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The Definitive Aspen Destination Guide. The best ski hotels in Aspen and the best restaurants in Aspen. classictravel.com recommends stays at Virtuoso member hotels Little Nell, St.Regis, Jerome, Sky and now Viceroy Snowmass. If you're coming for the Aspen Music Festival consider the Aspen Meadows. Our review on each hotel explains why and you can book the best rates at these luxury hotels here at classictravel.com. Known mainly for its glitz and glamour skiing opportunities, Aspen has progressed from a mining town to ski resort to a multifaceted city with sumptuous accommodations, exciting events and delicious eats.
Aspen has also evolved into a world-recognized contemporary art venue with fine art galleries and the Aspen Art Museum. Additionally, a diverse and superior culinary scene will satiate the hungriest of appetites, including those of the annual Food & Wine Classic that brings the food world’s most influential players. Likewise, the nightlife is varied; there are clubs for those that want to see and be seen, and those for others who desire a laidback atmosphere where talented musicians play and mingle. The Aspen Music Festival is world class, but if its exercise you crave, the hiking and biking trails will please all from the beginner to expert.
No matter the season, the spectacular Rocky mountain scenery dominates the Aspen landscape with its splendid white-capped mountains and cerulean sky. Summer and fall are exquisite and festive with rafting and hiking jaunts available to explore. But, in the winter, downhill skiing and snowboarding, as the four glorious mountains—Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk—are drenched in the "champagne" snow and open to the sport.
Aspen is not just for skiing - check out these activities
Aspen Alpine Guides
Tel. 970.945.2601
www.aspenalpine.com
The area around Aspen offers incredibly beautiful scenery. If your visiting and want to make the most of the time you should consider hiring a guide. Visitors and locals alike often hire a professional to guide them so that their time is spent meditating and enjoying nature and not wondering "Where am I now and how long is it to get back or where did I pack that trail map?" Whether your looking for a fitness hike that will get all your senses going or a leisurely overnight camping trip to Crested Butte, the pros at Aspen Alpine can organize it all.
Sundog Athletics
312 teal street
Tel. 970.925.1069
www.sundogathletics.com
Road biking, mountain biking or Nordic hiking, showshoing and cross country skiing can all be organized for beginners to experts through Sundog Athletics. Check out their "canoe and cruiser adventure". It incorporates a three-mile beach-crusier bike ride on the East of Aspen Trail. The stretch of flatwater you will meander through is one of Aspen's best kept secrets.
Aspen Seals
Tel.970.618.4569
www.aspenseals.com
White water sledging or river surfing
It's the hot new Aspen sport and these guys are the experts!
Aspen Whitewater Rafting
520 Durant St.
Aspen, Colorado
Tel. 970.920.3511
www.aspenwhitewater.com
Aspen Whitewater Rafting provides certified guides for those interested in exploring the various whitewater-rafting opportunities for their summer stays in Aspen. All guides are certified within Colorado, and prioritize safety and fun on your journey—whether it be a Class I stretch or foamy Class V river run.
The Aspen Historical Society
620 W. Bleeker St.
Tel. 970.925.3721
www.aspenhistory.org
The Aspen Historical Society gives guided tours of the outlaying mining towns that provide the history of Aspen and its roots.
Aspen Art Museum
590 North Mill Street
Tel. 970.925.8050
www.aspenartmuseum.org
This recent addition to Aspen maybe one of the more controversial happenings in years. Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has created this very modern structure which doesn't appear, at first, to fit in a city that abhores change. However, the museum's director and chief curator, Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, helps make this contemporary museum become a visual art destination. Although Aspen Art Museum is not a collecting museum, their programs are ambitious and showcase local art.
Wheeler Opera House
320 East Hyman Avenue
Tel. 970.920.5770
www.wheeleroperahouse.com
The Wheeler Opera House has been around since 1889. Today it's one of Aspen's favorite year-round performance venues, with events almost daily. Local performers and international stars perform here.
