The Little Nell, Aspen: Five Diamond Status

An $8,000 a year wine club, complimentary Audi electric cars to drive in town, and helicopter rides to the private fly fishing ranch. Aspen, Colorado’s Little Nell Hotel is anything but little. Big on luxury and conveniently located at the base of Aspen Mountain next to the Aspen Silver Queen Gondola, the hotel is celebrating its 30^th birthday with events from now through next spring and is moving to the next level in guest services and interior design.

An Introduction

Currently with 92 rooms and suites done in an “Aspen Modern” aesthetic, the Forbes-rated five-diamond hotel is so posh even the guests’ dogs carry an attitude. It’s the only hotel in town that has earned the prestigious Forbes and AAA designation.  A welcoming fire awaits in the lobby, or what’s dubbed its “public living room”. The design throughout is clean, warm, and uncluttered.  Service gets top reviews here:  valet attendants pick up and drop off guests at the Aspen airport and chauffeur them about town, housekeeping sets up rooms with humidifiers and anything else ahead of time so folks feel right at home upon entry, concierge professionals book any type of adventure or reservations, and accommodations are restocked twice daily with an impressive selection of complimentary snacks.

Options Rule

The hotel offers numerous options including junior and signature suites which are fully loaded and are ideal for weddings and parties, being abundantly furnished and boasting luxury baths with separate tub and shower.  You’ll discover that even standard rooms are quite roomy at over 600 square feet. All guest rooms were revamped just 2 years ago and feature a blue, tan, and gray palette with new furnishings, carpeting, and window treatments. Entry and public spaces will be tweaked soon so everything will feel new, new, new.

Lavish amenities are hard to beat including gas fireplaces, private balconies and even oxygen canisters in-room (for purchase) if you’re finding it tough to adjust to the altitude. Plush white robes and slippers are a given and an infinite variety of local sweets and savories on refill give your pad the feeling of home.  A Lavazza coffee maker and a hot water warmer complete the picture. And techies will love the flat-screen, internet-enabled TV and Bose sound system. My favorite was a silver aspen leaf souvenir on the nightstand and a pair of Lindt truffles provided at turndown.
The Residences at the Little Nell are a different ballgame altogether with fractionally-owned rooms available for public bookings and another eight hotel rooms for rent. There’s also a private club onsite with a rooftop pool and hot tub, complimentary breakfast, snacks and beverages throughout the day and a light appetizer served post-skiing. Included also is gym access featuring a suite of cool workout gear and Peloton stationary bikes.

The Little Nell has an exterior pool and hot tub and is a few steps away from the lift ticket office and gondola to the summit of Aspen Mountain.  Food options are plentiful with Elements 47 for fine dining, the recently remodeled Ajax Tavern for casual lunch or dinner and the new and swanky Chair 9 lounge.

No one should depart without experiencing the secret, speakeasy wine cellar. Where it is I won’t reveal so as not to spoil the surprise. But let’s just say that celebrities, musicians, and heads of state have clinked glasses here. Guests are asked to sign the walls, doors, or ceilings with a Sharpie before leaving. A private tour of the cellar, where more than 20,000 bottles of international wines are stocked, is available, nach!

About the Wine

Just an FYI, the Little Nell’s wine program has been bestowed for the last 20 years with the Wine Spectator Grand Award, known industry-wide as a big deal. The new director, Chris Dunaway, plans to expand on it with curated visits inside this tiny room to focus on champagnes, ports, or whatever the customer fancies. Blind tastings? Flights of reds from France?  Sure!  Have Chris or one of his sommeliers show you the $45,000-plus bottle of Romainee-Conti from Burgundy, France.  Of the 172 graduated master sommeliers in North America, purportedly 10 have come from the Little Nell. That is saying something!

 

*Oenophiles should think about joining the Little Nell Wine Club which offers special pricing on top bottles and a personal locker to store them.
Five star status ? Yup, and it’s well deserved. The Little Nell is setting a standard for a new era of lodging.