Salt Lake City Weekend

---

Salt Lake City Weekend
March 13, 2011


Once in a while it’s fun to get away for an overnight respite; this was the case when my oldest son asked if I would like to accompany him to Salt Lake City. He had an appointment mid-afternoon on the 14th and suggested we could do some shopping around his appointment time. Who can say no to a trip especially when you can spend it with your son?

My son was taking his retired K-9 with him so he searched the Internet for a dog friendly hotel; The Monaco popped up and was located downtown just a few blocks from his scheduled appointment. It is a 15 story renovated gray building which from the outside is not spectacular. Since its downtown, there is little to no decoration save for the sign. Valet parking is available for the entire stay at $17.00 or $10.00 for the day. But what you get when you step inside is another story. You are whisked back to years past with ornate decorations with modern twists. It boasts it’s theme as “Guilty Pleasures” with rich reds, blues and chocolate flavoring enriched with vintage furniture pieces sitting alongside newly ornate fixtures.

We set our navigation GPS, named “Lola” after the RV movie, to find the building. We first spotted the Sheridan, a new structure and vast in size. But to the east stood our destination, the hotel Monaco, a more staid and sober stature. We initially had some doubts. We pulled into the registration area and entered the lobby. Our fears were quickly diminished and a very friendly clerk bid us welcome. Having pre-registered they knew that we were bringing a dog and asked for her name for their registry. Looking around we spotted a welcome board for pets with both a large and small water dish for its thirsty guests.

Dogs and their owners are on the 7th floor, cats are on the 10th, we were down the hall and at the end of a small hallway, a corner room. Our room was richly decorated. Sitting on the far bed was a welcome pack including 5 dog biscuits, pet magazine and pet door placard announcing to housekeeping that a pet occupied the room. A water and food bowl and leash and a fluffy large dog bed was neatly arranged at the foot of the bed. And for us we had complimentary robes, slippers and Aveda hair products. Our “honor” snacks included an assortment of late night munchies, sodas and water. These snacks are not on touch sensitive sensors, if you take you tell and it’s added to your bill.

We were informed that from 5 to 6pm the hotel offered hors d'oeuvres and wine to its guests in the lobby. So of course we ambled down and soon found our concierge offering up two wines, a red blend and a Pinot Grigio. Opting for one of both we sat on a settee close to, but not directly in front of the fireplace. Soon the hotels chef brought out a plate of toast rounds, with goat cheese and roasted red peppers. A lofty over stuffed sofa allowed us to relax from our drive, enjoy the wine and appetizers and take in the atmosphere. Also for their guests was a complementary five-minute back and neck massage. I tried to get my son to partake but, alas, it was not meant to be.

Back to our room and it was time to walk our dog. Back down to the lobby. The clerk informed us that it was the area across the street between two buildings; all rock no grass but he did offer us a doggy pick up bag at no charge. This was Sunday, very little traffic, so we have no problems crossing a busy main street. Then it was time for dinner and we were looking for The Cedars of Lebanon, a Middle Eastern restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel. Ah the wonders of Google, cell phones and Lola! We were set to go with time to spare since they don’t close until 9:30pm on Sunday.

I was not crowded. I guessing Sunday is a slow day as our and one other table were the only patrons dining that night. Please see my complete review at PattieSueFoodReview. Having enjoyed our dinner we retraced our path and soon returned to our hotel. It is very nice to have valet parking. One can and could get spoiled very quickly. Since it was still early I decided to treat my son to a night cap at the hotel bar, The Bambara. It is one of those darkly lit bars but endowed with recessed lighting, rich woods and padded seats. I opted for a Chivas and my son a Tanqueray and some down time. By now it was around 10pm and the sign stated closing time was at 11pm. The bartender seemed to be closing up shop so we ordered one more round to take to our room. The drinks came and so did my bill, $42.06 for our 45 minute stay and 4 drinks. Seeing the amazed look the bartender stated that Salt Lake City gouges hotel patrons for their liquor. No doubt!

Back to our room for a brief update on the crisis in Japan and it was lights out. We both were going to the 24-hour gym in the morning so I really needed my sleep. The mattresses are thick and firm but with a soft quality and each bed had 4 feather soft pillows so I had no problem falling to sleep. Since this was the weekend for day light savings, my internal clock was really messed up. In spite of a protesting body, we crawled out of bed, changed into workout clothes and headed down to the gym for the treadmills. The gym is not that big, two stair steppers, two treadmills, a sit down exercise bike and a couple of other devices rounded out the equipment. They did have water, towels and Sani-wipes for the equipment and the stair steppers had small TV’s and ear phones. It was an enjoyable workout despite the imagined hour.

