Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City Fuels Your Utah Road Trip

Forrest Gump Point in Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah – a 6 hour drive from SLC

Nothing says summer like a good old-fashioned road trip, and fewer places prove a better playground than magnificent Utah. There’s just something about those top-down, tunes-blasting days of exploration that make us feel impossibly carefree and refreshingly alive. When we hop in the car and hit the asphalt, we’re 18 once again — wind in the hair, shades on the head, open road unfolding, a world of possibilities stretched out ahead.

Here at Kimpton we declare summer the season for adventure, so pop in that vintage Whitesnake CD and let’s get cruisin’ on a Utah road trip. Here [we] go again on [our] own …

Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City is the perfect spot to park it, either before or after visiting Southern Utah’s stunning national parks and other nearby treasures. We’re all about feel-good fun at Kimpton, but we also aim to make your downtime pit stops feel as effortless and comfortable as possible. We try to embrace that easy-breezy summertime feel every day of the year.

The multi-hued natural amphitheaters at Bryce Canyon National Park

That’s why we’ve taken the wheel in recently launching a “Hit the Road” package that sweetens the deal through Sept. 30. Whimsical features include travel bingo, a road map, plus bottled water and car snacks like housemade granola bars and other local goodies. During your stay you’ll also enjoy typical Kimpton perks like valet parking, morning coffee and tea in our welcoming living-room lobby, and a hosted wine-reception every evening. If you care to stay on the move during your visit, take our free-of-charge PUBLIC bikes for a spin around town. Guests love getting a respite from the heat at nearby City Creek Canyon, setting out on the shared-use path through Memory Grove Park and then cruising along the canyon’s paved 5.8-mile maintenance road.

Death Cab For Cutie takes the stage

And just because the road trip comes to a temporary halt doesn’t mean the music has to stop. Salt Lake City celebrates summer in countless ways — one of our favorites being the annual Twilight Concert Series that fills the city with a vibrant alfresco scene and beautiful beats. Performers take the stage at Pioneer Park every Thursday night from July 16 through Aug. 27, with artists ranging from nationally recognized acts to local musicians who’ve recently won “Best of Utah Music 2015” awards. This year, the 28th season, the outdoor music extravaganza features artists like Death Cab for Cutie (July 16), Father John Misty (July 23), The Kills (Aug. 6), and St. Vincent (Aug. 27).

Monaco Salt Lake City’s eclectic guest rooms

Music makes its mark at Hotel Monaco, too, since touring talents have been known to check into our hip-meet-chic digs, the only boutique hotel in town. Guests might want to keep eyes peeled for giant tour buses stationed in the parking lot, because you just never know when a star-sighting might occur. (Perhaps you can even offer your rock-star crush a lift to his or her next gig!) With our 18-year-old imagination firmly intact, we admit that most anything’s feeling possible these days, particularly on a road trip — so click here to book your “Hit the Road” package. And happy journeying … and Journey-listening, too.

 Photos: Oljato-Monument Valley — Chao Yen/Flickr; Bryce Canyon —Nicolas Vollmer/Flickr; Death Cab for Cutie — David Lee/Flickr