News about Salt Lake.
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Grand America Receives Five Diamond Award
AAA Utah announced that Salt Lake's Grand America Hotel has, for the fifth time, earned AAA's prestigious Five Diamond Award, the travel authority's highest rating for hotels and restaurants. The Grand America and Stein Eriksen Lodge are the two lone Utah hotels to be awarded this prestigious rating.
"Utah’s Five Diamond Award winners truly represent the best of the hospitality industry," said Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokesperson. "They are repeat winners, which prove their dedication to continuing a tradition of excellence."
Utah Welcomes New Delta Flight: Tokyo to Salt Lake (11/13/08)
As expected following the recent Delta-Northwest merger, Delta Air Lines announced on November 12 a new, non-stop flight from Salt Lake to Tokyo, Japan, set to commence Summer 2009. This announcement adds to Salt Lake's ever-growing international access following the commencement of Delta's Salt Lake-Paris flight last June.
"Today's announcement, just weeks after the Delta-Northwest merger became official, is further proof of the faith and trust the nation's top business leaders have in Utah's strong economic climate and workforce," said Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. "This new direct flight ties our capital cities together, expanding and strengthening the mutual economic foundations."
Less than six months ago Delta began a direct flight to Paris from Utah's capitol city, which is currently averaging a monthly occupancy load of more than 80-percent. The success of the Paris flight is currently rivaling the direct flights Delta has from its home base of Atlanta to Paris as well as Cincinnati to Paris.
"It's obvious Salt Lake is growing in international appeal," said Scott Beck, President & CEO of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This latest announcement by Delta is poised to benefit all sectors of Salt Lake's economy, including our tourism partners as well as our meeting and convention-oriented member businesses."
Along with the Tokyo-Salt Lake announcement, Delta also indicated it will be offering a third daily flight between Salt Lake City and Detroit, and new daily service between Salt Lake City and Minneapolis which will make pacific rim connections with those regions more convenient.
Delta-Northwest Merger to Benefit Salt Lake Travelers
The recent merger of Delta Air Lines, whose second largest hub is Salt Lake, and Northwest Airlines creates a premier global airline with service to nearly all of the world’s major travel markets. The new airline, called Delta, is committed to delivering excellent service to customers in 66 countries and more than 375 worldwide cities – more than any other airline, adding yet greater access to the “Crossroads of the West,” Salt Lake City.
“The Delta-Northwest merger simply means that Salt Lake, as a major hub, is that much more accessible from different parts of both the country and now the world,” commented Scott Beck, President & CEO of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Salt Lake was already one of the easiest destinations to reach; this merger just offers greater access to both our meeting and convention delegates as well as our leisure travelers.
The Delta-Northwest merger brings together two of the industry’s most financially secure airlines to produce a best-in-class cost structure and an industry-leading balance sheet. The transaction is expected to generate a more comprehensive and diversified route system, reduced costs and improved operational efficiency.
Downtown Rising
Downtown Rising is the vision and blueprint for the future of Salt Lake, created not just to keep Salt Lake City vibrant, but to guide Utah's capital to new heights over the next few decades, yet beginning today. This visioning process resulted in a multitude of ideas - large and small, bold and restrained - for shaping Salt Lake City’s future.
Downtown Rising encompasses numerous projects, from those recently initiated to those not yet imagined, including City Creek Center, Utah Performance Center and TRAX-Airport Light Rail Line (see below).
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City Creek Center
Across from the Salt Palace Convention Center is the City Creek Development, the cornerstone of the Downtown Rising plan, to date. City Creek is a $1.5 billion sustainably designed, walkable urban community of residences, offices and retail stores that will rise over the next four years on approximately 20 acres across three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Upon project completion in 2012, the city will be one of few in the nation with a vibrant, mixed-use development at its core.
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Utah Performance Center
On October 16, 2008, Mayor Ralf Becker unveiled the location of Salt Lake City’s soon-to-be built Utah Performance Center: 135 South Main Street. The Utah Performance Center is a 2,400-seat, state-of-the-art theater located in the heart of Utah’s capital city. The Center will help fulfill the Downtown Rising vision for a vibrant capital city, rich in the arts, that belongs to all of Utah. This premier venue will attract first run Broadway-touring shows, provide additional options for beloved Utah performing groups such as Ballet West and the Utah Opera, and attract nationally-prominent music and comedy acts. With such a theater as a drawing card, Salt Lake City can attract premier arts presentations and expand cultural offerings to the state and region.
