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Aspen’s Italian Power Players

Natasha Wolff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 03:14:31 +0000

In a town where winter visitors arrive by private jet and reservations are as coveted as lift tickets, the restaurant scene in Aspen has become as competitive—and glamorous—as the slopes. Among the dining rooms shaping the town’s modern culinary identity are Duemani, Acquolina and Angelo’s—three Italian-inspired restaurants that now operate under the umbrella of the rising hospitality venture Aspen Hospitality Group. At the center of this growing restaurant portfolio is entrepreneur and hospitality veteran Carlos Solorzano-Smith, the group’s founder and managing partner. His journey—from restaurant floor staff to one of the most visible figures in Aspen dining—mirrors the ethos of the establishments he now oversees: polished but approachable, ambitious yet grounded in tradition. Solorzano-Smith arrived in Aspen more than a decade ago with little more than determination and a desire to learn the business from the ground up. He worked his way through some of the town’s most prestigious dining rooms, including the celebrated Japanese restaurant Matsuhisa Aspen and The Little Nell.

Aspen Hospitality Group made its first major move in 2021, purchasing both Duemani and Acquolina from previous owners Luigi Giordani and Gretchen Leary. Rather than reinvent the restaurants, Solorzano-Smith and his partners including Neapolitan chef Vincenzo Salvatore, who joined in 2024 as Aspen Hospitality Group’s culinary director (formerly of Aspen’s Casa Tua and Casa D’Angelo), and Darko Petrov as wine director, took a subtler approach. Each of the group’s restaurants brings a slightly different interpretation of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine to the Aspen dining scene.

At Duemani, a sleek dining room on Monarch Street, the menu leans toward coastal Mediterranean flavors—whole fish, raw bar selections, grilled seafood and prime meats inspired by the cuisines of Italy, Greece, Spain and France. The restaurant’s bright, airy redesign emphasizes the same sun-washed coastal sensibility found on the plate. Acquolina, by contrast, remains a classic Italian trattoria. Long a favorite among Aspen locals, it specializes in house-made pastas, pizzas and traditional regional dishes. The newest addition to the portfolio is Angelo’s, which opened in 2024 after Aspen Hospitality Group acquired the former Casa D’Angelo space on Mill Street. While the name changed, many of the restaurant’s Northern Italian dishes and elements of the original concept remain, creating a bridge between past and present. Together, the three restaurants sit within a two-block radius in downtown Aspen. With Duemani, Acquolina and Angelo’s, Aspen Hospitality Group has quietly built one of the town’s most influential restaurant clusters—three dining rooms that blend Italian tradition with the cosmopolitan energy of a global resort. And if Solorzano-Smith has his way, the group’s growth is just beginning.

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Caviar Kaspia Pops Up In Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:23:15 +0000

This winter season, Parisian institution Caviar Kaspia makes its Aspen debut with The Snow Lodge. Following a soft opening during Snow Polo, hosting special guests including Colman Domingo, Mikey Madison, Nacho Figueras, Brooks Nader, and more, the brand debuted a formal dining experience, paired with The Jade Room’s lounge. Since 1927, Caviar Kaspia has embodied Parisian elegance and culinary indulgence from its home at 17 Place de la Madeleine. The wood-paneled walls, turquoise-blue linens and intimate dining room have hosted everyone from from Hemingway and Picasso to Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell and many more. “Aspen has always shared Kaspia’s spirit—elegant, festive and international,” says Ramón MacCrohon, CEO of Groupe Kaspia. “Together with Jayma Cardoso and her incredible team, we’re creating an immersive experience that unites Kaspia’s Parisian soul with the energy and creativity of The Snow Lodge.”

