How to Find Cheap Hotel Rates in Park City, Utah

Home to many events of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah, Park City has much to offer outdoor enthusiasts. There's the fine powder snow skiing for which the Wasatch range in the Intermountain West is known--"Greatest Snow on Earth," as the state boasts on its license plates and elsewhere--but Park City is also a destination for summertime adventure as well. Bikers and hikers will find many options available on the trails and grassy slopes around town. Park City is a resort town, so finding cheap room rates can often seem tricky, but it is possible.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Visit the lodging page at Utah's official tourism website, Utah.com. Select Park City from the destination scroll-down menu for a list of all the Park City hotels in its database. This guide will show you a general price range, any current deals available and provide a link for booking or contact info. Especially helpful with trip planning is an interactive lodging map linked to the page, which shows you exactly where the hotels are located.

Step 2

Browse and compare the Park City hotel rates you get from Utah.com with those you find from searching travel sites such as Travelocity, Orbitz and Priceline. Some lesser known but similar sites with travel search engines where deals can often be found are BookingBuddy and Travelzoo. Spending time browsing more than one site and being flexible with you travel dates will increase your chances of finder a cheap rate.

Step 3

Check directly with Park City's ski resorts for rates. Three major ski resorts are in the Park City area--The Canyons, Park City Mountain and Deer Valley. All three have lodging facilities open year-round. When it's not ski season, the resorts might offer reduced rates to fill rooms for their other seasonal activities, such as the summer outdoor concert series at The Canyons, the biking and hiking at Deer Valley (complete with a chair lift that will carry you and your mountain bike up to scenic biking trails) and the alpine slide that will zip you down the mountainside at Park City Mountain resort.

Step 4

Join the American Automobile Association and get cheaper room rates by showing your membership card. Far from being just an emergency roadside assistance organization, AAA also operates as a travel agency and service organization for its members. Check with AAA before your trip for approved hotels in the Park City area that will give you a reduced rate or visit the branch office in nearby Salt Lake City once you are in Utah.

Tips & Warnings

Avoid Park City in late January, as rates will generally be much higher. Park City is home to the popular Sundance Film Festival each year, which takes place at this time. If your plans don't include the festival, plan your trip outside this period. Check the exact dates for the next festival by visiting Sundance.org.

Resources

Article Written By Blake Guthrie

Blake Guthrie's articles have been featured in a variety of publications, including the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" and "Creative Loafing." He earned a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications from Auburn University.

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