Of course Utah is home to the best world class ski resorts with 4 of them in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, lodging is quite limited at the resorts as the space and controls are so tight.  Sandy is at the bottom of Little Cottonwood Canyon, the home of  Alta and Snowbird, and is a natural place for tourists to find lodging being only 20 minutes from the resorts.  In fact just recently Sandy City forged a marketing relationship with Alta and Snowbird to advertise as their "Ultimate Base Camp".

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune by Mike Gorrell quotes city councilman Chris McCandless "I don't believe there's anywhere in the U.S. like Sandy, where you can live or stay, and be at a world-class ski area in 15-20 minutes."

That's precisely why so many ski resort employees call Sandy home, another example of city interests meshing with those of the canyons.

Consequently, Sandy City, its business community and the resorts -- led by Snowbird -- are pitching the city as "the ultimate base camp" for vacationing skiers.  That theme is emphasized in a billboard off Interstate 15 near 9800 South.

This marketing effort will also reach a national audience in ads placed in Ski and Skiing magazines by a consortium of local groups, boosted with a matching grant of $23,000 from the Utah Office of Tourism.

Snowbird marketing director Dave Fields said that with limited housing in the canyons, Sandy and other south valley communities are essential to support the resort's workforce. 

And with new Hyatt and Hilton hotels joining a cluster of lodging establishments offering spectacular views up the canyon, Fields said "we put together a program for marketing to out-of-state skiers. The idea is you can get an affordable lodging package and  have a really fun ski trip."

Selling the idea was not difficult. The Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau signed on, enhancing the mix with Ski Salt Lake Superpasses that destination visitors can use at any of the four Cottonwood resorts. LaCaille restaurant, Alta and hotels contributed. The group soon had a $23,000 local match for the state funds.

As a nonprofit, the chamber was the formal applicant and supplied in-kind services. "The chamber fields hundreds of inquiries every winter from skiers looking for information," said President Nancy Workman. "It makes good sense to pursue them actively rather than waiting for them to find Sandy by accident."

The concept was a "perfect fit" for state assistance, said Tourism Office managing director Leigh von der Esch. "With the new hotels coming on line, they will be very popular for people looking for value and who want to zip right up the canyons. Those flying from an hour away can drop their bags at the hotel and be skiing in the afternoon."

  Off-season, she added, "tour operators love putting people into 'value' hotels and having them jump on a shuttle to go up the canyons."

Although the marketing partnership seemed logical when it was assembled during the summer, Fields said "it seems like a great idea now" in the midst of a challenging economy.

In addition to temporary lodging, those of us that move here for our "Champagne Powder", Sandy is a perfect place to settle down.  It is a great community with a well rounded selection of homes and condominiums available for purchase.  It has great recreational facilities and the access to outdoor recreation is second to none.  For more information on moving to Sandy and the greater Salt Lake City area go to the Salt lake City Real Estate Resource Center or just fill out this form and I'll get right back to you!

First Name* Last Name* Email* Phone Question / Comments Enter the code:    Please wait...