Maroon Bells
Maroon Creek Rd. 10 miles west of Aspen
Tel. 970.925.8484
www.rfta.com
Maroon Bells is a photographic treasure. Composed of two steep pyramidal peaks, visitors can take a 30-minute narrated bus tour from Aspen Highlands during the summer or early fall.
Aspen SantaFe Ballet Company
www.aspensantafeballet.com
This world class ballet company travels (New York, Boston, Chicago, Israel) and of course, Aspen and Santa Fe. If you happen to me in Aspen when they are, be sure to go. There's something special about being in the Rockies and watching these amazing "athletes" do their thing.
Paragliding
www.aspenparagliding.com
Paragliding (winter and summer).
They are absolutely fabulous! very professtional.
Rio Grande Trail
It's one of the best bike trails ever for scenery. It goes from Aspen to Glenwood Springs (44 miles). It's not difficult (mostly flat with some rolling hills) but if you decide you don't want to complete the tour there are buses at designated intervals to take you and your bike back. Click on the link below and go to trails or Bike Express.
www.rfta.com
BOSQ
312 S. Mill Street
Tel. 970.710.7299
www.bosqaspen.com
One of our favorites! There really serious about the food they prepare and that's why "foodies" come from all over town. The relatively small but "chic" restaurant (part of its charm) can be tough to get at reservation at, especailly in high summer and winter seasons, Sitting at the bar is always an option and especially if Alexis mixing the drinks!
Steak House 316
316 E Hopkins Ave
www.steakhouse316.com
This is "the" steak house of Aspen. Clients tell us it's always crowded and getting a reservation is often not easy! But they all say the steak rivals any in the usual steak capital's of America. Sauces are ordered a la carte.
Acquolina
415 East Main Street
Tel. 970.925.8222
http://www.acquolinaaspen.com/
Salads, pizza and pasta are the mainstays of this Italian bistro during the day and in the evenings the menu offers a bit more with tasty entree's. The ambiance is pleasant and convivial. Most important, the food is really good. Share one of their special breads.
The Wild Fig
315 East Hyman
Tel. 970.925.5160
www.thewildfig.com
Meditteraneam food with a European flare in Brasserie type of setting.
Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro
Top of Cloud Nine lift on the mountain
Aspen Highlands
Tel. 970.544.3063
CloudNine
Cloud Nine is a sit down on the mountain restaurant that often seems like a nightclub! The food is good and the restaruant cozy with a good size deck if the weather permits. However, make sure you get there early if your main interest is in eating. Once the place gets busy and the party starts, eating takes sencond place. Then the Champagne starts flowing, the DJ turns up the music and the place can get pretty rowdy. Its not uncommon to see dancing on the tables and the waiters shaking bottles of Champagne and spraying the diners. It's all very bacchanal set high up with spectaular drop dead Rocky mountain views.
Cache Cache
205 S Mill Street
Tel. 970.925.3835
www.cachecache.com
Aspen's best restaurant for French and French inspired food. However, it's really about the great ambiance which includes wonderful lighting at night and cool soundtracks. You might say it's a combination restaurant/nightclub. The bar scene from cocktail time is fiilled with what seems a sophisticated congenial crowd of bi-coastal types and Aspenites. It's all so entertaining you may not want to move into the dining room for dinner. We suggest you get there 30 minutes before your dinner reservation and enjoy the bar scene first.
Matsuhisa
303 East Main Street
Tel. 970.544.6628
www.matsuhisaaspen.com
Opened 1998, Matsuhisa was an instant hit, partly because of celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa, of Nobu fame, and partly because of the lounge filled with high tech audio and video systems. The fish is flown in daily from Los Angeles. If you desire Japanese cuisine or a spice of its culture while in Aspen, Matsuhiusa is a must destination.
Dogwood Grill
Two Rivers Road in Basalt
Tel. 970.927.4000
www.dogwoodgrill.com
This down valley restaurant is the talk of the town, although it is 30-minute trip from Aspen. Dogwood Grill’s menu is a homey, hearty southern inspired treat. With real Virginia ham sliced thin atop grilled asparagus and prawns and baskets of warm biscuits, crispy fried okra and, of course, buttermilk fried chicken.
