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Where to stay in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is small and laid out on a wide grid, with the ski resorts less than an hour away. Stay around Temple Square and City Creek for the historic centre, shopping and the TRAX line to the airport; in south downtown near the Salt Palace for conventions, Jazz games and the city's best-value big hotels; or by the airport for an early flight or a quick start to the mountains. Downtown is about 20 minutes from the airport by TRAX.

Find your area, then your hotel

Tap one of our picks, or any area, to see its hotels on the map, what it costs, where we'd book and how long it takes to get around.

In short: our pick for each kind of trip. Tap one to see why.

Should you stay in

Temple Square & City Creek?

Historic centre, City Creek & the TRAX

What a night costs

Budget
$170
Mid-range
$250
Luxury
$285

The dearest of the 3 areas, about $55 a night more than Airport.

Where we'd book

The verdict

The historic heart of Salt Lake City, with Temple Square, the Tabernacle, the Conference Center, City Creek Center shopping and the State Capitol on the hill above.

  • Stay here if
  • First-time visitors
  • Families
  • Visitors to the Family History Library
  • Look elsewhere if
  • You want lively nightlife
  • You want lots going on on Sundays
  • You want to be right by the ski slopes

Minutes to the sights

  • City Creek Center2 minwalk
  • Temple Square3 minwalk
  • Tabernacle6 minwalk
  • Family History Library6 minwalk
  • Conference Center9 minwalk
  • Gallivan Center9 minwalk

Stations and airports

0 min to Temple Square. TRAX light rail runs along Main Street and South Temple, with the Green Line to the airport and the Red and Blue Lines south. Downtown blocks are big, so allow time to walk.

  • From Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)TRAX Green Line from the airport to City Center station20 min
Read the full Temple Square & City Creek guide →

Typical rates for a double outside peak events, not live prices. Updated Oct 2026 · How we rate areas · Minutes planned with the Transitous (MOTIS on published GTFS timetables and OpenStreetMap) for a weekday, including walking and waiting · Booking through our links costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission. Learn more

Salt Lake City questions

What is the best area to stay in Salt Lake City for first-timers?

Temple Square & City Creek puts the big sights within easy reach and is 0 minutes from Temple Square.

Which area of Salt Lake City has the cheapest hotels?

Airport and Downtown & Salt Palace, with budget hotels from around $150 and mid-range around $195–$230 a night.

Where is the best nightlife in Salt Lake City?

Downtown & Salt Palace has the most bars, restaurants and late nights.