Washington School House has the luxury and linens down, but it’s the personalized service that’ll have you coming back. Prepare to be spoiled!
Ah, there’s something to be said for hotel service. That je ne sais quoi the staff bring—effortlessly friendly attention steeped in authenticity, pampering that goes well beyond politeness—elevates even the hautest hotel into a memorable experience, one you want to tell all your friends about (in person, not on Instagram). But somewhere between the rise of everything-for-everybody mammoth resorts where all your needs are met in a cookie cutter way to home sharing rentals where you temporarily get the keys to someone else’s castle but are left to fend for yourself, that invisible thing called service went on the endangered species list. Not so at Washington School House Hotel, an ultra lux Park City boutique hotel where they have the lost art down to, well, an art.
The hotel itself is stylish and statuesque. Housed in a richly restored former schoolhouse, the limestone building unassumingly sits just behind the ski town’s Main Street. Originally built in 1889, the elegantly refurbished 12-bedroom hideaway is full of polished details, from the main room’s 16-foot ceilings, artful European antiques and showpiece 10-foot-tall French opera house mirror, to the whitewashed, wainscoted guest rooms, each unique with striking chandeliers, reclaimed oak barn wood floors and impossibly tall windows that imbue a Parisian apartment feel. The bed linens are lux, walk-in showers ample, hooded bathrobes plush; even the bathroom floors are heated, quiet details that elevate your stay. On the roof you’ll find a heated lap pool and hot tub sculpted into the aspen-dotted hillside while the library basement boasts a cozy fireside respite for reading and relaxing. What more could you want, right? But the opulent surroundings and upscale amenities are just the cake; the personalized service is the real icing.
The School House staff have that above-and-beyond intuition to know what you need even before you do. They’ll check you in smoothly at a desk with a smile. They’ll deliver your morning coffee, a steaming French press on a silver tray, with a light tap on your door and without the unnecessary small talk. They’ll graciously serve you breakfast, hearty gourmet scrambles, waffles and Benedicts that taste far too good to be complimentary. They’ll have your ski equipment ready to go, your boots set out and still toasty from the boot warmer, and chauffer you to the slopes with hand warmers and energy bars that’ll come in handy later. They’ll remember the chardonnay you love while you nibble the après ski fare fireside, a spread of crackers, cheese, pickled vegetables, candied nuts and sweet treats, and notice before you do that it’s time for a refill. Behind the scenes, housekeeping will keep your room primped and pampered so you always return to fluffy towels, just-right lighting and an inviting bed ready to slip in. Always available to make restaurant suggestions, organize activities and generally point you in the right direction, not to mention provide personal drivers that double as ski concierges to usher you to the slopes and even return your rentals when your ski-weary legs would rather rest than walk, they’ll come across as authentic without going overboard, each request done with efficient attention to detail.
All this adds up to making guests feel comfortable and important—because at the end of the day, at the end of your trip, it’s not the fancy sheets you remember.
Stay: Washington School House, an elegant 12-bedroom hideaway. Ski: Park City Mountain Resort, a 7,300-acre mountain with a wide range of terrain that’s part of the multi-mountain Epic Pass.
