Where to Stay in Salt Lake City (Best Places & Areas)

👉 Jump to: Best Places to Stay in Salt Lake City | Neighborhoods & Areas | Tips | FAQ

I’ve been traveling to Salt Lake City since I was a child. I’m from Colorado, but Salt Lake City is a frequent stop on road trips to California and back.

If this is your first trip to Salt Lake City, I recommend staying in Downtown Salt Lake City. The Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown is within walking distance of many downtown attractions. The free breakfast, kitchen, and pool make it a great choice for families. 

Of course, there are a lot of options for where to stay in Salt Lake City. In this article, I share the best neighborhoods and hotels depending on your travel style.

Best Places to Stay in Salt Lake City

Want a quick answer? These are my top hotels: 

• 🏆 Best Overall Hotel – Grand America Hotel
• 📍 Best Location – Le Méridien Salt Lake City Downtown
• 💎 Best Luxury Hotel – Grand America Hotel
• 👪 Best for Families – Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown
• 💻 Best for Business – Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City
• 🔔 Best Boutique – The Anniversary Inn
• 🛏️ Best Budget – Doubletree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City

Click here to see all top Salt Lake City hotels or here for apartments.

Ok, now scroll down for a deep dive into the pros and cons of each area of Salt Lake City: 

7 Best Neighborhoods & Areas to Stay in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is one of the best destinations in Utah, and Downtown Salt Lake City is the best place to stay in the city for first-timers. 

If you’re driving through on a road trip, look for hotels in the South Valley along the 15, or by the airport along Interstate 80. If you want to stay near the lake itself, check out hotels in the Great Salt Lake area or the West Valley.

My family also likes to stay farther out of town near Tooele and Grantsville. When we’re on a multi-day road trip, we like being somewhere less crowded, with scenic views and a small-town feel.

Downtown Salt Lake City

👉 Best Area For First Timers | ✨ Best Downtown Salt Lake City Hotels: Grand America Hotel • Le Méridien Salt Lake City Downtown • Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown

Downtown Salt Lake City is the best spot for first-time visitors who want to explore the city. The Grand America Hotel is a European-style hotel that makes a wonderful splurge. If you’re traveling with family, the Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown has an outdoor pool and free breakfast. 

Downtown is also near popular Salt Lake City areas like Sugar House, Avenues Capitol Hill, and Granary Ballpark. However, you’ll want a car to explore those neighborhoods.  

Pros of Staying in Downtown Salt Lake City Neighborhood:

• Easy to walk to landmarks
• Lots of restaurants, shops, and bars
• Views of the mountains

Cons of Staying in Downtown Salt Lake City Neighborhood:

• Hotels are more expensive
• Driving and parking can be a challenge

Great Salt Lake

👉 Best Area For Exploring the Lake | ✨ Best Great Salt Lake Hotels: Best Western Plus High Country Inn • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salt Lake City N • Comfort Inn & Suites Woods Cross

If you want to explore Great Salt Lake itself, then this is the best area to stay. 

There are two state parks at the Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake State Park. You can explore a historic ranch at Antelope Island and look for bison, birds, coyotes, and (of course) antelope. Take a boat tour of the lake from the marina, swim, and walk or bike various paths nearby. 

I recommend the Best Western Plus High Country Inn for a convenient place to stay near the lake. 

Pros of Staying in Great Salt Lake Neighborhood:

• Close to the lake
• Several state parks and natural areas
• Boating, swimming, outdoor activities

Cons of Staying in Great Salt Lake Neighborhood:

• Far from restaurants & nightlife
• You’ll need a car to get around

West Valley City

👉 Best Area For Families | ✨ Best West Valley City Hotels: Holiday Inn Express West Valley City • Embassy Suites by Hilton Salt Lake West Valley City • SpringHill Suites By Marriott Salt Lake City West Valley

West Valley City is Utah’s second-largest city and is full of family-friendly hotels and stores.

You’ll find hotels with kitchenettes or complimentary breakfasts here, and both of these options make traveling with kids much easier! The Holiday Inn Express West Valley City even has a small indoor waterpark with an indoor/outdoor waterslide. We booked a stay here on our road trip after seeing the waterslide from the freeway – my kids insisted! The hotel is a great spot to let younger kids play and swim after a day of driving or exploring the area.

Pros of Staying in West Valley City Neighborhood:

• Family-friendly hotels
• Less expensive hotels
• Lots of restaurant chains
• Close to grocery & big box stores

Cons of Staying in West Valley City Neighborhood:

• Not much downtown nightlife
• You’ll want a car

Midvalley

👉 Best Area For Suburban Convenience | ✨ Best Midvalley Hotels: Hyatt Place Salt Lake City/Cottonwood • Courtyard by Marriott Salt Lake City Cottonwood • Residence Inn Salt Lake City Cottonwood

Midvalley is a scenic suburban area and the gateway to the mountains. You’ll find suburban conveniences like grocery and big box stores, movie theaters, and chain restaurants. But there are also areas with locally owned restaurants and places to shop. You’ll be a short drive from hiking, golfing, and mountain areas.

The Hyatt Place Salt Lake City/Cottonwood has an outdoor pool and is less than 30 minutes from ski resorts and the airport. 

