Photo: Noe DeWitt
If you know the Auberge Resorts name, you know to expect the best of the best when it comes to amenities and design. Located on East Main Street in downtown Aspen, the historic redbrick building dates back to 1889 and is just steps from the best shopping and restaurants Aspen has to offer, as well as the Aspen Art Museum. The interiors preserve the Western charm that is the Jerome’s birthright while providing luxury touches and see-and-be-seen nightlife options like the Michelin-rated on-site restaurant, Prospect, or live music at the Bad Harriet cocktail bar. Also within their walls is the storied J-Bar, which is said to have been a favorite of regular Hunter S. Thompson. When you’re not too busy partying, you can use the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service to Ajax, Buttermilk Snowmass, or Highlands or book one of their exclusive outdoor excursions (think snowmobiling and horse-drawn carriage rides). From $471 per night.
Courtesy of The Little Nell
The only AAA Five Diamond–rated hotel in Aspen, the Little Nell blends the best of the West with the cosmopolitan luxuries you’d expect from a five-star hotel. Of course you’ll find a heated pool and a fully decked-out fitness center, but you’ll also have access to the Little Nell Spa and the hotel’s team of Les Clefs d’Or–certified concierge professionals. Basically, you’ll feel like the hotel’s only patron, if you wish. Beyond hotel amenities and five-star concierge service, you’ll also be able to book a table at one of the hotel’s Chefs and Somms dinner events or take a tour of the hotel’s immense wine cellar. If you’d rather spend your time in Aspen enjoying the great outdoors but don’t know where to start, the Little Nell is equipped for that too. Their ski concierge team can get you access to the mountain before it opens or set you up with snowcat powder tours. This Aspen hotel will even get you hooked up with a personalized rental ski fitting, outfitting you in the best gear from head to toe. From $800 per night.
Courtesy of Mollie Aspen
For a more quiet boutique experience, you’ll want to stay at Mollie Aspen. Blending Japanese and Scandinavian design, the Mollie has an aura that immediately puts one at ease. Roomy plush leather chairs, well-worn rugs, and a plethora of unique design accents welcome weary travelers and exhausted skiers, exuding the type of vibe you’d expect from a well-loved and hard-to-reach mountain chalet. But instead of being secluded mountainside, you’re right in the thick of the action, steps from downtown Aspen. After a day on the slopes, you can walk to the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Art Museum, or the Wheeler Opera House, taking in the best art and culture the town has to offer. If you’re too tired for a jaunt downtown, the Mollie has a lobby restaurant and poolside rooftop bar, both of which are curated by Gin & Luck, the group behind the Death & Co brand. From $278 per night.
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Backed up against the Rocky Mountains, this property is chock-full of Bauhaus details. Best for art and design nerds, the common spaces and rooms feature furniture and fixtures sporting primary color palettes, more than a couple of art exhibits, Frank Gehry’s iconic bentwood chairs in Plato’s Restaurant, and Corbusier’s LC2 sofas planted in front of fireplaces throughout the property’s lounges. Some of the stand-out amenities include a shuttle service with routes into town and the Aspen airport, a heated salt-water pool and hot tub, and ski butler service. When you’re looking to venture outside of the hotel’s chic walls, there are 40 acres to explore, which include plenty of great sledding hills for those visiting in the winter months and a massive sculpture collection. With so much space for playing, there are more activities for visitors than could fit into 10 different trips. Can’t-miss itinerary items include themed scavenger hunts, hot-air balloon rides, fly fishing, snowshoeing, and—of course—lots of skiing. From $307 per night.
Courtesy of The W Aspen
There are a couple of ways to live the high life at The W. At the Aspen outpost, the property offers rooms, suites, and Sky Residencies (units that offer ownership opportunities for frequent visitors). If you’re traveling with the whole family, there are also bunk bed accommodations available—great for late-night chitchat. No matter which situation you find yourself in, you can enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain landscape, a year-round rooftop pool and hot tub, and two on-site restaurants. The interiors take inspiration from patterns used by the Ute, the area’s indigenous community, as well as colors and furniture that would look right at home in the property’s dotting the area in the 1970s. When you want to break away from the hotel, the village of Aspen is within walking distance. From $356 per night.
