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When searching for a hotel, I like to be at the center of the action — right at the heart of the city. When Visit Salt Lake welcomed me to their beautiful city, they honored that request and put me up at the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center, a delightful hotel in downtown SLC. Apart from its fantastic location, the modern and luxurious Marriott hotel boasts a high level of wheelchair accessibility, checking nearly every box with its spacious guest rooms and ADA accessible roll-in shower.
Room Rates & Reservations
The cost of a hotel room at the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center varies considerably, with prices generally ranging from about $100 per night to $250 per night over the next year. Weekend stays are generally priced lower than weekdays. Events at the nearby Gallivan Center and Salt Palace Convention Center can produce increased demand and elevated rates at the hotel.
Reservations can be made online via the hotel website.
Salt Lake City Travel Guide
Check out our FREE wheelchair accessible travel guide for Salt Lake City, which includes information about accessible attractions, public transportation, taxis, hotels and more!
Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Room
Not all room categories include accessible rooms, but there are standard guest rooms and suites with ADA accessible bathtubs or roll-in showers. Fortunately, every room is modern and spacious.
The Salt Lake City Marriott City Center hotel features 12 floors, 342 rooms and 17 suites. My standard guest room with a king size bed was number 816, located on the the 8th floor.
The bed had a plush mattress and was extremely comfortable, typical of the Marriott Hotels brand. Measured from the floor to the top of the mattress, the bed was 26 inches tall. There was 7 inches of clear space underneath the bed to accommodate a patient transfer hoist.
Lamps were mounted on the headboard on both sides of the bed, activated using a simple switch. Power outlets and USB ports were also integrated into the headboard which extended out over the nightstands, but I charged my power wheelchair using the wall outlet to the right of the bed. Electricity in the United States is delivered at 120 volts. Travelers from outside North America may need to use a step-up power transformer to charge wheelchairs that require 220-240V. Please see the FAQ on charging a power wheelchair abroad.
Directly across from the foot of the bed was a wall-mounted television, chest of drawers, safe, mini-fridge and table. The tabletop measured 30.5 inches tall, with a clearance of 27 inches underneath. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I had many of my meals delivered using UberEats and ate them at this table.
The sliding-door closet, located near the entry foyer, included a low-height clothing hanger and shelf. A typical iron and ironing board were provided.
One of the room’s best accessible features was its smooth wood-colored flooring, making it easy to roll a wheelchair across the room. Although there was a rug placed under and around the bed, the rest of the room had hard flooring.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom
Like the guest room, the wheelchair accessible bathroom was also spacious — sizable enough to accommodate power wheelchairs! It was an accessibility dream, meeting or exceeding most of the ADA design regulations.
The sink had a large countertop measuring 32 inches tall and a full-size mirror, in addition to a small magnifying face mirror. There was 27 inches of clear space underneath the sink.
The height of the toilet seat was 18 inches and there was space to park a wheelchair alongside for a safe lateral transfer. Grab bars alongside the toilet were 35 inches high. Bath towels were provided on a rack next to the toilet which was easy to reach.
The roll-in shower featured a folding wall-mounted seat with a height of 18 inches, as well as grab bars measuring 33.5 inches tall and a handheld showerhead with an adjustable mounting bar. The L-shaped shower seat was securely attached to the wall, with four legs to provide additional stability. A thin (collapsible) rubber strip running along the floor kept water from escaping the shower.
Restaurants & Dining
The hotel features an Italian restaurant, La Bella Piastra, which has a beautiful outdoor patio and indoor dining area. Strict social distancing measures are currently in place due to the coronavirus, with patrons being seated far apart from one another.
During my stay, I ordered a dinner meal from the restaurant’s bar and took it up to my room. Each morning, I had the “all-American” breakfast in the restaurant, which included eggs made to order, hash browns, choice of breakfast meats and coffee or juice.
Although the hotel’s restaurant is a great place to have a meal, Salt Lake City is filled with top-rated choices, so you’ll want to do some exploring.
Location & Transportation
The hotel is located in at the corner of State Street and 200 South, in close proximity to Temple Square and museums including the Leonardo, Clark Planetarium and Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. Countless restaurants and bars are within walking distance. To learn more about the city’s accessible attractions, check out this list of 11 wheelchair accessible things to do in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City is easy to explore using public transportation, and the hotel is well positioned on the transit network. City buses stop right in front of the hotel, traveling in all directions from State Street and 200 South. The nearest light rail station is less than two blocks away, with other stations and lines accessible nearby. The Green Line train to/from Salt Lake City International Airport stops at the Gallivan Plaza Station, which is the one closest to the hotel.
Final Thoughts
No matter your disability, the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center is a highly accessible hotel in downtown SLC that will meet the needs of most travelers. My stay was fabulous — a comfortable bed, an easy-to-use roll-in shower and the hotel’s close proximity to public transportation options were all positives. If the accessibility I’ve described here will meet your needs, I encourage you to book your next stay at the SLC Marriott!
Featured image courtesy Marriott Hotels.
