Follow my “Winter Wonderland” Experience & Tips for Visiting Park City, Utah!
Floridians are deemed as “blessed” by a majority of the nation because let’s face it: our state is beautiful and we don’t struggle through the winter months shoveling snow. However, being a true Floridian, I have never truly experienced the snow. Dustings in the Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee on a lucky occasion? Sure. Real snow that stays and you can ski on? Not until recently when we took our first ski trip to Park City, Utah. This trip was so incredibly amazing and I am beyond excited to share it with you in hopes that you can share in the awe and maybe even use some helpful info. Links are provided throughout! Follow our winter wonderland experience in Park City, Utah!
Flight
I’m all about direct flights anywhere and we were able to find a flight directly from Orlando to Salt Lake City! It was about a 5 hour flight and very easy to get to Park City from the airport. The Salt Lake City Airport is very clean and updated and we got a car service directly to our hotel, arriving in about 30-45 minutes. We JUST hit a winter storm rolling through — which we have never experienced while on the highway — so that was a little exciting! We arrive to the hotel in one (warm) piece and it was as if the doors to a real life winter wonderland were opened.
Hotel
I’ll be honest: I have only wanted to go to Park City, Utah because I had seen some beautiful photos on Pinterest years ago. I didn’t know anything about the ski culture or the upscale reputation it had, and I was lucky enough that my husband and best friends just agreed to go along with whatever destination!
After scouring through a few resorts that really caught our eye, we ended up booking with Hotel Park City. This is a much smaller resort in the heart of Park City that has both hotel rooms and villas on-site but that are a bit more removed. We opted to each get a villa with an adjoining door; make note if you plan to go with friends or family and want to be close but still have your own space! Our “home” overlooked a beautiful little lake and mountainside and provided the peace and quiet we all wanted by the end of each busy day.
Hotel Park City is a Four Diamond Resort, complete with a golf course for those of you who are thinking of visiting the area in the warmer months. The grand lobby is elegant but cozy and provides some incredible views upon check-in or as you are passing through. They have a Ruth’s Chris within the resort, as well as a more casual restaurant to grab a quick breakfast before skiing or a hearty lunch to help you through the day. The main campus hosts a large outdoor heated pool and spa, as well as a full service spa inside. The four of us were able to schedule ourselves for an extended massage and spa treatment all at the same time so we didn’t have to miss out on anything during our days together. Our experience was great – the staff friendly and accommodating and the massages were excellent!
The villas are on-site but require a short walk or complimentary car ride. Don’t worry, they will bring all of your luggage and help you get all settled in when your home is ready. We were thrilled with how beautiful and cozy everything was – perfectly complimenting the outside terrain and season around it! We had a full kitchen complete with large fridge, microwave, dishwasher and stove as well as one master bedroom, two full bathrooms and a large living space. Three fireplaces could be found throughout – all gas – one in the main living area, one in the master and one outside on the covered patio next to the hot tub (perfect for a low key night watching the snow fall!). The rooms were very spacious with a window offering a picturesque view at every turn; it was honestly a little difficult to not just want to cozy up all day every day and never leave!
See a video tour of our villa here.
Room service was fabulous on the nights we just couldn’t bring our sore selves to get dressed up and venture out — even in the single digit temperatures, the dinners from Ruth’s Chris made it through the snow and over to our room still plenty warm and delicious.
Overall, our stay with Hotel Park City was fabulous and we would do it again in a heartbeat! I highly recommend this resort as a strong contender on your next venture out to Park City.
Learn more about Hotel Park City and book your next stay here!
What to Wear
In true Floridian fashion (literally), we didn’t own any real ski clothing. I have a few thicker coats but no ski pants, ski jackets, gloves, goggles – I mean NOTHING. I have a pair of Sorels and a pair of Bean boots and that’s about it! Luckily one of our friends found a website which was so helpful for folks in our situation – you are able to select and rent anything and everything you need for different winter occasions!
Kit Lender was a website the four of us used to rent our ski gear – pants, boots (snow boots, not the ski boots), jacket, gloves, and goggles and had the amazing option to have it all shipped to the hotel to arrive before we did, and we easily packed it up and sent it all right back at the end of our trip! It was so incredibly convenient – all boxes already have the shipping labels and everything needed and you can leave them at the front desk when they are ready to be sent back.
I found the site itself to be up-front and user friendly and the reviews for different products were quite helpful. The customer service was very efficient with their response time and if you ordered an item that was out of stock in your size, they were quick to contact us with alternatives.
