If you've never been to the Sundance Film Festival before, let me fill you in on how it tends to go: You fly to Park City, Utah, in the middle of winter, trudge around in the snow to see movie after movie, stand in long lines that often involve a large tent, and buy way more coffee than you should because it helps keep your fingers warm. The movies are incredible, and the festival energy is great, but the weather conditions can be...woof. That's why it's important to have a hotel to return to that's warm, cozy, and capable of making you forget about the slush probably still clinging to your boots. And if you ask me, the perfect property for that is the newly opened Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.
As one of the major sponsors of the festival, World of Hyatt (the Hyatt loyalty program), invited me to check out not only the hotel, but also their space on Main St. (basically festival HQ), where they hosted events for World of Hyatt members and the public. The events included Pilates classes with Peloton instructor Ally Love, The Standard hotel's famous Bingo night, a DJ set from Questlove, and more. It was a whole vibe. But setting aside those lovely perks, the hotel itself was a great basecamp for my week at the festival. Allow me to explain.
THE QUICK HITS: GRAND HYATT DEER VALLEY EDITION
- Name: Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
- Location: Park City, Utah
- Cost Per Night: Starting at $306 for World of Hyatt members
- Best For: Easy access to skiing and the Sundance Film Festival
- While You’re Here, Visit: Deer Valley Ski Resort
- One-Word Vibe Check: Mountain-chic (yes, I know that's cheating)
- Most Iconic Photo Spot: The heated pool with views of the peaks, or one of the seemingly infinite outdoor fire pits
- Don’t Leave Without: Trying the "high chocolate," the hotel's spin on a classic high tea
THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Before I even entered the front door, I was greeted by a literal fleet of staff when I pulled up to the resort. Someone opened my car door for me and another helped me with my bags. "Do you need a bellman? Do you have skis? Can we carry them for you?" I could tell I was in for a very luxe experience, and that suspicion was only confirmed when I walked into the lobby. I felt like I had just entered the best version of every ski lodge I'd ever visited (without that very distinct smell of sweaty cold people, iykyk). First, the floor-to-ceiling windows gave me a perfect view of the mountains across the reservoir. Second, the furniture spread throughout was so chic and cozy it gave the vibe of a very fancy living room. Like, you could really post up there and hang out if you wanted, which I did multiple times throughout my stay.
A few other lobby touches I was impressed by: a live pianist playing when I checked in, and hot cider and fruit-infused water available right by the check-in desk. And because I was flexing my World of Hyatt perks for the weekend, I got to go to a special check-in desk reserved for loyalty status members. Being able to cut a line is one of my all-time favorite hotel perks.
THE ROOMS
There's one very important word I will use to sum up my room at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley: spacious. This was not a small room. I had a king-size bed, a sitting area, a bathroom large enough that I could have done laps in there, and a closet so big I was able to fit my suitcase on the stand and fully close the doors. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but there is nothing more annoying than having to keep your suitcase in the middle of the room because the closet isn't big enough to hold it. These closets were definitely designed with skiers in mind.
When I got to the suite, there was also a little welcome gift waiting for me. It had some absolute essentials for winter in Utah, including hand cream, chapstick, a face mask, a Cure electrolyte packet, and a mini oxygen canister for altitude purposes. I used all of them!
And the view? Please, by all means, do get me started. My room overlooked the heated pool (yes, you can swim year-round) and the mountains beyond. I got to wake up every morning and sip my espresso while watching the sun rise over the water, and it was so stunning I took a new picture every five minutes because it kept getting prettier.
On top of the ample space and the beautiful views, I was also treated to Balmain products in the bathroom, fuzzy robes I was tempted to steal (I didn't, I promise), turndown service every night complete with chocolates on the nightstand, and an actual Nespresso machine instead of the lackluster drip coffee pots you find in so many hotel rooms.
THE AMENITIES
As I mentioned, I was at the hotel for Sundance, so my number one priority was whether or not it would be easy to get to and from my screenings. It was! The main festival theaters are only a 15-minute drive from the hotel, and getting an Uber to that area is not bad at all. It was a really convenient jumping-off point.
I wasn't able to ski while I was at the hotel, which I'm still crying about, but I'll shout out the ski amenities here because I know that's important to people. The Grand Hyatt is truly made for skiers. Not only can you rent all your equipment on-site, but the "ski butlers" will store it for you in a locker so you don't have to keep it in your room. You can also take a shuttle directly from the hotel to the chairlift, and there's a pro shop on-site where you can buy any gear you might have left at home.
Another amenity at the hotel I really enjoyed was the Peloton and Headspace classes that came preprogrammed on the TV in my room. Because Hyatt has partnerships with both, I was able to try classes without having to be a member of either brand. On the Peloton side, I tried the Pilates and chair yoga class in my room one morning. And one night when I was having trouble falling asleep, I turned on the Headspace white noise function and was out like a light. There are Peloton bikes in the gym, too, if that's your thing.
THE FOOD AND BEV
Grand Hyatt Deer Valley has so many on-site dining options, which was amazing for when I came back from a long day of schlepping and didn't want to go back out for dinner. On the first night, I ate at their restaurant Remington Hall, where I had onion dip with caviar that put the onion dip in my fridge to shame, a kale salad with pancetta, and a bison filet that blew me away. Do not sleep on the Parker House rolls, which were also amazing.
Right outside Remington Hall, in the hotel lobby, you can experience "high chocolate," which is the hotel's take on high tea. Not only do you get delicious hot chocolate, but multiple tiers of little desserts like macarons, cookies, tarts, and cupcakes.
They have a few other dining options, as well, including a cocktail lounge, a speakeasy downstairs with its own food menu, and, of course, room service. But my favorite thing was the coffee shop inside the hotel, Double Blacks. Now, it might seem weird to call out a coffee shop as your favorite dining option in a hotel with many dining options, but hotel breakfast is normally the bane of my existence. I'm not a huge breakfast person to begin with, so a buffet gives me too many options and I end up eating nothing, and a sit-down breakfast always feels too long. I want to be able to grab a coffee and a pastry and hit the road. Double Blacks was my first stop every single morning, and truly, more hotels need a coffee shop like this on-site. Get yourself a latte and a bacon quiche and you'll be set for the day.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you're looking for a resort that will allow you to ski and see a bunch of movies at the Sundance Film Festival at the same time, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is the place for you. Not only is it convenient, but the customer service is on point. For example, there were two days in a row that I had my "do not disturb" sign on when housekeeping came around, and the hotel texted me to ask me when they could come back. Little things like that really add up to make you feel like you're at home even when you're away. I can't wait to (hopefully!) go back next year.
