#350 - Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City

Historic Peery Hotel

A Google search, led us to our stay at this fine hotel. A fresh hotel with years of history.

The Peery opened as a luxury hotel, 115 years ago.

Perfect Location

We arrived in downtown SLC, on a pretty Saturday in May. The 3-story hotel looked pretty spiffy sitting there, in what's now called the Warehouse District.

I'd read good reviews, but one traveler fretted about whether the area was safe. Safe from what? From my view in the passenger seat, the area looked pretty great!

Stylin' in 1910

The location was also ideal in 1910, when the Peery family opened the hotel to mostly wealthy travelers. Many arrived by train at the nearby Denver & Rio Grande Depot. 

I wonder what the first visitors thought when they laid eyes on the new hotel, with its E-shaped design. 

A Taller Version

We've stayed at a few hotels with this unique shape that allows for more windows and light! Houston's Rice Hotel comes to mind. 18 stories instead of 3!

Actually Don and I have only dined on the first floor. The 1,000 hotel rooms became lofts before we moved to Texas.
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 P or HP? 

We found the hotel entrance in the center wing. It was impressive, from the brick walkway, up to the flags.

The logo on the black canopy got me wondering. HP? Is that for Hotel Peery? Or maybe it was for Hilton-Peery? The hotel is now part of the Tapestry Collection of Hilton. Or maybe that's just a single fancy P! 

Brick Quoins

Before we stepped inside, I took in a few architectural details. Standing on the corner of one of the hotel wings, I looked up and admired the brick quoins. A pleasing contrast of white and gray.

Honestly, I only studied the quoins after reading a plaque on the outside of the hotel. I actually didn't know the name of that decorative feature!

More...

Once inside, I looked up again, to notice something else the plaque had mentioned.

This time it was Egg-and-Dart molding. ​Another new term for me! I will make up my own name, for the shape below the eggs. Sugar cubes! 

Lobby

I likely would have missed the pretty molding if I hadn't read the plaque.

There was a lot more than molding to attract my eye in.

Another Era

I know the hotel was built during a time of rapid growth, fueled by the gold rush. People with big bucks were lured to the Peery Hotel. But where was the glam, in this vintage postcard?

The image seems to be luring Old Folks, to come gather 'round and sit a spell. The words on the right, claim the hotel is for Wife, Sister or Mother! That's odd. I guess ladies could enjoy the rockers, while they enjoyed some Fatima cigarettes, purchased from the nearby glass case.

Check In

I saw no rockers or cigarettes in the lobby. We did find a classy little 2-desk set-up, for check in. I liked the nearby framed decor, focusing on trains. I once again pondered the logo, tastefully displayed on the wall behind.

I could have asked the young staff member about the logo, but she'd already made it clear she wasn't into history.  

​Classy

Less than 10 years ago, the hotel completed a major renovation. 

The spacious lobby was such a lovely mix of modern and vintage decor.

The open space was broken up with different kinds of sitting areas. 

There were cozy couches and seats for chatting, or reading. A couple of tall tables had sockets for laptops. No signs of business travelers on a Saturday.

Near the elevator, I couldn't miss the intricately carved display cabinet. 

I read somewhere that this piece has been around since the hotel's early days.

​Staircase

Initially we used the elevator for luggage, but the grand stairs were much more fun to use.

I loved the light fixture at the foot of the stairs. Like a giant birdcage with about 20 glowing birds!

Looking down from the landing, I had to pause and wonder...

... where is everyone? It's Saturday on the last day of May?

We often used another staircase, near our room.

I loved the 3-piece artwork. We found a lot of railroad themed accents in the hotel. Railroad and mining industries were a huge focus at the time when The Peery was built.

Cozy Halls

​As we wandered to find our room, I had to give the hallway an A+. Hilton didn't scrub away all the history.

The narrow hall still had the feel of an old hotel, with dark woodwork and molded ceiling. It was pleasing to the eye... AND nose. Some old hotels just smell... old.

​Room 349

Our old door (with transom) opened to a modern room.

There are about 70 rooms now. There were nearly twice that originally. That was before renovations enlarged many rooms.

