Five Resolutions for the Thoughtful Traveler in 2026

As another year draws to a close, the ritual of resolution-making invites us to consider not only who we wish to become, but how we wish to move through the world. Travel forecasters have been studying the data, and a clear theme has emerged for 2026: the most discerning travelers are no longer seeking morethey are seeking better. Quieter. Slower. More intentional.

At The Grand America Hotel, we find ourselves uniquely positioned to help you honor these aspirations. Here are five resolutions worth makingand keepingin the year ahead.

Resolve to Embrace the Quiet

The rise of quietcations reflects a collective exhale, a turning away from the overstimulation of modern life toward something more restorative. Industry observers note that travelers are increasingly citing burnout and screen fatigue as primary motivations for escapingnot to somewhere louder or busier, but to places where stillness is possible.

Few destinations offer this as effortlessly as Salt Lake City. Within an hours drive, the Wasatch Mountains unfold into trails that climb through alpine meadows and along glacier-carved ridges, where the only sounds are wind through pines and your own steady breathing. Return to the hotel as the light softens over the valley, settle into a balcony view of the courtyard gardens, and feel the particular satisfaction of a day spent moving through an extraordinary landscape. The world, with all its noise, will wait.

Resolve to Let Someone Else Decide

Decision fatigue has become one of the defining conditions of contemporary life. Each day brings an endless cascade of choices, and by the time a vacation arrives, many travelers find themselves too depleted to plan it. The result is a growing preference for what experts call decision detoxexperiences where every detail has been considered on your behalf.

Our VIP Package embodies this philosophy. Guests receive $300 in hotel credit to direct toward the experiences that call to themperhaps a restorative afternoon at The Grand Spa, a celebratory dinner at Laurel Brasserie & Bar , or an unhurried afternoon browsing The Shops at The Grand. A complimentary VIP amenity awaits in your room upon arrival. The choices that remain are only the pleasant ones.

Resolve to Invest in Lasting Wellness

Wellness travel has matured well beyond the occasional spa day. Todays travelers increasingly view these experiences as investments in long-term healthopportunities to establish rituals that extend far beyond checkout. The Grand Spa , Salt Lake Citys only Forbes Five-Star spa, was designed with this deeper intention in mind.

Here, wellness unfolds across an entire floor: relaxation lounges with floor-to-ceiling views of the mountains, a Himalayan salt sauna that promotes circulation and calm, and eucalyptus steam rooms that invigorate both body and mind. Settle into a robe, trace patterns in a tabletop zen garden, and let time soften at the edges. Complimentary yoga classes and sound bath sessions offer practices you can carry home with youproof that the most valuable souvenirs are sometimes the invisible ones.

Resolve to Rediscover Ritual

In an age of infinite scroll, we have lost many of the rituals that once punctuated our days with meaning. Afternoon Tea in our Lobby Lounge is an invitation to reclaim one of them. Served daily beneath hand-blown Venetian chandeliers, with views of the courtyard garden and the gentle music of a harpist, this is not merely a meal but a meditation.

Each service begins with a small ceremony: loose-leaf teas are brewed to perfection, accompanied by delicate finger sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream, and an array of petits fours, all crafted daily by Executive Pastry Chef Xavier Baudinet . It is an experience that asks nothing of you except presenceand rewards you with the simple pleasure of an unhurried hour.

Resolve to Gather with Intention

The data suggests travelers are also seeking more meaningful connections, choosing experiences that bring people together around shared pleasures rather than parallel screens. Laurel Brasserie & Bar was designed for moments like these. With its European-inspired menu and neoclassical elegance, it offers a setting where conversation flows as freely as the wine, where a weekday dinner becomes an occasion, where Sunday brunchcomplete with live musictransforms into the kind of memory that outlasts the year.

The most enduring resolutions are not about dramatic transformation. They are about returning to what matters: rest, ritual, connection, care. As 2026 begins, we invite you to pursue these gentler ambitionsand to let The Grand America be the place where you keep them.