After a nice late breakfast and snack in Boise, it was time to continue the road to salt lake city. We were delayed in getting to Salt Lake City because Link (the Monster) was continuously getting sick on the drive. So by the time we got to the La Quinta SLC Airport, we really needed some rest.
Finding the Hotel
In general, it is pretty easy to find a decent hotel at a good price in a place the size of Salt Lake City. However, when you throw in pets to the mix things become a bit more complicated. Many hotel chains claim to be “pet friendly”, but in reality they charge you insane rates per pet. These rates can vary. I have seen pet fees as low as $20 per stay or as high as $30 per pet per night. When going on a long road trip with pets, this can add up and makes finding an affordable hotel very difficult. For this reason I spend significantly more time finding a hotel when traveling with the Bug and the Monster.
This is why hotel chains that charge no pet fees are a godsend on roadtrips. There are not many of these chains, but La Quinta, Motel 6, and Red Roof Inn are the largest chains that make it a point of letting your pets stay free. When considering room rate and pet fees the best value for us on this trip was La Quinta.
La Quinta SLC Location
There are two La Quinta’s in Salt Lake City; one in West Salt Lake City and one by the Airport. As it was a little further from the City the SLC Airport La Quinta was significantly cheaper. So we choose to stay at the Airport La Quinta. Being by the airport is not the most convenient location for traveling around Salt Lake, but it isn’t bad. The hotel ended up being about a 10 minute drive from the heart of the city which made for relatively easy access to everything we did in Salt Lake. It is important to note this hotel is a lot easier to stay at if you have a car. If we did not have a car it would have been more affordable to stay in the city, as there is not regular public transportation from this area into the city.
Room
We booked the room with the cheapest rates. It was a “two double beds room” and it was MASSIVE. The room had a very sizable entryway that led into the living area. The living area consisted of two double beds a dining/work table, a TV stand, a mini fridge, and there was still plenty of room to move around. The Bug and Monster really liked this as they were able to run around the room a little without getting in the way.
The Monster and the Bug immediately jumped on the bed and starting posing for pictures.
A pair of French Doors led into the relatively large bathroom. The bathroom was perfectly clean and the shower had great water pressure.
One concern that some people have about Pet Friendly Hotels is that they may have a pet odor. La Quinta SLC was perfectly clean, the white linens were spotless, and the room smelled fresh. I was pleasantly surprised about how comfortable the beds were (I am very picky) and was able to get a good night sleep both nights we stayed at La Quinta.
Price
One of my biggest travel tips is to ensure you check all of your options. Checking all of your options will always ensure you get the best price on your stay. In this case I am not just talking about checking all of the hotel booking sites. I was able to save $20 on my stay just by utilizing one of the AMEX offers that was on my account. A lot of the major credit card issuers have offers that few people take advantage of. These offers can typically be found on your account page. Typically Amex will offer these $20 off deals on a various number of chains on a rotating basis. All you need to do to get the savings is add the offer to your account.
With this we were able to get $20 off our $157.65 stay making it $137.65 for 2 nights at La Quinta (about $68 a night).
Breakfast
La Quinta offers free breakfast to all of its guests. This breakfast is your standard hotel continental breakfast. Waffles, pastries, yogurt, and various cereals were offered. While there was nothing too exciting about this breakfast everything was good and there was nothing to complain about.
Overall
La Quinta Salt Lake City is great hotel. The rooms are massive, everything was spotless, the bed was extremely comfortable, and most importantly pets stay free. When traveling with pets this is really the most important to take into consideration. For $68 a night after taxes and free breakfast La Quinta gives you the best value for your buck. Monster and Bug Approved!!!