If you are planning a vacation to the Park City Utah area, you may find yourself overwhelmed with options. While this ski town does have a few big name hotel chains, the majority of the lodging options are privately owned homes and condominiums. The question many vacationers ask is “Where do I even begin”?
These privately owned homes and condos are available for rent through professional management companies or directly through the homeowner. You may even make a reservation through a booking company or central reservations agency which typically takes a commission of up to 25{363bd2a98d15c88227082edbeda0d5f103110265c93869472e5f1256b705561e} from the property manager or homeowner.
Savvy travelers often use the Park City Chamber and Visitors Bureau to find information on the various management companies and private owners that may potentially have rentals that fit their needs. This process requires searching through many different websites and comparing listings until a final decision is reached.
Since there are so many different rental management companies offering rentals as well as individually managed rentals available, many vacationers to the area end up making reservations through central reservations agencies simply out of frustration. While this undoubtedly saves time, you have to wonder if you are getting the best price since these booking companies have such a high commission built into the price.
I recently became aware of a website called LocalTourist.com that specializes in connecting visitors with businesses in the Park City area. Local Tourist is an informational directory similar to the Park City Chamber; however, it allows you to search individual rentals and then contact the property manager directly. You are probably going to get a better deal since they don’t take a commission like booking agencies.
The website also allows you to search restaurants, activity vendors, and do research on the three ski resorts. Local Tourist’s restaurant search is very intuitive and it even lets you search by neighborhood, so it’s easy to find a great restaurant close to where you are staying.
No longer just a ski town, Park City now features over 100 restaurants with many receiving top reviews. With so many choices and so little time you’ll want to make use of the search capability afforded by companies like Local Tourist and the Park City Chamber. The Chamber has the most complete restaurant listing as of the date of this article but Local Tourist is a close second. What it lacks in content it makes up for in search functionality and they must be adding new restaurants every day.
If you’re an avid skier, then Park City with its three world class resorts is a must visit destination. The town also offers many attractions for non-skiers such as the Sundance Film Festival, world class spas, and exceptional fine dining. Park City is also increasingly popular in the summer due to the crisp mountain air, pleasant temperature, and numerous festivals. No matter what season you choose for your vacation Park City will certainly be a memorable experience.
