Home to two world-class ski resorts, Park City is a place where you can wake up and hit the slopes right away. Salt Lake City, however, is about a 40-minute drive from Park City and has fewer five-star hotels that typically come at a lower price point.

Park City has eight five-star hotels listed on Booking.com, with an average nightly rate of $760. Four-star hotels cost roughly $660 per night, and three-star hotels cost $340 on average.

Salt Lake City has only two five-star hotels listed on the same site — the Grand America Hotel, where I stayed, and the Hyatt Regency. The accommodations here cost less than half the average per night, at about $150 for three-star hotels, $220 for four-star hotels, and $310 for five-star hotels.

The Grand America Hotel was the first five-star hotel to open in Salt Lake City. It was built in 2001 for a specific reason — to host the 2002 Olympic Committee.

"One of the stipulations to bring the Olympics here was to build a five-star hotel," a hotel representative told Business Insider.

The hotel, known for hosting celebrities and professional athletes, was ranked among the 50 best hotels in the world by CN Traveler's 2024 Reader's Choice Awards.

The Grand America Hotel stretches 24 floors on 10 acres in Downtown Salt Lake City. It has 775 rooms and four tiers of accommodation, with a starting rate of $300 per night during peak season (depending on hotel occupancy), the representative told BI. That rate gets you a 700-square-foot premier room that includes a lounging area, a marble bathroom, and a wall of windows.

I stayed in the second-tier room, an 880-square-foot executive suite that cost $340 a night, though BI received a media rate for the two-night stay.

Aside from the size, the rooms are quite similar.

Sheraton Park City is a premium Marriott hotel built in 1983. Before an upgrade in 2019, it was known as the Park City Marriott.

The three-star hotel is about 10-minute drive from world-class ski resorts, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain, and the hotel has a shuttle service, making it a convenient stay for skiers.

A hotel representative told BI that the hotel has 199 rooms and four tiers of accommodation, with a starting rate of $300 during peak season.

I booked the lowest tier — a guest room— for about $300 for one night.

The Grand America Hotel is drenched in old-world glitz and glam. With Italian marble floors, glass chandeliers, and antique decor in every direction, I felt like royalty as I stepped into the lobby.

The Sheraton Park City had a more modest feel. The lobby had an elevated cowboy-era look, with wood and leather furniture, a stone fireplace, and stacks of logs on the shelves surrounding it.

My executive suite at the Grand America Hotel had accents and decor that matched the upscale, European look of the rest of the hotel.

The suite had a large living room with a lounge and desk.

If I had booked the lower room tier for $300 a night, I would have had a smaller, sectioned-off seating area in addition to the bedroom.

The bedroom felt elegant with antique furniture, one of the coziest king-sized beds I've ever had the pleasure of sleeping on, thanks to a customized mattress, and a small balcony overlooking Salt Lake City.

When I stay at hotels, I love waking up to a wide view of the destination I'm visiting because it gets me excited to start my day of exploring.

My room at the Sheraton Park City had two queen-sized beds across from a dresser and a small work desk. It looked more like a typical hotel room than my suite at the Grand America Hotel. The beds were comfortable, and I appreciated the local artwork on the walls.

I didn't have a balcony, and my room's window faced another side of the building, but I imagine that rooms on higher floors offered better views.

Although it was a bit plain compared to the Grand America Hotel room, my Sheraton Park City accommodation was clean, modern, and functional. It was certainly on par with other three-star hotels I've booked.

The closet felt huge. Inside, I found terry cloth robes with matching slippers and amenities like an iron, steamer, safe, and extra linens.

There was also a vanity on one side of the closet and two mirrored doors that led to the bathroom.

If I had booked the lower-tier room, I would have had a smaller closet and bathroom, yet with all the same amenities as the executive suite.

On the way to the bathroom, there was a small closet. It had an iron and ironing board inside. Across from it, I appreciated the brightly lit sink and vanity.

Handpicked Italian marble coated the floors, counters, and some of the walls in the executive suite bathroom.

The bathroom had a soaking tub, a glass-walled shower on one side, and a toilet stall on the other. It was stocked with travel-sized toiletries.

The lower-tier rooms' bathrooms are smaller, but they have the same decor and include a tub and separate shower.

This bathroom was decent for a 3-star hotel. There was no tub, but the shower felt larger than the one in my Grand America suite.

Inside, there were two shower heads and full-sized toiletries.

The indoor pool was in the 20,000-square-foot Grand Spa, which also has saunas and 18 service rooms. The outdoor pool was surrounded by trimmed trees in a courtyard.

The pool area sat in a courtyard atrium in the middle of the hotel and had an indoor-outdoor feel. Although there was no spa at the Sheraton Park City, the pool area had a hot tub and a sauna.

In addition to the spa, the Grand America Hotel had a fitness center, a European-style coffee shop and bistro, a strip of high-end boutique shops, multiple bars, 24 business venues, and a 35,000-square-foot courtyard with intricate landscaping.

With two restaurants, a coffee shop, a convenience store, a fitness center, a game room, a business center, and 11 event venues, the Sheraton Park City had plenty of amenities for a three-star establishment.

I thought the Sheraton Park City was worth the $300 price point. The three-star hotel would be perfect for a budget traveler who wants to wake up and hit the slopes right away.

But the Grand America Hotel was just as luxurious as hotels that have cost me $1,000 a night or more in other cities.

After a tiring day of winter sports, I imagine retiring to a lavish room for a warm bath before stretching out on a custom mattress would be worth the drive.