We picked up our rental car in SLC after our flight up from Dallas and made the quick, 45 minute drive up to Park City. Snow started falling during the drive up but our rental Mini Countryman handled it like a champ and soon we were pulling into the parking lot of the Marriott MountainSide.
Booking
We booked our stay with cash, directly with Marriott Bonvoy, to help earn elite nights towards renewing my Titanium Elite status. Rates for this property are typically very high, especially during peak ski season, but we got lucky as the cash rate was very reasonable for our dates.
Location
The hotel is located in the Park City Mountain Village, immediately adjacent to a number of lifts that service the mountain, so it is a great option for those looking for ski-in/ski-out accommodations. The hotel isn’t within walking distance of the shops and restaurants downtown, however there is a free shuttle that picks up near the hotel. For those that want to stay closer to the action, Marriott does have a property in downtown Park City that could be classified as ski-in/ski-out though it is only serviced by one small lift and was 3x the price of MountainSide for the dates of our stay.
Lobby/Check-In
It was late when we arrived so we parked in the porte-cochere and headed into the lobby to check in. The night auditor working the front desk was friendly and we were quickly provided with our room keys, a list of amenities and the Wi-Fi code.
Though no one was there due to our late arrival, the property is also part of the Marriott Vacations timeshare and there was a sales and information desk located opposite of the front desk.
Parking
The hotel has free garage parking for guests. However, parking is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the event that there is no parking available in the garage, a nearby surface lot has parking for $20 per day. While this shouldn’t be an issue during slower times, this is definitely something to consider when staying during peak season. Fortunately, we had no trouble finding a spot on the first level of the garage.
Room
Our standard king room, or “Studio” was located on the 5th floor. Upon entering, there was a small kitchenette that housed a sink, mini-fridge, microwave and coffeemaker. There was also a bar top with two seats.
Between the kitchenette and the bed was a small seating area with a couch and ottoman. Though the only table was the nightstand shared with the bed. It’s worth noting that the sofa is a pull-out couch but any more than 2 people in this room would feel cramped.
The restroom was small, but functional and had single use toiletries from Soapbox.
When skiing, the goal for us is to spend as little time as possible in the room. We did enjoy having the kitchenette and especially the fridge as that allowed us to store snacks and sandwiches to eat on the mountain. Storage for our ski clothes was tight but thankfully they had a gear check in the lobby so we didn’t have to worry about storing those as well.
Grounds
The hotel has a large number of common areas both indoor and outdoor. The majority of the amenities are located on the second floor, which is the ground level access to the mountain, with the lobby and driveway being a level below. There is a large sitting room with multiple seating areas where we frequently saw families playing games, along with a shuffleboard table and pool table. This was the hub of activity for the hotel.
Adjacent to the sitting room was the ski valet stand.
The outdoor area has a large, heated pool as well as multiple, multi-level hot subs. There is also a ping pong table and a few fire pits along with many lounge chairs available at the pool deck. At the rear of the pool deck were two gates that guests could use to access the ski slope. These were key card controlled which was nice as it kept non-guests from cutting through.
Summary
The Marriott MountainSide is the perfect hotel for those who are looking to spend time on the mountain and want convenient access to a variety of lifts. It is also great for large groups as they have adjoining rooms that function more like apartments. The free parking is a perk, especially in a ski town, but the lack of nearby shops and restaurants may be an issue for some. Thankfully, a local bus connects guests to the center of Park City for free.
