Spark by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport

The room was decent and comfortable enough, and much cheaper than nearby options. The employee who checked me in was friendly, but even though I arrived 30 minutes later than the time I’d given them, my room still wasn’t ready. I had to take a different room or wait nearly another hour. Around 10:30 at night, our room started smelling strongly of smoke. I suspected the connected room and messaged hotel staff through the app, but nobody replied. Our room was also above the outdoor pool patio, so someone might have been smoking there, though I didn’t see anyone when I checked. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an employee smoking next to the building, which I believe is against Utah’s rule about smoking within 25 feet or so of an entrance. The pool was small and cold, only going to 5 feet. The hot tub was okay, but its jets barely worked. Breakfast was the worst part. They only had banana muffins and no waffles, pancakes, or anything like that. My wife found no milk or serving spoons when she went. I waited at least 20 minutes for eggs, and some of the sausage was cold and didn’t look cooked. I had to ask for more milk, but the glass I poured tasted rotten, so I threw it away. The orange juice was so watered down it tasted like water. There were no milk cartons or yogurt, and not much else beyond cereal, plain eggs, and sausage links. I’ve stayed at the nearby Tru and it seemed fine. In hindsight, that probably would have been a better choice.

Spark turned out to be a nice surprise for a budget hotel. The free airport shuttle and check-in were both easy wins, and the room was quiet with comfortable beds. I also liked having the sink separate from the shower and toilet. Breakfast included fresh eggs and bacon as well as cold options, and smooth jazz in the breakfast room was a welcome break from the news.

We booked the cheapest airport hotel we could find because we were arriving late and leaving early, so I wasn’t expecting much. The rooms turned out spotless, the beds were very comfortable, and the shower had hot water with good pressure. I had a decent coffee in the morning but skipped breakfast. It was a decent stay, and I’d use the hotel again.

This is a nice, new hotel at a reasonable price, but maintenance needs attention. The heater in room #211 didn’t work, so we switched rooms. That room was fine until the new TV shut off after about 30 minutes and wouldn’t come back on. Unplugging and plugging it in again didn’t help. The handle on the nice new Kohler bathroom faucet wasn’t screwed on properly either, so it dropped into the bathtub when turned on. The manager should hire someone to fix these things, or the place will be a Motel 6 in a few years.