This article is sponsored by The Grand America Hotel.

Amid the excitement of the recent announcement that the 2034 Olympic Winter Games are officially returning to the Greatest Snow on Earth, understandably many Utahns are reminiscing about the first time our home state hosted the world stage. 

Officially confirmed on June 16, 1995, the years leading up to the 2002 Winter Games left an indelible mark on Salt Lake City, as it stretched itself, growing to meet this monumental task. 

The Grand America Hotel, now an iconic landmark of the city’s skyline and within the community, first opened its golden doors in March 2001. It was built not only to meet the demand of the Olympics but also specifically to meet another need in our city at that time — a need for world-class hospitality. 

With this mission, the family-owned team behind The Grand America was intentional from start to finish. From the artistic design and imported materials to the culture, bringing this European-influenced, convention hotel to life was intended to build the legacy of Salt Lake City. 

Now, on the brink of the world’s return to Utah, The Grand America Hotel is ready to raise the bar and extend that legacy all over again.

 

Building a legacy: Setting a new standard for Salt Lake City

A world-class hotel begins with an impressive structure and an immersive design. 

Each of the White Bethel granite stones that make up The Grand America’s exterior was hand-selected. They were quarried in Vermont and then shipped to San Sebastian, Spain, to be cut and polished. 450,000 square feet of the honed granite were then shipped to Utah via the Panama Canal, 85,000 of which are hand-set around the hotel’s curved arches, windows, and doorways. 

And that’s just the outside. 

The distinct wood paneling in the lobby and corridors is Anegre, a unique West African wood, selected for its warm golden tone and unique grain. The detailed paint scheme throughout the hotel employed 155 full-time painters for nearly two years, bringing the transportive interior of The Grand America to life. 

The effect of all of this attention to detail is impossible to ignore. Ready to welcome the world’s leaders with European-inspired elegance and top-tier service in 2002, The Grand America continues to be Salt Lake City’s best first impression.

 

Ready for the main event: 100,000 square feet of spectacular event space

In the run-up to 2002, Salt Lake City needed not only a hotel worthy of the global spotlight but also a convention-sized versatile space that could elegantly host important meetings and events. 

The Grand America answered that need with 100,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event spaces, all designed with the same five-star standard of materials throughout the hotel. 

Now, you can meet under a hand-blown Murano glass chandelier and your convention can convene in a ballroom lit up by Moscatelli crystal chandeliers. Your boardroom can step out onto a balcony with a view of the stunning Center Courtyard and the Wasatch Mountains framed in the background and, in turn, the lush, garden-surrounded Center Courtyard can become your group’s private patio for unforgettable events in the fresh mountain air. 

From intimate meetings for just a few to weeklong conventions, The Grand America delivers world-class standards to every guest and every event.

 

The royal standard: Service that defies expectation

Since opening in 2001, The Grand America has defined itself not just by its beauty or size but also by the people who make every visit an experience truly unlike any other. 

Guests may be awed by the museum-quality artwork decorating the walls, but it’s the warm welcome they receive from the moment they arrive that really leaves a lasting impression. 

And that impression extends to special events, too. 

With in-house specialists from an award-winning kitchen and world-class chefs to audio-visual experts and banquet teams that ensure each event shines, The Grand America has raised the standard of hospitality in Salt Lake City by offering an all-in-one experience that promises service that is thoughtful and on par with the best convention hotels in the world. 

And so, as the world returns to Utah in a few short years, The Grand America will be ready to raise the bar once again and build the legacy it was intended for from the very beginning. 

You don’t need to wait until 2034 to experience world-class service — plan your next event at The Grand America Hotel today!