Marriott's MountainSide at Park City

We came just after Thanksgiving for a break, and the fitness center and activities center were great. The location works well in ski season and in the drier months. Rooms are roomy and the staff attentive, but the pool and many hot tubs were closed all week for preseason maintenance, leaving the remaining tubs crowded. The parking spaces are small, as others have said, so a smaller SUV is a better choice. A full-size one would be tough to park.

The service was great, including having our groceries put in the unit before we arrived. The hotel sits right at the base of Park City mountain, so you can put on your skis just outside the door, and it has a pool, spa, game rooms, and ski concierge. The units are spacious and nicely appointed with fireplaces and full kitchens, though a bit faded. At this price, the product felt expensive for a 3 star hotel. There's no bellman for luggage or ski bags, and our gold status didn't apply to Marriott vacation club when we asked for late checkout. They could only extend us one or two hours past 10am. We had an amazing experience, but the price felt high.

The location is the only thing this hotel has going for it. As a Marriot member, I expected better, but service was horrendous. Front desk staff were rude and unhelpful, and housekeeping came every other day. Tracking someone down for extras on an off day was a nightmare; even when they did come, they left the trash under the sink. There are no bellmen, the rooms and hotel were very dirty, and the coffee machine was broken the whole stay. The only food option on site is a small pantry with snacks and soft drinks, so you have to go elsewhere to eat. If all Marriott Vacation Club properties are this disappointing, I'd like to know, because I won't stay at another.

It's a beautiful ski in-ski out hotel in Park City, but the Ski Valet setup is ridiculous and costs it half a star. You have to carry skis down 4 icy steps, use your room key to get through a gate, cross the whole pool area, climb 4 more steps, and enter the hotel to reach it. The valet should be slope side and easy to get to, so you can glide straight there on skis. It feels like whoever designed this had never skied. What were they thinking?