Sheraton Park City Review (Winter) – Best Use of Marriott Free Night Certs?
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If you too have fallen in love with the expensive sport of snow skiing, but don’t live near a ski resort, then this is the hotel hack you need! Here's my review of the Sheraton Park City during ski season, booked using Marriott Bonvoy free night certificates.
This isn't the only place you can book for a ski vacation on points though. There are 24 luxury ski resorts and 17 other mid range properties outlined in the linked articles.
How to get free nights
Marriott frequently runs welcome offer promotions on their credit cards to earn five free nights for a required amount of spend in a defined time. The catch with these Marriott free night certificates is that they are only good for 50,000 points per night, and can only be topped off with up to 15,000 points. If the hotel you are eyeing costs more than 65,000 points per night then you will not be able to use these free night certificates. Therefore, it is key to have a use in mind for these certificates before they expire (1 year after issuance).
Be sure to check points prices for your desired hotel and dates to see if the rates qualify to use these free night certificates. The fifth night free does not stack with free night certificates and each night’s cost is what is taken into account, not the total points used for the stay.
I was able to benefit from using free night certificates during my stay at the Sheraton Park City last winter. Each night was quite close to 50,000 points, so the stay was practically free, only costing a few thousand points and the resort fees ($30 daily). This was an incredible value due to the hotel’s prime location and amenities.
Sheraton Park City Amenities
Park City Transportation
One of the aspects that makes Park City a fantastic ski destination is its proximity to a major airport. Salt Lake City is only 45 minutes away, so we were easily able to Uber over to Park City. This meant we could avoid renting a car and driving in the snow, especially since we wouldn’t need it once we were in Park City.
The Sheraton Park City runs a free shuttle that takes you to Park City Resort, Deer Valley, and Main Street. The Sheraton Park City has a good location that is fairly central in Park City, making it only a few minutes away from each of these locations. The shuttle runs frequently and you can text to request it or at the front desk. There is ski storage in the lobby, so it’s easy to grab them and go in the morning. Ski-in/ski-out accommodations come at a major premium so it was a happy compromise for the free stay.
Room & Pool
Request a room on the level of the pool like we did. The pool, jacuzzi, and steam room is located one level below the lobby. So while you won’t have a view, you will have super convenient access to these amenities. The rooms have a glass back door that opens directly into the enclosed courtyard with all those amenities. It was so nice not to have to traverse the hotel in a swimsuit or go outside, and then be able to jump right into our shower. The pool and other amenities were never crowded either, in fact we typically had them all to ourselves!
Food
Breakfast
There is a breakfast buffet available on site (not included) and a Starbucks. I highly recommend taking a quick Uber over to Five5eeds for breakfast on a day that you don’t need to be first chair. I still think about the shakshouka and banana bread with espresso cream that I had there. There are also some nice breakfast options at the Park City Resort like Harvest at the Base.
Après-Ski
After your day on the slopes be sure to make it back to the Sheraton in time for ‘apres-ski.’ Everyday from 4-5:30 pm there is a complimentary spread of small bites, drinks, and s’mores supplies (for the fire pits outside). There was a different variety of options everyday, so I was excited to see what they would have each time. While writing this article it seems that they added a food and beverage credit that equals the fee as well as a daily dessert and drink for each guest. The credit is certainly a new benefit, and I assume the dessert and drink may refer to the apres spread or they’ve restructured that offering.
On Mountain Dining & Main Street
The bar and restaurant on-site at the Sheraton Park City, Timbers Bar & Patio, looked nice with inventive drinks on the menu, but we didn’t get a chance to try it. I have really never been to a U.S. ski destination with such great food all over the town and on the slopes. I didn’t have an average meal the whole time, everything was delicious! On the mountain try Tombstone BBQ and Mid Mountain Lodge. Off the mountain go for Pine Cone Ridge, Silver Star Cafe, and the High West Saloon. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner anywhere off the mountain. Main Street is full of shops, so be sure to set aside some time to browse as well.
Park City has truly proved to be world-class ski destination, and is continuing projects to improve their skiable terrain. I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Park City, and the Sheraton is the perfect mid-tier hotel stay to make it a fun, convenient, and affordable ski vacation.
