I’m a New Yorker who went to Salt Lake City for the first time. 9 things surprised me.

• I went to Salt Lake City for the first time in January 2025.
• I spent three days exploring Utah’s capital and surrounding towns like Park City.
• I was surprised by the active tech scene, a downtown ski lift, and an affordable five-star hotel.

When the snow-topped mountains and frozen streams turned into red canyons and flowing brooks on the train from Colorado to Utah, I knew I must be close to Salt Lake City.

In January 2025, I left my home in New York City and headed to the American Southwest, where I spent three days in Salt Lake City for the first time.

The city and its surrounding areas are renowned for their high-end ski scene, thriving tech hub, and affluent residents.

I expected to find luxury hotels and homes, active slopes, and tech offices with startup vibes.

I found all that — but there were nine surprises during my three-night trip exploring Salt Lake City and the nearby towns of Park City and Draper.

I traveled by train from Denver to Salt Lake City and was in awe of the views.

I flew from my home in NYC to Denver and boarded a 15-hour Amtrak train to Salt Lake City.

It wasn’t my first overnight Amtrak train ride. In 2021, I took a 30-hour ride from NYC to Miami, and another 30-hour ride home. The biggest difference between these rides was the views.

In 2021, I had decent views of the East Coast, from towns to shorelines. But the sights between Colorado and Utah were on another level. I rode through Rocky Mountain National Park and watched the snow-capped forest landscape transition into red rocks and canyons as the train made its way to my destination.

I’d never been on a train with an observation car before.

While I rode to Miami on a one-story Amtrak Viewliner train, my recent Amtrak trip to Salt Lake City was on a double-decker Superliner.

On board, I was surprised and excited to find a communal car on the top floor designated for sightseeing since the Viewliner didn’t have one. The car had two rows of windows and an array of seating options, such as booths and swivel chairs.

When booking my trip, I was surprised to find that Salt Lake City didn’t have many luxury hotels.

Most major cities I visit have an array of luxury accommodations, so when booking my trip to Salt Lake City, I was shocked that there were only a couple of five-star hotels.

I selected the Grand America Hotel — the city’s first five-star hotel, built in 2001 to serve the 2002 Olympics.

The hotel has been known for hosting A-listers since it opened. While hotel representatives declined to reveal any celebrity guest names, one told Business Insider that Grand America had hosted visiting NBA teams.

The Grand America Hotel was also listed in the top 40 hotels in the world in CN Traveler’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards.

For $340 a night, I couldn’t believe how luxurious my room was.

I spent one night in an executive suite with a king-size bed. The room has a base rate of $340, though Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.

The hotel was as lavish as many I’ve booked in the $500- to $1,000-a-night price range. My room was 880 square feet, with a living room, a bedroom, and a Juliet balcony. I appreciated the spacious marble bathroom and thick, cozy robes with satin lining hanging in the walk-in closet.

After a night in Salt Lake City, I headed to Draper, a nearby suburb I didn’t realize was a tech hub.

Salt Lake City is the metropolis of the Silicon Slopes, a region of Utah known for business and tech that also includes Park City and surrounding suburbs such as Draper and Provo.

I expected most of the tech scene to be in the big city. But I found that the nearby suburb of Draper had created a booming tech community. I visited a large building that served as offices and a coworking space for several companies, giving techies the chance to network daily.

I was surprised by the wealth of activities inside tech offices.

I got private tours of two companies inside the building — Bamboo HR and Pluralsight. The offices were modern and sleek, with intentional color palettes and cozy seats, as I’d expect from any tech office.

But work aside, these spaces had activities for breaks that would make it hard for me to get back to my tasks — pickleball, rentable bikes for trail riding accessible from the property, and, most surprisingly to me, an indoor golf simulator projected onto a movie-theater-size screen.

That afternoon, I headed from Draper to Park City and was surprised to find luxury housing visible from the downtown area.

In most wealthy towns I visit, the luxury housing is spread out on the outskirts of town, away from the public eye.

That’s the case for most of Park City, too.

In the downtown area, however, I spotted many modern and high-end homes layered among older houses on hilltops overlooking the streets. I thought it would be nice to live in a luxury mansion in a walkable neighborhood.

In the same area, I was shocked when a skier was lifted a few feet above my head.

I knew Park City was known for skiing, but I didn’t expect to see an active ski lift nearly at arm’s length while strolling through the downtown area.

It made sense when I learned that this part of Park City sits between two major ski hubs — Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort.

Park City had public amenities I rarely see in New York, such as bathrooms and electric firepits in courtyards.

Finding a public bathroom in New York City often becomes an unwanted adventure. I’ve even left hangouts early to go home.

So, I didn’t expect to see a vibrant sign pointing to one in downtown Park City. I didn’t go inside, but all the public restrooms in Park City that I saw on Google Maps had five-star ratings.

I also found lit, electric firepits surrounded by benches in courtyards between stores and restaurants.

My trip to Salt Lake City was full of surprises.

From Salt Lake City’s affordable luxury stays to the unexpected amenities in nearby Park City, these unexpected delights made me certain I’ll return to the Silicon Slopes.

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