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Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 2 Reviews and 285 Opinions
15 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84101, United States
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287 Opinions
janicewilson
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Hotel Monaco didn't meet my expectations, but I must admit my expectations were high given all that I had heard about the Kimpton experience.
Facilities. Decent.
The hotel redeveloped an older property, built in 1924, having previously owned by the historic Continental Bank. The hotel didn't spend much time on the exterior as it was quite drab, leaving a depressed first impression. However the interior was warm and colorful, but couldn't avoid being awkward due to a floor plan intended for a financial institution. The rooms could only be described as adequate and upon seeing the bathroom, I understood immediately why the hotel couldn't charge more then $109 for a Deluxe Room. The bathroom was small, cramped and a bit worn around the edges. One excepts a Kimpton experience to be anything but worn. All in all, the furnishings seemed a bit "thrown together" rather than "quirky" and more "Bombay Company*-ish" than "luxuriously contemporary". But there was the occasional nice touch, e.g. leopard print robes, terry cloth shower curtain, tootsie rolls left bedside.
*Bombay Company is an American franchise that sells "unique" reproductions, with a touch of the exoctic, that can't quite camouflage the veneer of commercial furniture. Nice, but certainly not luxurious.
Service. Poor
I know few hotels that can meet the Four Seasons standard, but I do expect at least a 4 star standard from a Kimpton. Hotel Monaco barely manged a 3 star standard. Upon arrival, I was beleaguered by valet, because I chose to park the car 20 meters away for $21 dollars less (over the course of two days) then the vaunted hotel parking. I love the Kimpton "goldfish" standard, but hated that I had to ask for that sucker three times before the provided pet was at long last brought to our room (the goldfish was not delivered until the following day). At best, the front desk seemed absent minded and more often negligent re the few requests we made (e.g. goldfish, dry cleaning and late check out).
Unique Quality: Location. The location of the hotel was fantastic. A few blocks walk from Temple Square and diverse range of restaurants. After a quick jaunt to Red Iguana (excellent restaurant), I was able to park my car for the remainder of the weekend.
Advice. 1. If I have the opportunity to visit Salt Lake City again, for $90 more I'll be happy to choose Grand America over Monaco. I dined at the hotel's Garden Cafe for brunch and was very impressed with both the interior and exterior finishes and furnishings of the hotel. 2. Disregard the valet. Valet parking is $15.50 per night. Self parking in the hotel lot is $13.50 per night. Self parking next door (adjoined to the lounge, Red Door), $5.00 for the entire weekend (as long as the care remains parked, otherwise, $5 per night).
Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City - A Kimpton Hotel Photo: Foyer of Hotel Monaco
maryellen50
User Rating
I stayed at the Hotel Monaco chain in Denver and here in Salt Lake City as they are probably the most pet-friendly upscale hotel chain.
Unique Quality: Staff was very friendly and service great. In downtown Salt Lake City convenient to everything. This hotel has been voted on several websites as the best boutique hotel in Salt Lake City. The Hotel Monaco chain appears to locate many of it's hotels in renovated buildings to preserve local architecture.
Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City - A Kimpton Hotel Photo: Hotel Monaco
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any hotel that provides its guests with goldfish for the length of their stay has got to be good! some friends and i traveled to SLC for a concert and we all stayed at the monaco. we weren't disappointed at all. our room was amazing. the beds were so comfortable. and the staff was very helpful. they even had wine tasting every afternoon. i wouldn't stay anywhere else in SLC. it has to be the monaco. you just can't beat it.
We stayed at the Hotel Monaco February 18th for one night. Parking is by valet only and we were not informed that there would be a parking charge. I would have paid it either way, but advanced notice is a mandatory courtesy. Service is adequate, but nothing spectacular. In order to access the elevators you must walk down a very narrow hallway filled with an unpleasant stench of cigarette smoke. The Hotel's bar/club obviously is not well ventilated and permeates into the lobby/hallway. If you have smoke allergies or asthma you may want to exit the hotel and enter again on the east side of the building. Our room was large and clean. This hotel caters to the younger, more trendy crowd. Trendiness appears to try to make up for pleasantries. Bathroom had a pedestal/counter type sink, not a full vanity. Overall stay was nice, but impersonal. I would recommend Little America, Grand America or Downtown Marriott for better service and more amenities.
My stay here from Feb 12th to Feb 15th was as great as I hoped it would be. I suppose I come from the "young and trendy" crowd, but I thought the service was thoughtful and understated, just the way I like it. This hotel has no pool, only one restaurant, and is not uber-luxurious, so I would rate it (in terms of amenities and overall experience) squarely as 4-star. I really loved the hotel's location: a couple blocks south and a little removed from the Temple Square area, but still in the pedestrian-friendly core of downtown. There are a lot of little mom-and-pop food shops out the hotel's east doors and around the corner: a Chilean deli, Chinese restaurant, tea room, NYC-style subs, etc. Note that the Hilton is just to the west, so if you are looking for something different than a boutique hotel experience, you could stay there and still enjoy the central location.
