City, Utah

435-647-5500

www.waldorfastoriaparkcity.com