It’s rare these days that you get anything for free without a catch. The Ogden Marriott in Utah proved me wrong. After a hard days work on the road I look forward to dining out. It is an opportunity to relax, eat a good meal and see the city. I try to avoid spending the evening in the hotel. However, I made an exception to this rule in Ogden.
According to history provided by the Marriott Hotel, Al Capone once visited Ogden. It was in the late 1920’s during prohibition (a time in U.S. History when alcohol was banned for my international readers), when Ogden developed a reputation of being rough. Tunnels were built underneath the city to smuggle liquor. Ogden was also an overnight stop on the transcontinental railroad. On a trip back to Chicago, famed gangster Al Capone spent the night in this Utah town. On his return to Chicago, Capone commented, “Ogden was too wild a town for me”.
To celebrate the occasion, the hotel was completely decked out. From the Porte Cochere (a fancy French term for roof over a driveway), guests were welcomed by costumed hosts and hostesses wearing their finest gangster suits and flapper dresses. They provided each person with a gangster hat or feather boa.
Both outside and inside the hotel were old, vintage cars that provided some photo opportunities.
Inside the ballroom were several cooking stations. They had stir-fry, baked salmon, tuna wraps, soups, salads and bread. They had music, decorations and gambling tables (the fake kind).
But the best part was in the main lobby.
Cold Stone Ice Cream was available for the taking – as many trips as you could have! I only indulged in one. I wasn’t feeling well in Utah (notice the red eyes in the photos). Ice cream has a way of making anyone feel better though!
Why the free party? The hotel was hosting a convention group and needed lots of space for their ending social. They decided to invite the whole hotel instead of inconveniencing everyone. A great choice indeed! I think Ogden has changed it’s reputation since then. I didn’t find it wild like Al Capone did, but I did have sweet dreams!
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