I was most impressed here by housekeeping's high standards; they cleaned very thoroughly and seemed to spend a lot of time and care on each room...more than I usually see, even at properties of this caliber. Please don't be turned off by a previous reviewer's remark about the hallway leading to the elevators. It is true that the hallway runs along glass doors that lead into the "trendy" restaurant's lounge. But I am a non-smoker and I never smelled anything offensive during my stay. (Feb 18th was a Friday night; perhaps that explains the previous reviewer's experience.)
We stayed two nights at the Monaco, March 4 and 5. We were looking forward to it as we had enjoyed stays in Kimpton properties in Portland and San Francisco.
Unfortunately we discovered the first night that our room did not have hot water. To make a long story short, we called several times to the front desk (where they tried their best to ignore us) and we were finally told that there was nothing that they could do for us. The next morning after a couple of calls to the front desk, they found a room which we could "borrow" for a hot shower.
The next night, the room still did not have any hot water and we had to ask to be moved. They agreed after some very patronizing remarks; we had to call again (30 minutes later) to remind them that we were still waiting for them to bring the keys to us as promised.
As we checked out the next morning the clerk cheerfully asked "how our stay was". I mentioned that we were very frustrated. He then provided cursory "sorry", questions about what we took from the honor bar, and the receipt.
We tried their restaurant. The food was good, although somewhat overpriced and the wait staff were less than attentive.
We later sent a letter detailing our experience to the manager of the hotel (along with a copy via their corporate web site.) No one at the Monaco (or the Kimpton corporate offices) responded to our letter. We will not return to the Monaco or any other Kimpton properties.
It would be very difficult to find flaws with the Monaco. The hotel is located centrally, right by Main Street, in one of Salt Lake City's more attractive buildings. The rooms are appealingly decorated, and like Kimpton hotels elsewhere, the whole place has a nice casual, low key ambience that contrasts with the blandness and anonymity of the big chains. The same applies to the service: staff were unfailingly friendly, relaxed and approachable. The various freebies on offer - complementary coffee, afternoon wine etc - add to what is a very convivial atmosphere. The hotel is also home to the Bambara restaurant, which offers food that's a cut above the norm in 4* hotels.
All in all, an excellent boutique style hotel that should appeal to both tourists and business people.
The rooms are unique, charming, comfortable, and very clean. My compliments to the housekeeping staff for their consistency. The guest service staff was very friendly and helpful. The room information binder was up-to-date and put together well. The bedding was very soft and comfortable and we had a great view of the city.
My only concern is the valet/bell service seemed overwhelmed when a celebrity was checking into the hotel. Although this hotel caters to some celebrities, basketball players, etc. there is not enough employees to unload four bus loads of suitcases. The staff did their best making sure we were not ignored but we did have to wait for our car. I was a little annoyed at the time but that did not overshadow my entire stay. My husband and I will be repeat guests.
Loved this hotel. It was clean and room was spacious. Loved the fact that they had a complimentary wine social and chair massages in the afternoon. Hotel was right in the heart of the city and a quick walk to everything. The problem was, the city shut down at 5 pm and there was nothing to do at night. At least we had a great hotel to relax in at night.
A stay at the Hotel Monaco was a dream about to be fulfilled. After seeing the Hotel Monaco in Denver on "Great Hotels" on the travel channel, I was, perhaps, too excited for my own good.
We stayed at Hotel Monaco on Sunday night...and Monday was Labor Day. The hotel restaurant (The Bambara) was closed. Which seemed odd. It was closed on Sunday and Monday, so we had to order pizza for dinner.
I got my complimentary goldfish...but it was in hibernation because they threw it in 20 degree water. After I warmed him up a bit, he came alive, but you would think, if you worked in the fish buisness all day, you could mediate the water temperature better.
Also, the room wasn't very QUiRKy, as I had hoped it would be. Don't get me wrong, it was about as "boutique" as you can get in SLC, but I was hoping for more. The lobby is such a fantastic jumble of GREATNESS, but the room was, "eh." They really tried to go with uniqueness...but it wasn't great. Perhaps, if they had painted the ceiling navy blue...that would have made all the difference, but it was basically just wallpaper, and the use of 3 different upholstry fabrics. The bathroom was pretty average. Average sinks, average tub, etc. We did have bathrobes, though. And, that's always fun. But, usually, if the room isn't great...the bathroom is. Not the case here.
Anyhow, the hotel wasn't as FABULOUS as I had hoped, but I'm willing to give it another try...perhaps an upgrade will do the trick.
But, if you need to eat while your here...DON'T COME ON A HOLIDay. People don't eat on holidays at the Monaco.
Staff was very friendly and service great. In downtown Salt Lake City convenient to everything. This hotel has been voted on several websites as the best boutique hotel in Salt Lake City. The Hotel Monaco chain appears to locate many of it's hotels in renovated buildings to preserve local architecture.
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Address: 15 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84101, United States
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