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Rio Tinto Stadium
Salt Lake recently added yet another architectural wonder to its arsenal of athletic and entertainment venues, this one in the form of the $110-million Rio Tinto Stadium, home to Salt Lake’s professional soccer team, Real Salt Lake. Opened Oct. 9, Rio Tinto Stadium is said to be the most beautiful stadium in all of major league soccer. Indeed, Forbes named it one of 10 new super stadiums, joining the ranks of the new Yankee Stadium in New York, the Olympique Lyonnais soccer stadium in Lyon, France, and Landsdowne Road Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Not unlike EnergySolutions Arena (home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz) and Franklin Covey Field (home of Salt Lake’s AAA Bees), Rio Tinto Stadium offers sweeping and breathtaking views of the Wasatch Mountains on the east and the Oquirrh Mountains on the west. This world-class venue seats 20,000 people for Major League Soccer and other sports events, while capacity increases to 25,000 for concerts. Stadium amenities include 32 luxury suites, a 2,000-square foot Stadium Club, 1,000 premium club seats, five locker rooms, a 60-foot video board, press box and press lounge.
The stadium features 6,700 parking stalls within 15 minutes of the venue and is within close proximity to the TRAX light rail line. get more details
UTA’s TRAX/FrontRunner
The Utah Transit Authority’s FrontLines 2015 plan is a comprehensive project that includes the construction of new TRAX light rail lines to the Salt Lake City International Airport, Draper, South Jordan (Mid-Jordan), and West Valley City, plus an additional FrontRunner commuter rail line between Salt Lake City and Provo (FrontRunner commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Ogden began in April 2008). The objective of the FrontLines 2015 project is to build 70 miles of rail in 7 years.
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Ground Broken on Signature Downtown Rising Project: TRAX Line to Airport
UTA recently announced a 2009 start date for its six-mile, $350 million TRAX light rail line connecting downtown Salt Lake with Salt Lake City International Airport. Upon completion, this line creates a convenient and affordable mode of transportation for business and other travelers; allowing them to use TRAX from the airport to hotels, places of business, convention centers and shopping districts, while giving Utah yet another competitive edge for attracting business, conventions and tourism. This is the fourth of five lines included in UTA's FrontLines $2.8 billion 2015 project.
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SLC-Paris Flight
Delta Air Lines, building on the continued success of the largest international expansion in its history, launched non-stop service between its second largest hub, Salt Lake City, and the City of Lights, Paris, France. The flight, operated in cooperation with SkyTeam partner Air France, is the first trans-Atlantic service ever offered by any airline from Salt Lake City and is the only non-stop service operated by a U.S. carrier between the western United States and Paris.
SLC International Airport Ranks 8th Best in U.S.
Salt Lake City International Airport was ranked the eighth-best airport in the United States in Conde Nast Traveler magazine's Business Travel Awards, featured in the October issue. The annual survey asks 2,500 business travelers about their experiences with issues such as location, access, customs, baggage, food, shops, amenities, safety and security.
Alta/Snowbird #1
The November 2008 issue of Outside Magazine reveals what skiers all over the world have known for years: Alta/Snowbird is the top skiing destination in North America. Outside Magazine’s editorial staff and readership each named Alta/Snowbird the top resort in North America based on snow quality and terrain. The resorts began offering a combined pass to ski the collective 4,700 acres in 2002.
Alta/Snowbird was also named the top resort for ‘Snow’ in both SKI and SKIING Magazines. In addition, both resorts were among the top 10 for the categories of ‘Best Overall Mountain,’ ‘Steeps’ and ‘Backcountry Access’ in SKIING Magazine, top 10 for ‘Steeps’ in SKI Magazine and one of the top 10 resorts in North America in Freeskier Magazine.
Salt Lake CVB Receives Awards
The Salt Lake CVB was recently presented with three prestigious industry awards: Meetings & Conventions' Gold Service Award (for the 14th time), Corporate & Incentive Travel's 2008 Award of Excellence, and Meeting News' Planners' Choice Award.