The restaurant and lounge were designed by architect Antonio Di Oronzo of Bluarch, merging the best of The Jade Room with the spirit of Caviar Kaspia. “Ever since we opened The Snow Lodge in Aspen five years ago, it has been my dream to collaborate with Caviar Kaspia, and finally the stars have aligned,” says Jayma Cardoso, The Snow Lodge’s founder. “They’re perfect for Aspen—the product, the lifestyle, the brand ethos. It’s so Aspen.” This season, Thorsun founder George Sotelo shepherded this collaboration, and is a partner through his new agency, Studio Sotelo. The Snow Lodge’s culinary team traveled to Paris to train under MacCrohon, to bring the magic of Paris to The Rockies. Guests can expect Caviar Kaspia’s signature dishes including a baked potato crowned with caviar, smoked-salmon blinis as well as new menu items: rösti crusted caviar pizza and grilled cheese with caviar.

Caviar Kaspia at The Jade Room

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Taikun Pops Up At The Hotel Jerome

Natasha Wolff — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:56:42 +0000

Bad Harriet at the Hotel Jerome is hosting Taikun for the winter season with dinner reservations offered through March 30. Taikun Sushi‘s omakase experience by chef Kei Yoshino showcases the finest ingredients from premier international markets such as Tokyo’s renowned Toyosu Fish Market. With three seatings (6pm, 7:30pm and 9:30pm) offered Wednesday through Sunday, dinner can be reserved via Tock for $225 per person, with the option to add a premium sake pairing from Hotel Jerome’s Private Cellar Collection for an additional $225 per person. The “chef’s choice” omakase menu begins with a curated selection of appetizers, progressing through multiple nigiri courses and ending with a sweet treat. Born in the heart of New York City, Taikun embodies a passion for travel and adventure, crafting exclusive omakase experiences in stunning destinations worldwide and delivering an unforgettable culinary journey in partnership with restaurateur Ryan Chadwick (known for Grey Lady, Nakazawa Aspen, Canary Club and Escobar Aspen). Previous pop-up locations include Laguna Niguel, California, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Miami, Florida and the Catskills, New York.

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W Aspen Debuts New Culinary Offerings

Caroline Tell — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:46:34 +0000

W Aspen is igniting the town’s après ski scene with two new culinary experiences. In December, the property will launch a residency of chef Eyal Shani’s famed HaSalon restaurant alongside an inventive new cocktail bar, Hidalgo, helmed by mixologist Dushan Zarić of Employees Only. Together, they bring a new vision of food and beverage offerings to the tony ski town.

HaSalon Aspen is a testament to Shani’s ability to elevate simple ingredients into unforgettable dishes while honoring the rich flavors of the Mediterranean. With its festive irreverence and devil-may-care vibe, the restaurant has lured the party crowd from Tel Aviv to Miami Beach, and will touch down at W Aspen from December through April. Expect dishes like charred beetroot carpaccio, baby potatoes kissed by Osetra caviar, and “pasta dishes so ethereal they seem to float off the plate.” HaSalon Aspen will offer two dining experiences: an intimate, music-driven seating before 8pm, and later, a spirited space that plays host to both indulgent dishes and behavior—perfect for a town that embraces over-the-top revelry.

On the cocktail front, Zarić brings a touch of alchemy to W Aspen in the form of a new agave bar. Known for transforming cocktail culture, his latest venture features new interpretations to classic concoctions. Signature cocktails like the Improved Margarita and Yellow Jacket celebrate the art of mixology with carefully curated, artisanal ingredients that reflect his creative precision. Open Thursday through Monday, the bar promises to be an alluring draw both for Aspen locals and global tastemakers on holiday.

W Aspen’s newest additions reflect the brand’s ongoing global evolution, rooted in an elevated approach to gastronomy, design and service.