Our room was not one of those larger ones! It was pretty small and the view made me chuckle.

We could have played Jimmy Stewart, in Rear Window. We didn't need Jimmy's binoculars to spy on neighbors. (I promise, we did not spy)

I would have preferred a view of mountains or old city buildings. But in truth it was interesting to see how this whole E-design works! 

​The rest of our cozy room was nice.

There was a lot squeezed into the desk corner!

A nice vintage train image on the wall, nifty coffee maker with different mug options, a make-up mirror, lamp with sockets, an ice bucket with 2 comp bottles of water.

A 55-inch TV welcomed "Donald" when we entered. Sadly No Turner Classic Movies station. I love TCM movies in old hotels.

Decent Bathroom
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​I liked the black & white tile and large window with frosted glass.

Nice walk in shower and fluffy towels. 

Wandering

I did a little exploring before dinner.

One more set of stairs took me down to the basement.

Fitness Friends
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Besides conference and event rooms, there was a decent sized fitness room.

I was tempted to get my workout gear from the car. But instead I just enjoyed the artwork. Love those Circus Folks!

Christopher's Prime Steak House
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I love a hotel that has it all. Like being on a big ship, with multiple restaurants. There were a few food & drink options on the street level.

We thought about making reservations at Christopher's Prime, located on the corner.

I peeked in a window before it opened. Interesting decor.

2-Part Restaurant?
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Around the corner I saw Sonoma Grill... But wait, it was so confusing. Were the 2 restaurants connected? The website had one name, Christopher's Prime Steak House & Sonoma Grill & Wine Bar. I'm sorry, that's just too long of a name.

Toro Rosa Tapas & Tequilas is another long name. I peeked in through a lobby door. It looked cute and informal.

Spritz on Saturday

We couldn't decide on dinner, so we stopped in to have a drink at the hotel's Spritz Lounge.

I loved the little pink phone display, near the street entrance. A handy reminder that guests need to check in with their IDs. 

Don and I came through the lobby entrance and sat at the bar. I almost burst out laughing when our IDs were checked. A SLC thing?

We sat on dainty stools that looked like they belonged in a Ladies' Powder Room. We sipped our beverages and amused ourselves watching the woman behind the bar. She spent about as much time dealing with IDs as she did making drinks. 

I enjoyed my  Pink Prosecco, sitting on my pink velvet stool, beside a shiny elephant with curled trunk! Fun!

Evening in SLC 

We switched gears about dinner. Instead of enjoying the steakhouse, we decided to embrace the good location and explore the downtown vibe.

Weather felt balmy and our wandering was entertaining. 

We ended up at Caffee Molise for a wonderful Italian dinner. 

Peery at Night

​The lit up hotel looked festive when we returned. 

It also felt very safe. Not sure about that review comment about safety.

Before heading inside, we enjoyed the night air... 

... and we read another plaque. Evidently this hotel was built on (or very near) the site of the Utah's first permanent Jewish house of worship, in 1883. 

Eggsburgh

In the morning, we spotted another hotel cafe. This one was hopping with breakfast diners. We had just slugged down some coffee and granola bars in our room, so we held off a bit.

We got a late check out and took off to see the city before the temps warmed up. We enjoyed breakfast/lunch at Eggsburgh, around noon.

Walking Distance

We had the absolute best time exploring the city on a pretty Sunday morning. There was lots within walking distance.

I share these photos, because it feels like our stay at Peery Hotel was enhanced by the location. So much to see, nearby!

What's Notable?

Our stay at the historic Peery Hotel was pleasant and comfortable. It was quiet for a Saturday, which was nice. But a curious or memorable people encounter, could have made our visit extra fun, 

I was pleasantly surprised that the hotel renovation was better than expected. Surprised to learn the hotel has been open continuously since 1910. That's unusual. I wish there had been more hotel history spotlighted. I read that a box of 300+ old photos was discovered, during renovation. I wish they could have displayed some.

Mostly I'll recall, how easy the stay felt. Easy parking. Easy getting to and from the room. Easy wandering in the evening and morning. Easy dining options. It was an enjoyable stay for a reasonable price of $140.