Salt Lake City, the “Crossroads of the West,” is known for being easily accessible by car, rail, bus, and air. It is also one of the easiest cities to navigate while visiting. Located in the center of the downtown area, the Plaza Hotel is a short walk to the Family History Library, shopping, restaurants, historical sights, and many event venues. For those who wish to venture out a bit farther, the lightrail stops right in front of the Plaza Hotel and connects with other transportation at the SLC transportation hub. Unless you have designs on a drive up the canyon or to some point north or south of Salt Lake City proper, you shouldn’t need a vehicle while here. Should you wish to drive, however, you will be pleasantly surprised to find atypically wide city streets and convenient parking. Whatever your mode of transportation, visitor information is available at the Plaza, and the Salt Lake City Visitor’s Bureau is just a block away.
Getting to Salt Lake City
By Air: The Salt Lake International Airport serves as a major hub for Delta Airlines. It is also served by American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United and US Airways, and their affiliates in two terminals. As a side note, it is also host to a large art collection to make your walk through the corridors a pleasant one.
By Rail or Bus: Local visitors will be familiar with the commuter light rail system, FrontRunner, which provides easy access into Salt Lake from points as far south as Provo and as far north as Ogden. Amtrak’s California Zephyr serves Salt Lake City from the San Francisco Bay area in the west and from Chicago, Illinois to the east. Salt Lake City is also served by Greyhound Bus Lines.
Getting to the Plaza Hotel
Airport Transportation: The Salt Lake International Airport is literally just minutes away from downtown. The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel offers a complimentary shuttle for their lodging guests from the airport to their property. After claiming your luggage, simply call the Plaza using your cell phone. They will tell you which door to exit to wait for their arrival.
Bus and Rail Connections: Both Greyhound and Amtrak stop at Salt Lake Central, the city’s Intermodal Hub, where passengers may connect with TRAX (lightrail), which stops directly in front of the Plaza Hotel (Temple Square Station).
By Car: As previously mentioned, unless you plan to take a drive, you probably don’t need a rental vehicle. If you are arriving by car, the Plaza website provides driving directions to help you get to their property.
From another hotel: If you are staying at the Carlton or the Crystal Inn, they will provide a shuttle to/from the Family History Library, which is just 1/2 block from the Plaza Hotel (less if you use the Plaza’s back door). If you are staying elsewhere, please make sure you check an online map and TRAX schedule to assure you provide yourself sufficient travel time.
Parking
Hotel Guest parking is available at the Plaza at the rate of $5 per night (24-hr period). Parking may be charged to your room as an incidental and includes in/out privileges.
Day passes are also available for other conference participants for $5 per day. Day passes also include in/out privileges. They may be purchased at the hotel registration desk with presentation of your conference name badge.
Getting Around in Salt Lake City
The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel is just one-half block from the Family History Library, so it is avery short walk from the conference to the research facility. If you wish to explore, several historical sites and a wide variety of shops and restaurants are within a short walking distance as well. Lightrail (TRAX) stops directly in front of the Plaza Hotel (Temple Square Station) and provides
transportation to a variety of downtown sites free as well as a link to the Intermodal Hub for exploring beyond the downtown area.
One of the best kept secrets to the new visitor is the “Free Fare Zone”. One may ride TRAX (lightrail) or any city bus within the downtown area (see map) at no cost. Circled areas on the map at left indicate TRAX stations. Schedules are posted at each one, but may also be found online, along with bus schedules, at Ride UTA. Connections to other TRAX lines or Bus lines beyond the downtown area may be made at the Central Station.
Visitor Information
Salt Lake visitor materials, to include a restaurant guide and transportation map, will be available at the British Institute registration desk. A limited amount of sightseeing literature will also be available in the hotel hallway. Visit Salt Lake staffs a visitor center and gift shop from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily at 90 S. West Temple, just one block from the hotel in additional to offering complete information online.