Pros of Staying in Midvalley Neighborhood:

• Mountain and valley views
• Close to outdoor activities
• Suburban conveniences

Cons of Staying in Midvalley Neighborhood:

• Farther from downtown nightlife
• You’ll need a car
• Closer to mountains, but still a distance

Southwest Valley

👉 Best Area For Biking | ✨ Best Southwest Valley Hotels: Embassy Suites by Hilton, South Jordan • Springhill Suites Salt Lake City-South Jordan • Holiday Inn – South Jordan

The Southwest Valley is near the Oquirrh Mountains, and you’ll find lots of outdoor activities here. Yellow Fork Canyon County Park and the Rad Canyon BMX Park are both known for their biking. There are also lots of trails in the canyons and mountains nearby. 

The Embassy Suites by Hilton, South Jordan is a great option to make your home base while you explore the area. 

Pros of Staying in Southwest Valley Neighborhood:

• Close to outdoor activities
• Locally-owned restaurants and shops in the area

Cons of Staying in Southwest Valley Neighborhood:

• Farther from many well-known attractions
• Farther from downtown nightlife
• You’ll need a car to get around

Mountain Resorts

👉 Best Area For Skiing | ✨ Best Mountain Resorts Hotels: Silver Fork Lodge & Restaurant • The Lodge at Snowbird • The Snowpine Lodge

You can be at a mountain resort from downtown Salt Lake City in just over half an hour. The Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons both have resorts with skiing (in fact, Alta in Little Cottonwood only allows skiing – no boarders!). You can also hike, fish, and mountain bike in the mountains. Some hotels also have an airport shuttle, so you may be able to avoid renting a car. 

The Silver Fork Lodge & Restaurant is a quaint spot that feels like an old-time ski lodge. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy, new upgrades, but it does offer cozy comfort and delicious meals in the restaurant. 

Pros of Staying in Mountain Resorts Neighborhood:

• Close to ski resorts
• Close to hiking and mountains

Cons of Staying in Mountain Resorts Neighborhood:

• Far from other Salt Lake City attractions

Tooele

👉 Best Area For Road Trip Relaxing | ✨ Best Tooele Hotels: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tooele • Best Western Inn Tooele • Spacious Utah Home

I’m going to be honest – Tooele isn’t for everyone. But when we drive from Colorado to California and back, we like to stay around Tooele or Grantsville as our halfway(ish) point. You don’t have to navigate downtown traffic or busy streets, and neighborhoods are quiet. Lately, we’ve been choosing a vacation home in the area. 

We make an easy dinner and have plenty of space for everyone to relax without being too close after a day in the car. We also like the small-town feel of these areas. The towns are a short drive from I-80, and if you hate driving any farther than you have to, you won’t like the detour. But we think it’s worth it to enjoy the views and peace.

Pros of Staying in Tooele Neighborhood:

• Quiet
• No busy streets or parking challenges

Cons of Staying in Tooele Neighborhood:

• There are not a lot of attractions
• It’s farther from the main freeways

Tips for Staying in Salt Lake City

The Great Salt Lake Isn’t Close to Downtown

Great Salt Lake is one of Utah’s best activities, but it’s not really close to Downtown SLC. But there’s a lot to see here, and you can certainly spend a day or two exploring the lake. There are two state parks and a marina. Black Rock Site, next to the lake in Tooele, is a significant point along the California Trail. 

It will take between 20-30 minutes to drive from the Great Salt Lake to downtown Salt Lake City. 

Get to Know the Grid

Salt Lake City is laid out in a grid system, with the Salt Lake Temple as its center [source]. Each address in the city has two coordinates that state your distance east or west and north or south of Temple Square. 

Blocks are Long

A typical downtown Salt Lake City block is longer than in most other cities. You’ll want to keep this in mind if you’re planning on walking from your hotel to a restaurant a few blocks away. Check the mileage to your destination rather than the number of blocks!

Know the Liquor Laws

Utah has the lowest blood alcohol concentration limit – 0.05% – of anywhere in the U.S. And it covers not just driving a car but operating a boat, an ATV, or even riding a bike. If you plan to have a drink, it’s a good idea to rideshare or walk back to your room.

Utah bartenders are also required to measure cocktails so they don’t contain more than 1.5 ounces of the primary liquor. You can now buy beer that’s 5% ABV (this is a fairly new development), but you can only buy one at a time at a restaurant. This means you can’t buy a pitcher of beer for your group at dinner. Wine is available by the glass or bottle. 

Know What You Can Visit

The Salt Lake Temple in Temple Square is one of the most unique places to see in Utah. But only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are allowed to enter. The general public can walk the grounds and view the outside. The public can also attend free concerts at Assembly Hall and watch the famous choir rehearse and perform at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

The Family Search Library lets the public access “the world’s largest collection of genealogical resources.” Guests can look up family members and ancestors, and there are often volunteers who can help.

FAQs

What are the best areas to stay in Salt Lake City for first-timers?

Downtown Salt Lake City is the best area to stay in Salt Lake City for first-timers. First-time visitors will be near Temple Square, restaurants, bars, and shopping. Areas of downtown Salt Lake City include Sugar House, Avenues Capitol Hill, and Granary Ballpark. 

What are safe areas to stay in Salt Lake City?

Avenues Capitol Hill in downtown Salt Lake City is a safe area to stay in Salt Lake City. Downtown Salt Lake City is a generally safe area for tourists and visitors. However, it’s wise to take precautions – stay in well-lit areas after dark, lock your car and hotel rooms, and secure valuables.

What are the best parts of Salt Lake City to stay with kids? 

West Valley City is a good area to stay with kids. There are lots of hotels with suites or complimentary breakfasts, and many of them have pools as well. Southwest Valley and Midvalley are also good options for families.

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Salt Lake City has some fascinating landmarks, both natural and manmade! I hope this guide has helped you plan your trip. If you want to explore more of the state, check out our guide on where to stay in Utah.