Courtesy of The Gant Aspen
Located in a five-acre nook right at the base of Aspen Mountain, this set of condominiums offers a chic spot to lay your head at night after a day of skiing, snowboarding, and whatever else the Great Outdoors calls you to do. Each space has a full kitchen, one to four bedrooms, a patio or balcony, living rooms, and dining areas. If the idea of traveling with your full family sets you into a nervous sweat, there’s enough room in these spaces to spread out—and get some alone time. Heated outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs, tennis and pickleball courts, bike shares, and proximity to hiking trails and golf courses offer plenty of activity for an itinerary filled with relaxing or getting lost in the scenery. From $319 per night.
Photo: Shawn O’Connor
If proximity to Aspen village’s shops, restaurants, and bars is high on your list, booking a room here will put you at the center of it all. But the best part is that you’re just steps from the Silver Queen Gondola, which transports riders to the top of Aspen Mountain in about 20 minutes. The property staff helps guests craft the perfect stay, with activities ranging from hiking adventures, whitewater rafting, art museum visits, and more. Some rooms feature balconies and patios and are draped in mountain charm (think: wool blankets and fireplaces). From $299 per night.
Best Private Homes to Book in Aspen
Courtesy of Vrbo
A Victorian home is not what you’d expect to rent in a mountain town, but that’s exactly why we love it. Nestled just outside of downtown Aspen, this beautiful house is just a six-minute walk from the John Denver Sanctuary and eight minutes from the base of Aspen Mountain. Its six bedrooms sleep up to 12 people and the living spaces are full of cozy seating and accents. The hot tub out back is ready for a post-ski dip and the dining areas are perfect for family-style meals. The real draw, though, is the observatory and telescope on the top floor, which makes for some of the best stargazing you’ll ever find. From $4,200 per night.
Courtesy of Airbnb
If you’ve got a big group getaway coming and want luxe accommodations, stay at this enormous chalet just outside of downtown Aspen—for just, um, a paltry $15,000/night. With six bedrooms and five bathrooms, this house has space for 16 guests (or more). It’s packed with amenities, including a hot tub, a Sonos sound system, huge TVs in almost every room, Wi-Fi throughout, a gas grill and more. It’s not the Ritz, but it’s about as close as you can get while staying in a private home. From $15,000 per night.
Courtesy of Airbnb
For an experience that’s not quite off-the-grid but also not in the heart of glitzy Aspen, we recommend this midcentury-inspired garden studio nestled inside a beautiful log cabin. Here you can enjoy the privacy of the studio or venture upstairs to the enormous shared kitchen and living space. At just five minutes from the Frying Pan River, this cabin is a dream for fly fishermen, but stay here and you’ll also be five minutes from a lakefront and boat launch, 20 minutes to Basalt, Colorado, and just 45 minutes from Aspen Snowmass. A stay just on the outskirts of Aspen opens up an entire world of activity that goes way beyond skiing. From $218 per night.
Courtesy of Airbnb
Another luxurious home for rent, albeit much cheaper at only $9,500 a night, this five-bedroom lodge hosts up to 10 guests and boasts a 5.0 rating on Airbnb. Mountain views are aplenty, with Aspen Mountain straight ahead and Buttermilk and Independence Pass in the distance. The home has a hot tub and a pool table along with a theater room perfect for cozying up after a night on the slopes. If you’d rather hit the town, this home is just minutes from downtown Aspen and all of its high-end shopping and fine dining. Once you check in here, you’ll probably have a hard time leaving. From $7,500 per night.
Courtesy of Airbnb
If your idea of an Aspen vacation means spending your days deep in the backcountry, this is the rental for you. Mostly because you can’t drive there—you have to ski or snowshoe or snowmobile. Even in the summer, this cabin is only accessible by biking or hiking trails. But that’s the beauty of it. The cabin is in the Gondola Village at Holy Cross City, high above Vail and Aspen, just outside the Holy Cross Wilderness, one of Colorado’s greatest outdoor playgrounds. No matter what outdoor sport is your preferred choice, you can do it right out of the front door. The cabin sleeps up to three people, but we think it’d be perfect for a solo weekend or a couple’s retreat at 11,700 feet. From $180 per night.
Craving an escape? From colorful carry-ons to cleverly designed packing cubes (how did we ever travel without them?), shop everything you need to make the journey in style—and as streamlined and stress-free as possible.
