Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Embassy Suites Salt Lake City

On our second day of exploring Salt Lake we decided to spend the day downtown. We went to the Tracy Aviary and watched a bird show. Then we took a walk through Temple Square on our way to the Lion House Pantry for lunch.  After lunch we watched an IMAX movie at the Clark Planetarium and set our kids loose on the Discovery Gateway Museum.

By the end of the day it was only about 6:30 and I was exhausted.  I was so excited to find our hotel and do absolutely nothing.

The Embassy Suites Salt Lake City is located on 110 W 600 S.  Not only is it extremely close to a lot of local attractions, but it's only 7 miles from the Salt Lake Airport.  After driving for less than 5 minutes, we were there!

When we reached the hotel we were greeted by Jeff.  We were checked in by 6:45, but by the time we unloaded the car and brought the girls inside, we had just missed the nightly Manager's Reception (which features complementary drinks and snacks).

My girls were so excited when we got into the elevator and kept going up and up to the ninth floor.

Because we were on the top floor, the first thing we had to do was open our curtains and check out the view.


Then we put our stuff down in the bedroom and shut the door.

It was so nice to be able to put our bags down on the beds and then go out and relax in a different room.  It made it seem more like we were just relaxing on the couch at home, and not like we had been gone a few days.

I loved our Suite even more at bedtime.  My girls have very different bedtime routines.  My two year old has to be held until she falls asleep, and my five year old Kik goes to bed by herself.  With the Suite style of rooms we were able to accommodate both of them.

My daughters enjoyed our hotel stay as much as I did.  After I kissed Kik goodnight, she looked up at me and said, " I wish we could stay at this hotel every time.  The room is so spacious and we have somewhere to put our food."  And yes, she actually used the word spacious.

Then when we woke up in the morning, she looked over at me and smiled and said, "This bed is so comfy.  If I were a fairy I could sleep in it every night."

Breakfast was also a highlight for Kik.  The Embassy Suites features a complimentary cooked to order breakfast, and Kik was amazed that she could eat french toast even though her sister was eating pancakes.

The Embassy Suites also features
  • an exercise room with weight benches, medicine balls, ellipticals, treadmills, bikes, etc
  • gift shop
  • numerous meeting rooms and other business amenities
  • free shuttle to and from airport 
  • restaurants and dining areas
  • various home amenities (2 TVs, microwave, fridge, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, hair dryer)
  • high speed Internet throughout hotel
  • and a pool area with a sauna and sun deck

With all of the amenities the Embassy Suites has to offer, it would have been equally perfect for a business trip as well as a family vacation.

We loved our night at the Embassy Suites and I would definitely stay there again!

-Alena Telford of Creating Childhood Memories One Day at a Time.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Ramada Limited Salt Lake City


After a long day of walking around in the sun I was completely ready to find the Ramada Limited, and kick back and relax awhile. I left the address at home and didn't quite know where it was, but I did remember it was on state street and close to I-80. I was expecting to have to drive around for a little bit before we found it, but we turned onto state street and it was right there!

The Ramada Limited is located on 2455 South State Street in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The location was great because it was located right off two main freeway exits.  There was a KFC right next door, and lots of other restaurants within walking distance.

At the front desk we were welcomed by Charles. He was nice and welcoming, and most importantly after a long day, he was efficient. Within minutes we had our keys in hand and were on our way to our hotel room.

The room was the perfect temperature after walking around in the heat all day. We all just kicked back on the beds and relaxed for a little while. Bid was completely out of it as you can see by this picture.



Kik loves hotel rooms and thought it was so funny that there were so many pillows on each bed.

After the power nap was over, we sat out to explore the hotel.  Besides the indoor heated swimming pool and spa, there was also a fitness room with an elliptical, a bike, and a treadmill.  I was too tired to use it, but it was nice to know it was there if I wanted it.


Some of the other features of the hotel include:

  • free airport shuttle
  • free wireless internet service
  • coin operated laundry
  • cable tv
  • 24 hour Convenience Mart
  • and my husbands favorite, a complimentary extended continental breakfast


I used to clean hotel rooms when I lived in Price, and the hotel there had a free continental breakfast.  It consisted of packaged pastries, muffins, and juice.  When I heard that the hotel we were staying at had a free breakfast, that is what I was expecting.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that our breakfast had so much more!  There was muffins, toast, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, milk, juices, and a make your own waffle station.  And there were pastries, but instead of packaged and dry, they were moist and tasty.    I was very grateful for the variety because my daughters are kind of picky eaters and they were both able to eat what foods they liked.


As a parent I also really appreciated that the hotel rooms and swimming pool area was clean and maintained well.  I also loved that this sign was the first thing I saw when I entered my hotel room.


Because let's be honest, when you are packing for lots of people it's easy to forget things.


I would definitely stay at the Ramada Limited again.  And to them I would like to say, thanks for a great night!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Best Western Weston Inn


Imagine a night where everything falls into place, nothing goes wrong, and expectations are exceeded.  This is the very night my wife and I experienced while staying in Logan, Utah at the Best Western Weston Inn.  I would like to share a glimpse into our experience, highlighting some of the expectations we had that were exceeded.
Driving down Main Street in Logan my wife and I were extremely curious to find out exactly where the Best Western would be located.  To our pleasure it is situated right in the heart of town.  When I saw the exterior of the hotel I was very impressed by the look of the hotel, the Weston Inn is a great looking place.
            When my wife and I checked in, the front desk employee, Cody, was extremely courteous and helpful.  He happily offered to be of service in any possible way, which was helpful to know because my wife and I had questions later that evening.
            Once in our room we felt good finding that the room was extremely clean, it smelled great, was very tidy, and the temperature was perfect.  The hotel provided everything for our needs from a great room, comfortable bed, working desk, to free Internet, indoor pool and many other amenities.
            The Weston Inn is perfectly located in Logan.  Soon after unpacking our bags we decided to go to dinner.  My wife and I were grateful to find that within a very close walking distance there is a great restaurant called
Iron Gate Grill.  We walked maybe two minutes away down a quaint side road to find Iron Gate Grill.

            I would highly recommend Iron Gate Grill to anyone looking for great food and an inviting environment, and I am sure my wife would as well.  The food was fantastic!  From the relaxing ambiance created by the restaurant to the last bite of food, the Iron Gate Grill proved to be a great experience.
            “The salmon melts in my mouth, it is so good,” raved my wife about her Orange Coconut Salmon.  “This is one of the best plates of salmon I’ve ever had.”
            The next morning we woke up and decided to find out what entertainment is nearby the Weston Inn.  As we walked across the street to the
Cache Valley Visitors Bureau we again felt very pleased about the nicely located Weston Inn.  Now that it was day we were able to see the shopping we could do at nearby local vendors.  But we continued to the Visitors Bureau to find out a little more information on what Cache Valley is all about.  What we found was an overwhelming amount of information about Cache Valley’s best places for indoor and outdoor activities, restaurants, shopping and more.  It was great to learn some background and get a better feeling for Cache Valley.

            Later on we had the great opportunity to attend a great production held at
Cache Valley Center for the Arts Ellen Eccles Theatre.  We tapped our toes to the beat of a 1940’s big band called In the Mood.  It was a blast!  Afterwards my wife and I questioned ourselves about why we hadn’t been out to the playhouse more often, and couldn’t find a good answer.  We really enjoyed watching a live show and taking the opportunity to step back in time to the 40s.
            I hope that after reading this review you were able to get a glimpse of the experience we had.  Our stay at the Best Western Weston Inn resulted in a wonderful rendezvous to Logan Utah.  I honestly could not have had a better stay anywhere else.