The “rental” part of renting clothing can understandably make a few folks give a side eye, but to be honest both my jacket and pants both still had brand new tags on them! I was very satisfied with the overall quality of all of the items Jeff and I received – they were not only new items but were great brands and truly kept us warm and comfortable so we could enjoy being outdoors and taking in this beautiful world!
Take a look at what Kit Lender has to offer here!
As I mentioned before – I did use a few pieces of my own, mainly to layer underneath or to walk around town in or wear out to dinner. All of these photos below have my outfits linked and you can shop them all by clicking the “SHOP MY INSTAGRAM” tab here on the blog or by screenshotting the photos and finding them on LTK or LikeToKNOW.it (add me! @stinamarina).
A few of these items I have had for a few years now, and have found myself following that trend within the normal parameters of my style these days. I am beginning to whittle down my closet to more quality pieces I can wear one and over and style in different ways: classic looks that are less trendy and more about what is most flattering and timeless.
Give me a follow on Instagram and LTK @stinamarina to stay inspired!
Where to Ski
It goes without saying that I had no idea what I was doing in the snow. Aside from plopping my behind down on a sled and barreling down a hill, I was completely clueless on how to act. Luckily, one of us was a seasoned skier and helped the other three of us navigate the waters of where to ski, what type of lessons to take, how to get our ski equipment, and how to pace ourselves throughout the trip. We were so thankful for that!
Our skiing all took place in Deer Valley, specifically at the St. Regis. We were fitted for all of our ski rental equipment and purchased our lift passes through Deer Valley – our equipment through them included skis, ski boots, poles and helmets. The staff was very knowledgable and friendly and helped to ensure our safety and comfort for our exciting first experience skiing!
We also decided to take a private group lesson – just the four of us with an instructor. Worth every penny in case you’re on the fence about it! Our instructor, Steve, was absolutely amazing and so patient with us as we pizza’d all the way down the mountain and refused to open our eyes on the chairlift with fear we would plummet down into a canyon. Seriously though, the right instructor with enough one-on-one time can make such a difference in your understanding and (slow) work toward mastering the basics of such a fun sport. Steve and Deer Valley – if y’all ever see this: we were so impressed by the safety measures of the facility and the friendliness of the staff – Steve especially – and we had a blast making some of the best memories because of people like you! Thank you, thank you!
There are tons of different runs to ski in Deer Valley, and because they are nestled within the resorts, there are plenty of places to stop off and grab a bite, or at the end of the day: grab a well-deserved cocktail. We continuously found ourselves taking the funicular up to the St. Regis Bar. Both indoor and outdoor fireside seating options are available, with some stellar mountainside views to take in between sips. The menu was plentiful and our favorite savory option was the truffle pizza, and the most popular cocktails in our group were the D’Zeus, the Aspen Leaf, and the Final Letter. All were excellent! Sunset marks the complementary champagne toast, so don’t be late!
Good Eats
Eating at different restaurants is half the fun of traveling, and luckily one of us (not yours truly) took it upon herself to research and make reservations for a different place almost every night. A few of the places we went and recommend checking out:
Handle
Powder (at the Waldorf Astoria)
Yuki Yama
Grappa
Purple Sage
Half of the enjoyment comes from the atmosphere, and each of these restaurants offered a great one.
What Else to Do
Park City itself is a very cute, clean and easily walkable downtown area with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants and stores to browse for cute trinkets or grab an extra sweater for the chilly days. We made sure to take a few hours to experience the town for what it is and do a little shopping. Easy to navigate and cute to walk around, even in the flurries!
One of the more intense experiences we had in Utah was just outside of Park City in Coalville. This was a bit of a drive, so you definitely need to set aside at least a half a day for the overall experience. We took snowmobile tour through the mountains and the views were absolutely breathtaking! I was under the impression that it would be similar to operating a jet ski. Wrong. We were able to ride two to a snowmobile so the boys drove and we hung on for dear life! I think it was scarier going up some of these steep hillsides than going down in a pair of skis, but I’m so glad we did it. I can’t emphasize enough just how magnificent the views were and I definitely recommend giving it a try!
Overall, this was one of those vacations where the memories were so amazing and vast that it will be hard to top. Experiencing so many wonderful moments with some of our closest friends just made it even sweeter. Sunshine or snow, it’s worth the stay, and I certainly hope this post will help you to navigate your next trip!
Cheers and thank you for the memories, Park City!
