Utah Hotels

The Mormon state of Utah is paradise on earth but not in the way the founding fathers predicted. Its strap line, 'The Greatest Snow on Earth' is no exaggeration: 800-1200cm per season is common. There are plenty of places to get a drink in the ski resorts these days, yet the Mormon influence still makes for a unique experience.

Utah's resorts are all within an hour's drive of Salt Lake City so you can base yourself in one or two resorts and still easily visit others. The best base is Park City, an old silver mining town with a pretty, lively and historic Main Street. Stay close to the main drag as the resort quickly meanders into characterless suburbia. From here, The Canyons and Deer Valley are only 20 minutes away. An alternative base is the über-exclusive Deer Valley, where the chalets and hotels are luxurious but there's no real resort life. Snowbird is the better bet for exploring Alta/Snowbird and works well as a twin-centre trip with Park City.

Many of Utah's major resorts are excellent for piste-cruising and will normally be enhanced by some very light powder on top. Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons are the best resorts for groomed trails; The Canyons, virtually unknown internationally, is the fourth largest resort in the US and has the capacity to grow into the biggest.

This is the number one reason for skiing in Utah, whose light and fluffy powder is a dream to ski. The terrain is not bad either: Alta/Snowbird is one of the ultimate ski areas in terms of serious all-mountain terrain. Everywhere you look, you can see a line you want to ski, be it through the rocks, an open bowl or through the trees.

Park City, The Canyons and Snowbird all have state-of-the-art terrain parks. Meanwhile, Deer Valley and Alta still ban snowboarders from their slopes.

Utah's food is a lot more down to earth than the powder with refectory-style self-service restaurants the norm. The exclusive Deer Valley is a little better but a lot pricier. Park City, nonetheless, has a cluster of restaurants serving a variety of American and international fare.

Although the licensing laws are a bit convoluted and arcane, the good news is that it is not difficult to get a drink in Utah these days, but some places are much quieter than others. Head to Park City for the best après-ski scene.

Deer Valley is the place for extensive spa facilities but the Silver Mountain Sports Club and Spa in Park City is also worth visiting, and most of the hotels have outdoor hot-tubs at the very least. For more active recreation, get out into the backcountry and try some snowmobiling. Alternatively, there is a cut-price factory shopping mall near to the resorts with everything from Calvin Klein to Gap. The prices offer incredible value.

For the ultimate in Utah ski mileage, ski the Utah interconnect. Start in Deer Valley in the morning, drop into Park City and across to the smaller resorts of Solitude and Brighton, then take a short hike, to be rewarded with a lovely gulley down into Alta. The final leg is up and over the top into Snowbird.