It was back to our room and another change of clothes. We decided to eat in the restaurant also called The Bambara. Since we had looked at the room service menu we thought the choices would be the same. Alas not so. The room service menu offered the traditional breakfast items at rather modest prices, but the dining room offered much less for much more. We had choices of pancakes, fresh fruit, yogurt, stone ground oatmeal etc. you know, up town yuppie food. Let’s face it. I cannot exist on a cup of sliced fruit and toast, my son got the bagel and the fresh fruit and had the same dilemma. So for $23.49 plus tip we both decided that we would not be dining again at the hotel restaurant. We packed the car and headed out for his appointment. In spite of the restaurant, we enjoyed our stay at the hotel and will stay there on our next trip to Salt lake City.

The appointment went quite fast and we had more time than expected. As a bonus we set off to Draper, Utah to find the Ikea store. It was about a 20 minute trip down I-15 South and we both were excited since neither of us had been to an Ikea before. The TV ads make it look so impressive. The Ikea in Draper is actually on Ikea Way just off the freeway making exiting quite easy. It has a rather large parking lot allowing for ample parking without crowding. I must say I was expecting something more than what I found. The furniture was a mixture of pressboard and cheaply manufactured items, chrome and canvas in bright colors. Don’t get me wrong; for the right person the store would be a haven of delight. However, my tastes run along the lines of Chippendale, Duncan Fife and nothing in the store came close.

Down stairs we ambled through the kitchenware where we did find a few items to take home, cups, flour sack towels which I love for baking, scented candles and cork coasters. Perhaps it’s this store and it reflects the tastes and buying habits of its area residents, but for me I would not make a return trip. I would be interested in touring another Ikea in a different city, however, to see if the stores are the same.

Now we were heading off to the Middle Eastern store to pick up some Armenian food items. We purchased some lahmajoon which is a pizza type pastry, basturma, a cured meat and string cheese, a couple bottles of mineral water from Armenia and the family’s favorite, a semi sweet, flakey dough called Gata. We secured our treasures in our cold bags and reprogrammed Lola for our home address. The route took us right by a “Whole Foods Store”. I had seen this store on TV during the Top Chef contests but had never been in one. We both agreed to a slight detour to satisfy our curiosity. Street parking is bad at best but they do offer multi-level parking which we opted for. A slight walk to the elevators, which I might are large enough to handle several shopping carts plus extra people.

The store is all about organic and health life style, so our first tour was through the produce section, where we found an array of organically grown vegetables and fruit. The prices were a little higher but the quality could not have been better. Just as in any store there are your demonstrators, peddling their offerings; but in this store you don’t get the greasy bean and cheese burrito. What you get is a nice gulp of agave juice, or perhaps a sampling of low fat turkey sausage. Several aisles are devoted to vitamins, protein powders and the like. They have a deli and “fast food” area that offer tabouleh salads instead of potato and so forth. Of course we could not go home empty handed. We quickly filled our basket with several cartons of low fat yogurt, small loaves of sour dough bread and a killer black bean and quinoa salad.

We sat in the car and ate the salad with its light vinaigrette dressing; quite tasty. It was my first experience with quinoa but now not my last. Again, heading for home, we made a quick stop at McDonalds for a couple of coffees before setting off back towards Idaho. I-15 was not crowded for our mid-afternoon trip and we made good time getting back to Idaho. All in all, it was a most enjoyable trip and the best part is the time I got to spend with my oldest son.

More information about the Hotel Monaco at
http://www.monaco-saltlakecity.com/monslm_map.html

---

Photos

Monaco Hotel
A tall imposing structure that belies the warmth inside.
A Monaco Hotel photo.

Guest Lounge
A comfortable lounge for the guest to enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers.
A Monaco Hotel photo.

I prefer a white wine
Wine tasting in the hotel lounge.

I prefer a hearty red wine
Sipping a nice red wine in the hotel lounge.

Monaco Hotel Room
The rooms at the Monaco are richly appointed and comfortable. One floor caters to dog owners and another floor is designated for cats.
A Monaco Hotel photo.

Our Room
Reading the Directory to see what is where.

Retired Canine Khia
It had beena long day and Khia tries out the dog bed for a much needed nap.

Bar Tab
Two drinks each and a tab of $42.

Breakfast
Went to the dining room for breakfast. Fruit and bread breakfast for two was $23.45 plus tip.