Element 47
675 East Durant Avenue
Aspen, Colorado 81611
Tel. 970.920.6330
www.element47aspen.com
Montagna at the Little Nell has been replaced by Element 47. The decor is much more contemporary and so is the new menu. Locals are giving it high marks. Continental food with an Asian flare.
Monarch
411 South Monarch Street
Tel. 970.925.2838
http://www.monarchaspen.com
The Monarch, formerly Brexi brasserie, is located on the ground floor of Dancing Bear residences and just across from the St Regis. Steak is the main attraction here although other comfort food like roast chicken, fillet of sole, salads, pasta and three types of Caviar. Yes, Caviar! This, after all, is Aspen!
Ellina
430 East Hyman
Tel. 970.925.2976
www.ellinaaspen.com
This new restaurant, specializing in northern Italian food, is just starting to make a mark on the Aspen dining scene.
Cuvee World Bistro
305 Gold Rivers Court
Basalt
Tel. 070.927.4000
www.cuveebistro.com
This down valley restaurant is all about the wine. The winebar is a top of the line preservation system that dispenses 40 wines by the glass from $5.00 to $17.00 per. And if you get hungry the food by Chef Mitch Levy (formerly of the Little Nell and Snomass club) is outstanding. Try the Colorado lamb or the Mahogany roasted duck.
Campo de Fiori
205 South Mill Street
Tel. 970.920.7717
www.campodefiori.net
Great Italian and very popular.
Casa Tua
403 South Galena Street
Tel. 970.920.7277
www.casatualifestyle.com
This Miami hotspot is now in Aspen as well. The private club and restaurant has a great Italian vibe with food to match. The creamy burrata cheese is from Italy as are some of the employees and patrons.
Aspen being the International town it is the restaurant has concocted their house cocktail "Casa Tua Aspen". It's a mix of prosecco and Martini and Rossi rosato.
Kemosabe
434 E. Cooper
Tel. 970.925.7878
www.kemosabe.com
Everyone loves this store. It's where cowboys and cowgirls go for their hats, belts and buckles etc.
Silverpeak Apothecary
520 E Cooper
Tel. 970.925.4372
http://silverpeakapothecary.com
Marijuana, Pot, Cannabis or whatever you call it, it's legal in Colorado. There are at least four shops in Aspen but this one may be, for at least the moment, the most upscale and professional. The staff is totally knowledgeable. That's what you need in this new age. Baby Boomers beware! Thiis is not the same stuff you may have smoked secretly years ago.
Gucci
209 South Galena Street
Tel. 970.920.9150
Prada
310 South Galena Street
Tel. 970.925.7001
Louis Vuitton
201 South Galena Street
Tel. 970.544.8200
Ralph Lauren
501 East Cooper Avenue
Tel. 970.925.5147
NL Kids
400 Hyman Avenue
Tel. 970.544.3882
Specializing in clothing for toddlers and babies, this Netherlands based clothier is a new import to Aspen with a selection of bright, European patterns. A few steps away is the Aspen Leaf Soap Factory, which specializes in lotions, soaps and lip balms created out of organic ingredients including flowers and herbs. Customers also can create customized soaps.
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
Tel. 970.925.5756
www.aspennature.org
ACES as it is known offers daily hikes and programs for all ages at Maroon Bells, Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Ashcroft, Independence Ghost Town and its campuses at Hallam Lake and Rock Bottom Ranch.
Tours of Historic Aspen
Tel. 970.920.5770
www.aspenhistory.org
During the summer The Aspen Historical Society sponsors daily tours to different locations in and around Aspen.
Tuesday's Writer's Group
Tel. 970.925.3122
www.aspenwritersfoundation.org
Every Tuesday this forum for writers, open to all genres and levels, meets to share and polish their work.
