Cheap conference accommodation in Salt Lake City?

August 28, 2010 7:11 PM

I'm going to a conference in Salt Lake City in late October and I need recommendations for places to stay for a week.

The conference is at the Grand America Hotel. Cheap would be good since i'm a poor student, and convenient would be good.

posted by dohmer to travel & transportation around Salt Lake City, UT (7 answers total)

The Avenues Hostel is pretty cheap. You could walk a block and catch a bus to downtown, then hop on the light rail which stops just across the street from Grand America.

I've never stayed there, but I used to live around the corner. I personally would skip the bus if the weather was nice, walk to downtown, and then hop on the train. The ride wouldn't cost you anything since you'd be in the free fare zone.

There are a lot of little restaurants, coffee shops, and stores within walking distance in the Avenues. It's one of the few neighborhoods in SLC that's actually walkable.
posted by baho at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2010

Welcome to SLC. The TRAX schedule is available here. If you stay somewhere downtown you'll be in the free fare zone, where all public transit is free. Courthouse is the closest station to the Grand America, and there are a ton of hotels inside of that area. I've stayed at the Hilton City Center which is fairly decent and not too spendy.
If you need someplace to go after and like beer check out the Bayou. Good food and awesome (280+) beers on the menu. If you want a nice bar, check out The Red Door.
If you need anything else, send me a mail.
posted by msbutah at 7:38 PM on August 28, 2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alta_Club

Its a gentlemens club complete with stories of moonshine, prostitutes, and fights.

I stayed here about a year ago and it was great. Tell them you're a student, and want to stay for a week, if there aren't any events, you will get it for damn cheap.
posted by hal_c_on at 8:05 PM on August 28, 2010

If cheap is your priority, I'd recommend getting a profile on Couchsurfing and sending a message to the SLC group here (fill out your profile fully for a better shot at having someone volunteer to host you). The group seems really active and welcoming, and if someone can't let you stay for a whole week, perhaps you wouldn't mind moving to another place mid-week if you needed to.

Couchsurfing is about more than just a cheap place to stay, though, so it wouldn't hurt to look around the FAQ and make sure you're willing to help travelers in your area, too, before signing up. You don't have to host other people if you aren't able to--you can just volunteer to be available to meet someone for coffee if they'd like some local info. But the reciprocal nature of the organization is what makes it a community of people getting to know other people and places rather than just a bunch of moochers.

Then you can join the Metafilter group there, too! In fact, if you already know other MeFites (IRL or online) who are in that group, that would be one way of getting a recommendation or two on your profile.
posted by BlooPen at 8:53 PM on August 28, 2010

Seconding Couchsurfing. Last time I went to SLC I CouchSurfed and it was great!
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:16 PM on August 28, 2010

I have never stayed at the Hotel Monaco, but I made a pledge to myself that I would, if I was ever looking for a hotel in Salt Lake City. There are probably cheaper places, but this joint is downtown, so transport will be less, and they have breakfast. If you are a gentleman of elevational privilege, please be advised that you can request a "tall room", with a long mattress and a high showerhead.

The best: they lend you a goldfish to stay in your room!
A GOLDFISH.
posted by Sallyfur at 9:21 PM on August 28, 2010

hal_c_on: Re: Alta Club
I used to work at the Alta Club. Heck I wrote that wikipedia article. It's a decent place. Just be warned that you are supposed to have reciprocal club membership to stay there, but you can usually sweet talk the desk clerk to get a room. They only have 20 rooms though so book early, certainly if there is a conference in town as it fills up. And don't stay in the rooms on the back sides of the building. They're noisy. Ask if the one on the north east corner or on the south west corner is available. It's big, has nice windows, is away from the street corner crosswalk that beeps all freaking night.
posted by msbutah at 10:02 PM on August 28, 2010