Before the Hotel Utah closed its doors in 1987, hundreds of people visited to take a "last look." They milled around its great lobby, paid a final visit to its Grand Ballroom, and savored the last meals served in its restaurants.
Visitors are welcome to come to the building again. While the name and function of the building have changed, the structure still offers much to attract the general Church membership and public.Areas of interest to the public in the renovated structure, now known as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, include:
Lobby, rotunda, and public "rooms with a view." Project manager Michael Enfield said, "The public is welcome to come in and just enjoy the beauty that was in the building 80 years ago when it was first opened as a hotel. Much of the glamor of the old building has been preserved or restored."
Restaurants. Located on the 10th floor, two restaurants will be open to the public for lunch and dinner every day except Sundays and some holidays.
The Garden Restaurant is designed as a "casual dining spot." It will seat a little more than 100 guests and feature fresh specialty salads, large sandwiches and desserts. The Garden Restaurant has a retractable glass roof, which will provide a "dining outdoors" feeling when the weather permits.
The second restaurant, The Roof Restaurant, is designated as a fine dining restaurant. It will seat 170 on three different levels, all with a view of the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Scenes include the temple just across the street, the Utah State Capitol and city skyline.
Bruce Boucher, manager of the building's food and catering services, said: "There is not a bad seat in the restaurant. Wherever you sit, you'll have a great view." Live music will be provided nightly. The Roof will serve food buffet style and feature seafood, prime rib and classic gourmet dishes. The hard rolls so popular with Hotel Utah dining patrons will be served, as will "extraordinary" desserts. Reservations may be made to assure seating: telephone (801) 539-1911.
Reception, meeting and banquet facilities. The building features 1,200 banquet seats in nine individually decorated banquet rooms. Reservations may be made for wedding receptions, business meetings, seminars and banquets by calling (801) 539-8824. Each meeting room features state-of-the art audiovisual support and food service.
A 500-seat, large-screen theater where the new Church film "Legacy" will be shown on the theater's 31-by-62-foot screen. (See story on page 10.)
The FamilySearch Center, with 133 computers, on the north half of the main floor and 68 additional computers dispersed throughout 26 guest rooms on the fourth floor for small-to-medium-size groups. (See story on page 6.)
A curriculum distribution store and a Beehive clothing center are located on the lower level of the building. The clothing center was previously in the Relief Society Building and the distribution center store was in the Church Office Building. Access to the clothing center is through the distribution store.
