盐湖城Grand America酒店法式风情25周年庆典实地探访
C’est Bon! Inside the Grand America Hotel’s French-Inspired 25th Anniversary Fete
盐湖城五星级酒店Grand America Hotel举办25周年庆典，数百位嘉宾出席，现场有法国手风琴表演、默剧演员、杂技演出和气球埃菲尔铁塔，视频屏幕回放酒店25年前建造历程。酒店为迎接2002年冬奥会而建，楼高24层，坐拥市中心10英亩园区，常年承接婚宴、赛马主题派对及多代同堂体验等活动，并与街对面的Little America酒店支持整体包场。
A mime is always a good addition. I don’t know if this is some type of event-planner secret weapon, but when attendees fill a ballroom and hit up various catered stations while performers circulate, all with a French theme, the roof is destined to be blown off of the event. A tip of the proverbial chapeau is de rigueur.
When I attended the 25th anniversary gala of Salt Lake City’s Grand America Hotel, I expected to be joined by at least a few hundred others, and that number was hit, as the lavish, five-star urban resort went all out to celebrate its silver fete.
A French accordion player roamed the party, squeezing out classics like “The Poor People of Paris.” Perfectly sculpted dancers and circus acts performed on a floor at the center of the room. An Eiffel Tower made from balloons stretched to the ceiling. Caricaturists sat at tables and drew the guests. Video screens hung from a ceiling truss and showed various stages of the hotel’s construction 25 years prior.
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Another video wall morphed abstract swirling colors into a Mona Lisa painting. The seafood, the fromagerie, the boulangerie and the crepe maker all rocked. And the mime cracked everyone up, especially when he stood next to the accordion player and mimicked every move.
Built to Last
Built to welcome the world to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the 24-story Grand America Hotel overlooks a beautifully manicured 10-acre footprint in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Inside, our gaze immediately went to the nautical paintings, the rugs and the Italian glass chandeliers from Murano and Milan that descended over the meeting spaces.
“These are the largest bronze and crystal chandeliers ever made,” said Giancarla Giannoni, marketing coordinator, as she led a tour through the property.
The Grand America is big on seasonal activations. Kentucky Derby events for 100 guests. Christmas blowouts for families. Wellness packages. Evergreen multigenerational experiences. And of course, tons of weddings.
“Our hotel is one of the hottest spots for weddings in Utah,” Giannoni boasted.
In the gift shop, we found an eclectic menagerie of products. Books on bison, golf, yoga, tea and wild horses. There were backgammon gift sets, indie fashion lines and cheese knives. A seriously discerning taste was clearly at work.
As we then sat down for the hotel’s signature afternoon tea service, featuring “No. 555 Dandelion Chai,” a live harpist played “La Vie en Rose,” “Misty” and “Ain’t Misbehaving.” A birthday party unfolded at the corner table. Within moments, 200 insurance salespeople stormed the lobby on the way to their next set of meetings. The place was vibrant.
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The spa was insanely popular. Multiple packages existed, even for people that didn’t stay at the hotel. Same with the indoor and outdoor pools.
As we ventured out to the pool deck, the bar played REO Speedwagon and several guests sunned themselves. It was easy to imagine the whole place jammed.
“On the weekends, we have security out here just waiting for an open spot when guests first show up,” Giannoni said.
Little Sister Property
Any group intending to book the Grand America should not ignore the partner property across the street, the Little America, a smaller and homier place but one with the same eclectic gift shops.
The restaurants were more family-style, buffets included, and likewise entertained just as many non-guests as guests, it appeared.
Most importantly, both hotels are available for complete buyouts, which happens more often than we realized. For example, when groups take over both hotels simultaneously, they can stage events at the Grand and scheduled mealtimes at the Little.
“That’s why we say, ‘If it’s not at Grand, it’s at Little. If it’s not at Little, it’s at Grand,” Giannoni said.
At 25 years young, the Grand is surely entering a new phase, as is Salt Lake City.
Just down the street we found Japanese, Himalayan and Venezuelan restaurants, plus several bars and used bookstores.
“It’s a growing market,” Giannoni said. “It’s getting so busy and fun.”
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About the author
Gary Singh's byline has appeared more than 1,500 times, including on newspaper columns, travel essays, art and music criticism, profiles, business journalism, lifestyle articles, poetry and short fiction. He is the author of The San Jose Earthquakes: A Seismic Soccer Legacy (2015, The History Press) and was recently a Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. An anthology of his Metro Silicon Valley columns, "Silicon Alleys," was published in 2020. He still lives in San Jose.
来源：Meetings Today · meetingstoday.com