Jason's Travels

My room was small and the bathroom even smaller. It was so small, actually, that the sink and vanity were actually in the bedroom with me at the foot of my bed. But, for as tight as things were in my room at Salt Lake City's Peery Hotel, it was what was offered which affected me so much more than what wasn't.

After checking in and dropping off my luggage, I headed out to explore Salt Lake City on my Utah Office of Tourism-sponsored trip. So much was within walking distance from the Peery Hotel that it was easy to get around and see the sites. Our first stop was to the new City Creek Center shopping mall. It is set to open this spring, but we were allowed in for a behind-the-scenes tour of the work.

The City Creek Center sits on the edge of Temple Square, which I neglected to visit in 2002 when my father and I headed to Utah for the Olympics. I took the time on this trip to walk around the square and look inside the chambers for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was spectacular and worth the stop; I can only imagine the experience of seeing a performance.

One place I did visit during my Olympic trip was to the Gateway area. In 2002 I purchased a legacy brick to commemorate the trip I was taking to Utah with my father. It took a bit of hunting to find it, but it was worth it to relive that special time nearly ten years ago now.

A Squatters Pub, a Salt Lake city hot spot for good brews and food, sits across the street from the Peery Hotel. And it was there that I spent the bulk of the night, dispelling so many misconceptions I previously held about Utah and drinking; I didn't need a sponsor to order a beer and I didn't receive some low-alcohol content draft. I simply had a great meal paid for by Visit Salt Lake and enjoyed some of the nightlife I never knew existed anywhere in the state.

While the view from my room was nothing special, just an empty parking lot, and my room was quite small, I thoroughly enjoyed my night at the Peery Hotel; the staff was friendly - even willing to tell me about ghostly occurrences - the lobby beautifully decorated, and it was located so close to so much to see in Salt Lake City. Sure, I saw more of the inside of my eyelids than I did the hotel, but that is how it should be; the most important thing about a hotel for me is always the location. And the Peery Hotel had just that - accessibility to so many great locations and sites in downtown Salt Lake City.