Dishes at HaSalon

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Exciting Aspen Openings To Check Out Now

Natasha Wolff — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:45:57 +0000

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Aspen One Releases Its Sustainability Report

The Editors of DuJour — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:21:00 +0000

For 25 years, Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen Hospitality and AspenX, has questioned the status quo of environmentalism and led the industry in sustainability action and advocacy. Recently, it launched its Sustainability Report, “25 Years of Questions,” and challenged how environmentalism is being approached by not only the rest of the ski industry but by other businesses. The report not only rejects the conventional sustainable business practices of chronicling carbon offsets or operational greening, but considers those approaches to be complicit in the larger issue of fossil fuels and global warming. The report instead asks: what if businesses used their power, money and voice to drive political and systemic change? What if the outdoor industry carried as much political clout as the NRA? What if we spent less time tracking carbon offsets and more time lobbying for a carbon tax? The report showcases examples of how Aspen One is tackling these problems and modeling solutions to the industry (a no-new-gas building policy, or the recent passing of the largest climate bill in history). The report boldly rejects conventional sustainable business practices like carbon offsets, net zero promises and an exclusive focus on tracking operational greening, calling those actions complicit with the fossil fuel industry. The company aims to promote movement building, and to convene next-generation thinkers to double down on the fight against climate change. “Net zero, offsets, carbon targets, carbon neutrality. Those aren’t real climate solutions,” says Aspen One SVP of Sustainability, Auden Schendler. “As more companies than ever jump on the sustainability train, planet-cooking emissions continue to rise. What if businesses used influence, voice, and money to drive political change?” Aspen One’s sustainability strategy is focused on using the company’s unique influence to drive political and systemic change. Tactics to this end include pressuring partners and trade groups, changing the national conversation on carbon taxation and natural gas use, and mobilizing the outdoor community and beyond for lobbying power. “Our heritage as a leader in promoting environmental solutions continues beyond the report’s 25th year—and now with the expanded reach and resources of Aspen One and its three business units,” says Aspen One CEO Dave Tanner. “Our new sustainability strategy is intentionally provocative, focusing not on just incremental operational greening, but on driving the broader systemic change that is needed to overcome the greatest challenge of our age.”

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Max Mara Opens An Aspen Pop Up

Natasha Wolff — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 20:48:40 +0000

Max Mara has opened a pop up boutique at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen through January 6. Outside the shop in Hotel Jerome’s winter garden, Max Mara has installed a life-sized ice sculpture of Max the Teddy, the brand’s unofficial mascot, and a custom branded ski gondola photo activation. Complimentary hot chocolate and warm pretzels will be served daily in the hotel’s courtyard. Inside, the pop-up will continue to celebrate Teddy Ten, the 10th anniversary of the iconic Max Mara Teddy Bear coat. Two new Teddy styles created in celebration of the Teddy Ten anniversary will be exclusively available at the pop-up boutique. The new Sparkling Teddy Coat in camel or white features allover tonal crystal embellishment. Max Mara will also offer the Mini Teddy Coat for ages 5-12 years with matching must-have accessories ranging from mittens and earmuffs to fluffy hats with teddy bear ears. In addition to the world of Teddy, the pop-up will feature an assortment of the brand’s seasonal outerwear, as well as a curated selection of ready-to-wear and winter accessories.

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Room Request! The Limelight Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 01:08:53 +0000

Located steps from Ajax Mountain, The Limelight Aspen has renovated all of its public spaces, including the Limelight Lounge, lobby and bar, as well as all 126 guest rooms and suites. The project, overseen by Stonehill Taylor, has injected the original Limelight property with a new level of vibrancy as well as high-quality furnishings and finishes. 126 guest rooms and suites now have an upgraded modern aesthetic that’s the perfect mix of chalet chic, laid-back comfort and luxury.

DuJour spoke with Henning Rahm, regional general manager of Limelight Hotel Aspen and Limelight Hotel Snowmass (now the general manager of The Little Nell, to learn more about this special property).

What’s the most requested room at the property?

Terrace Rooms 404 and 441

What makes them so special?

They face Aspen Mountain and are located on the top floor of the hotel. The outdoor terrace combined with the living space and its top floor location are reason enough for all our guests to truly enjoy it.

What’s the nightly rate for this room?

Around $750

A guest room at The Limelight Hotel Aspen

What’s an interesting tidbit about the hotel that speaks to its status as an icon?