AspenSnowmass
www.aspensnowmass.com/default.cfm
This will help you learn more about the four amazing mountains of this world class city. Restaurants, things to do. All are updated daily. You can even learn about the best deals on lift tickets as well
Rio Aspen Chamber of Commerce
www.aspenchamber.org/Index.cfm
For information and events during your stay, the Aspen Chamber of Commerce website provides current on-goings and advisories.
Nannies of Aspen
Tel. 970.948.6849
Established in 1997 and locally based, Nannies of Aspen provides babysitting and nanny service for those families visiting Aspen.
Aspen Skiing Company
Tel. 800.525.6200, 970.925.1220
www.aspensnowmass.com/store/lessons/default.cfm
The Aspen Skiing Company provides a variety of lessons for each individual, ranging from the beginner to experienced, at any age and every interest. With 1,200 instructors available for booking on all four mountains wanting to make ensure the best ski vacation, make sure to book your lessons online before leaving.
Silver Queen Gondola
Durant St & South Hunter St
Aspen, CO 81611
Tel. 970.925.1220 800.262.7736
www.aspensnowmass.com
For those who wish reach the mountain summit without climbing the hiking trails along Aspen Mountain, Siler Queen Gondola provides another option to ascend the 11,000-foot distance. During the summer months, the gondola ride also provides a gorgeous view of blossoming wildflowers.
June 14-Sep 2: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM daily
Rio Grande Trail
www.rfta.com
Aspen's bike trails are legendary and this one is one of the best ever for scenery. It goes from Aspen to Glenwood Springs (44 miles). It's not difficult (mostly flat with some rolling hills) but if you decide you don't want to complete the tour there are buses at designated intervals to take you and your bike back. Click on the link below and go to the "Rio Grand Trail" tab on the top of the site.
Explore America
www.recreation.gov
This is great resource not for just the area around Aspen, but all of the U.S. You can find campsite, RV sites, tent sites etc. You can sort by zip code or city.
Bootsy Bellows
308 E. Hopkins
Tel. 970.925.3700
http://www.hwoodgroup.com/bootsy-bellows-aspen
Referred to as Aspen's new night life scene, it was renovated in 2014. The swanky club could be anywhere as it's one of the few places that pays no attention in defining a sense of place. Interestingly, it's partly owned by actor David Arquette, who named it after his late mother, a burlesque performer. After 11PM.
39 Degrees Lounge
709 East Durant
Tel. 970.925.6760
This bar at the very "hip" Sky Hotel is the place to hang in town for those who love to party. Atmosphere, creative cocktails and a crackling fireplace encourage another nightcap for all.
The Library Bar at the Hotel Jerome
330 East Main Street
Tel. 970.920.1000
Come here with the person you're with or want to be with. Sophisticated and cozy with overstuffed couches and warm lighting, this romantic Aspen venue specializes in single malt scotches, cognacs and sherries.
Woody Creek Tavern
0002 Woody Creek Plaza
Tel. 970.923.4585
www.woodycreektavern.com
In Aspen—the American West—everybody wants to see the local cowboys and cowgirls. Woody Creek Tavern is the spot where you can kick your boots up on the table and grab a famous, fresh lime margarita. While it’s a hike to get to the tavern, if hanging with the real locals is your thing it’s an absolute must. Open until 11PM, after all cowboys and cowgirls get up early.
Belly Up
450 S. Galena Street
Tel. 970.544.9800
www.bellyupaspen.com
This live music venue in Aspen is perfect for the "Cabaret" crowd. There are national, regional and local touring acts. Call first to get schedule of performances.
Eric's
315 E. Hyman
Tel. 970.920.1488
www.sucasaaspen.com
Good for pool. A very busy nonsmoking bar with 14 beers on tap and over 50 single malt scotches.
Caribou Club
411 East Hopkins Avenue
Tel. 970.925.2929
www.caribouclub.com
Aspen Colorado's exclusive private membership dinner and dancing nightclub. Great for late night.. they do weekly memberships!
Escobar
426 East Hyman AVE
Tel. 970.300.4195
www.escobaraspen.com
Late night club w bottle service.
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