The Best Hotels in Aspen, Colorado Right Now

One of Aspen’s most storied hotels, this 1889 Victorian icon was a onetime haunt of Hunter S. Thompson. Today, the hotel still draws in mountain town elite, though its old details—the red-brick façade, J-Bar’s tin ceiling, landscape oil paintings—now live alongside heritage-inspired leather beds, tweed wallpaper, luggage trunks turned dressers, and flatscreen TVs hidden in gold picture frames. The Living Room still steals the après-ski show thanks to its cushy sofas and roaring fire. Afterwards, toes fully thawed, crowds make their way into farm-to-table restaurant Prospect for hearty alpine fare like meatballs with polenta, seasonal squash and curried lentil soup, and Berkshire pork chop courtesy of Noma co-founding chef Mads Refslund.

Not in the mood to compete with Aspen’s glamorous crowds? This Viceroy, which sits seven miles outside downtown, puts just enough space between you and the mountain to make that scene feel worlds away. Design duo Kelly Wearstler and Jean Michel-Gathy put their own chic spin on things here, bringing the outdoors in in the form of birch-tree walls and tree-trunk columns that hold up the lobby bar. You’re never far from a fireplace, either, whether you’re admiring the statement one in the lobby encased in glass, warming up in your room after a turn on your outdoor patio, or gathered by the fire pit on the pool deck, which is lined with cabanas with fireplaces of their own.

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The St. Regis brand is synonymous with sophistication, and you’ll find plenty of it here, from the wood-paneled walls and teardrop chandeliers to the grand staircase and not a woodsy cliché in sight. Yet, despite the 179 rooms, this Aspen outpost manages to feel incredibly cozy. The library has working fireplaces (some of the rooms do, too), furniture is draped with faux-fur throws, and the Remède Spa is the perfect place to tend to those achy muscles with its steam caves and moisturizing foot and scalp massages. Another highlight: the heated outdoor pool, where you can (and should) take a post-piste dip before a hearty dinner at Trecento Quindici Decano.

Believe it or not, The Little Nell was the area’s only ski-in/ski-out resort until the W Aspen came to town. Anyone who holes up in one of its 88 rooms or adjoining Sky Residences will gain direct access to Aspen Mountain. When you’re not on the slopes, hit the hotel’s 8,000-square-foot Wet Deck, which is tricked out with a heated rooftop pool and hot tub (open year-round), fire pits, a bar, and a DJ booth—it keeps the good times rolling long after the snow groomers have retired for the night.

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One cannot count themselves part of Aspen’s social scene without making regular appearances at The Little Nell, a ski-in/ski-out slope-side stay that has set the standard for luxury ever since it opened back in 1989. The look is Colorado-chic to the core—gas fireplaces, leather furniture, contemporary art—and the atmosphere is electric, whether you’re rubbing shoulders with Aspen's beautiful people and vibing to live music in the Cloud 9 lounge or toasting to your day of adventures with one of the 20,000 wines stocked at Element 47. Want even more bragging rights? Take advantage of the hotel's First Tracks program, which gets you out on the mountain before the gondola opens to the public.