The original structure on the Limelight property was called the Ski and Spur Bar, which served both outlaws and skiers in the spirit of the Wild West. It eventually became a hotel in the 1960s and Aspen Skiing Company took ownership in 2012. The hotel most recently underwent a full renovation and much of the design references Aspen and its history. The Hotel has become and remains a sort of community living room for guests and locals alike and continues to be an icon of Aspen.

What’s your personal favorite room? Why?

404 because of its large terrace. The terrace and its magnificent views are the place to be at our hotel. You can easily host a small reception on this terrace or just enjoy a peaceful afternoon with a glass of wine. Since this is a corner room, privacy is much greater.

What special perk or amenity do you offer that no one knows about?

In the winter, the hotel offers guests a chance at First Tracks on Aspen Mountain. Guests have the chance to ski/ride freshly groomed corduroy or powder before the mountain opens to the public. Additionally, the hotel offers its guests an Inside Tracks program twice weekly. This unique opportunity provides participating guests a complimentary ski/ride day with a top rated ski school pro for exploring Aspen Mountain’s sensational and varied terrain. In the summer, we offer a complimentary stand-up paddle boarding activity. The three-hour adventure consists of a guided lesson and tour.

What’s your favorite design element on property?

Our high end finishes and artwork. The hotel also has a robust art collection with an emphasis on female artists.

The pool at The Limelight Hotel Aspen

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Bauhaus Beauty in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 16:30:17 +0000

The new Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies will focus on preserving and honoring the legacy of the artist and designer, who designed the Aspen Institute’s historic campus, influenced the foundations of modern Aspen and whose work is an iconic expression of the Bauhaus movement in America. The state-of-the art exhibition space and center for the study of art, architecture and culture showcases the Austrian-born American’s interdisciplinary perspective by promoting public understanding of art, design, and media through exhibitions, public programming, community engagement, educational initiatives and scholarship.

Inside the Bayer Center

The new structure boasts over 10,000 square feet of gallery space and over thirty acres of outdoor space. The new center will exhibit Bayer’s work from Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s extensive Bayer collection, the Aspen Institute’s holdings as well as pieces on loan from museums, while housing archives from Bayer scholars. The two-story building, designed by Jeffrey Berkus Architects and Rowland+Broughton, will first showcase the exhibition Herbert Bayer: An Introduction, through December 3. Beyond Bayer, the center promotes widespread appreciation for the Aspen Institute’s longstanding commitment to art, design, and media.

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Never-Before-Seen Works from Christo and Jeanne-Claude

The Editors of DuJour — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 16:25:16 +0000

The Hexton Gallery in Aspen has opened an exhibition showcasing never-before-seen works from public-art pioneers Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s private collection. Christo & Jeanne-Claude: Ephemeral Nature is the artists’ first in the U.S. since Christo’s passing in May 2020.

Christo in his New York studio (photo: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation)

The exhibition, created in collaboration with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, marks the 50th anniversary of the “Valley Curtain” installation in Rifle, Colorado.

Christo in his New York studio (photo: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation)

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These Aspen Hotels Combine Luxury and Charm

The Editors of DuJour — Tue, 03 May 2022 11:03:23 +0000

The Hythe, Luxury Collection Hotel, Vail

Vail’s hospitality offerings just got a lot better thanks to the opening of The Hythe, Luxury Collection Hotel, Vail. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the new luxury resort concept boasts a modern, sophisticated interior design juxtaposing the charming cobblestone streets and immense mountain views just outside. The recently transformed 344 rooms, 22 suites and 16 luxurious residences are a welcomed respite after a day of exploring the beauty of Colorado. With four new culinary concepts, a full treatment menu at the property’s signature Well & Being Spa and a superb location at the base of Vail Mountain, The Hythe is redefining the alpine experience.

The Hythe, Luxury Collection Hotel, Vail

The Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection

The Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection is reopening following a rebranding and restoration. The mid-mountain Snowmass mountain property boasts an unsurpassed ski-in/ski-out experience, making it a four-star property. A new signature restaurant, Stark’s Alpine, offers fine dining in an approachable alpine setting. The resort will also become a haven for après-ski pampering with Lupine Spa, a new full-service wellness experience featuring Ayurvedic methods and treatments.

