As a Salt Lake resident, and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), I take offense at...nothing any of you have said. It's all true! Even we think the liquor laws are embarrassing. But less than half the population of SL,UT is LDS now, so you won't have any trouble finding whatever you want. My gay friends tell me there's a thriving Gay/Lesbian scene, so you'll be comfortable here Oldfart.
I also have friends who are swingers, others who are Bandidos, and yet others who have never said a swear word in their lives. In short, it's a lot different than the 80's and hopefully you'll have a great time.
I think you'll find we're not a judgmental people since we tend to believe almost everyone else is doing better than we are. That's why you won't need to worry about us drinking your beer, but if you have anti-depressants around, watch them carefully! Also, don't mess with our ice cream, our plastic surgeons, or our guns. Other than that, do what you want, have a great time, and let us know if you want a designated driver to hang out with.
That "private club" thing has been gone for years. You can buy up to 5% alcohol at any supermarket or gas station. Most restaurants now have wine and liquor--in fact there's only one place I can think of that doesn't serve alcohol. If you want to buy in bulk, you do have to go to a State wine/liquor store. I know all this because I have employees and associates from all over the world that I host regularly. In fact, if you happen to be of the Jain religion, I can even point you to places that serve Jain-friendly food.
I'm probably the one that said to stay at the airport and rent a vehicle. The airport hotels are located between downtown and the Raptor Assault location. I recommend the west side of the airport (Courtyard Marriott, Springhill Suites, LaQuinta, Microtel) as it's a nicer area than the east side of the airport. But the airport hotels are just for convenience in driving time, not for doing anything else. If you're going to party every night, you'll be happier staying downtown and just making the 25-30 minute drive out to RA.
I've never even heard of the Kimpton hotel. I looked it up and they are referring to what locals call the Hotel Monaco. If you say "Kimpton" to the Uber driver, they may look at you funny. It's a small, boutique hotel known by locals for the Bamabara restaurant. One of the best in the city. Little America is local place known for big rooms at a good price. It's sibling, Grand America, is across the street and the only five-star hotel in the city. The standard Marriotts and Hiltons are spread throughout the city. The guy who said City Creek is the center is correct. It's a nice indoor/outdoor mall. Cheesecake Factory is there. Texas do Brazil is also there...it's a Brazilian BBQ place. Brio is there too if you want Italian.
Better food is at Red Rock Brewery (I can't comment on the beer, but the food is good) and Squatters Pub. If you have the time, and want the experience, Log Haven is up Millcreek Canyon about 25 minutes from downtown. Beautiful environment and world-class cuisine.
Sorry, now that I think about it, all of this is probably better provided by Google or Yelp or something. If you have any questions, or need any help, feel free to reach out.
As for things to do, it does tend to center around the outdoors. Or the Utah Jazz if you like basketball. In May you'll find ski resorts still open. Off-roading is obviously plentiful. Indoors are the standard piano bars, go-karts, ax throwing, etc. The Bees (AAA baseball team) might be playing by then and the ballpark is really nice. Anyway, let me know if I didn't answer something you want to know.
Reminds me of a trip to St. Louis for a meeting when several of us saw a pool bar and walked in for a drink. We didn't know it was the Blue Oyster bar of St Louis until we were in for a few minutes and wondering why the hell everyone is staring at us like we were the black guys at a *** rally.
