The folks in Salt Lake City apparently have it made. Utah was recently deemed the “Happiest State in America” by a
Gallup study, and Salt Lake was crowned the “Fittest City” by Men’s Fitness magazine.
Luckily, for those of us who might feel crabby and flabby by comparison, the host city for the 2002 Winter Olympics has plenty to offer skiing families, too. For starters, you can fly in and be at the slopes in less than an hour—something you can't say about many ski areas. The Salt Lake City Convention and Visitors Bureau is also throwing travelers a good deal. The new Gold Medal Podium Package gives you a free night plus a free day of lift tickets when you book a four-or-more-night stay at one of 22 properties.
To get the deal, you must book the Ski Salt Lake Super Pass, which you can use at all four ski resorts: Alta, Brighton, Snowbird or Solitude. (You can only visit one resort per day, though). A four-day Super Pass is a good deal even before the package, normally priced at $224 for adults and $124 for kids 7 to 12. Kids 6 and under are free. Lift tickets otherwise average $65 a day for adults and $35 for kids—so a Pass saves you between $15 and $35 per person from the get-go. If you book the Gold Medal Podium package, the four-day ski pass costs just $168 for adults and $93 for kids—a savings of $174 for a typical family of four.
When we shopped for a hotel for early February, we found regular rates ranging from $75 a night (some downtown and airport motels) to a little over $275 a night. One good ski option: The Lodge at Snowbird, usually starting at $208 a night for a studio ($228 for a one-bedroom unit). The lodge offers condo-style units with kitchens and separate bedrooms, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, mountain views and an equipment locker for each unit. It offers kids' camps for infants up to age 12 as well as evening babysitting. A four-night stay at The Lodge at Snowbird, for two adults and two kids 7 to 12, came to $1,320 (including $150 for taxes and fees)—down from what would have been about $1,700 before the deal.
How does it all add up? When you add up the savings for lift tickets and lodging at The Lodge at Snowbird, this deal would shave about $554 off a four-day ski trip for a family of four. You can book online by clicking on any participating hotel to see the deal. Or, call a participating hotel directly and ask for the Gold Medal/4th Night Free package. Book by December 15 and travel by April 18, 2010.