A room at Viewline Resort Snowmass

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Here’s Where to Eat in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 15:00:20 +0000

Chica

Tucked inside the stylish Residences at The Little Nell is Chica, 50 Eggs Hospitality Group’s new dining concept. The 4,335-square-foot restaurant offers lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, après-ski and late-night eats. The spacious 3,000-square-foot outdoor patio and bar is the ideal setting to complement Chica’s warm, flavorful menu inspired by Latin American cuisine. “As a long-time visitor to this beautiful town, I am very pleased to open Chica Aspen and firmly plant our roots in the community,” says 50 Eggs founder and CEO John Kunkel. “Our award-winning design, cuisine and cocktail program will be something new that locals and visitors alike will love.”

Casa D’Angelo

Overlooking the Aspen and Red mountains, the newly opened Casa D’Angelo offers a breathtaking ambiance coupled with delicious Italian fine dining. Chef Angelo Elia and his wife Denise have taken over the old Piñons space, transforming the dining room and creating an outdoor patio and private dining room. The menu boasts homemade pastas, locally sourced ingredients and meats and seafood dishes. “My wife, Denise, and I have had the pleasure of being Snowmass homeowners for the past six years,” says Elia. “Although we were not looking to open a restaurant here, we were approached by the former owner of Piñons, who had visited us in our Fort Lauderdale restaurant, and convinced us that we would be a great fit for this area. We went to his restaurant and couldn’t help being seduced by the idea, since Aspen, in our view, is the utmost in fine living.”

Felix Roasting Co.

Founder Matt Moinian and partner and designer Ken Fulk have opened an Aspen location of their coffee shop and café, Felix Roasting Co., at Auberge Resorts’ Hotel Jerome. Featuring all the coffee and tea drinks imaginable, including fan-favorite drinks the Hickory Smoked S’mores Latte and the Lavender Honeycomb Latte, the eye-catching interiors are pretty in pink. White oak chevron-patterned floors, wainscot built-ins painted in the palest blush, floral wall coverings, enamel-topped tables, peacock colored velvet-and-leather tufted banquettes and velvet fringed slipper chairs and a gold-stamped tin ceiling with vintage pink Murano glass chandeliers adorn the space.

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Shop These Chic New Boutiques in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 15:00:09 +0000

Miron Crosby

Dallas-based cowboy boot brand Miron Crosby lists celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Gwyneth Paltrow as fans thanks to its modern take on the classic Western style. Owned and founded by sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means, Miron Crosby incorporates bold colors, eye-catching metallics and unique embellishments into each boot. The brand’s new Aspen storefront features Western accents in a nod to its surroundings and its distinct brand identity.

Miron Crosby’s retro Brooke short cowgirl boot

Audemars Piguet

Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has found a new home in Aspen. The boutique offers a wide selection of men’s and women’s timepieces, including the newest Royal Oak Offshore models and women’s novelties like the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding in 34mm available for the first time with a light blue tapisserie dial. “Audemars Piguet’s choice to open a boutique in Aspen reflects the dedication to join our clients where they work, live and leisure,” says Ginny Wright, the brand’s Americas CEO. “We are excited to become part of the community and destination, where new and existing clients aspire to spend time connecting with our team, discovering the Audemars Piguet brand and engaging with our products.”

Inside the new Audemars Piguet boutique in Aspen

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Suite Reyad Hair Salon Opens in Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 20:16:34 +0000

Whitewashed walls, champagne herringbone wood floors, curvaceous white sofas and a crystal chandelier make this salon space at the St. Regis Aspen just what colorist power couple Reyad and Kylie Williard Fritas wanted for their first salon outside New York City. The duo behind the Suite Reyad salon in midtown Manhattan, known for their meticulously applied balayage highlights, have colored the hair of Nina Garcia and model Imaan Hammam. “Everyone wants comfort, but most importantly clients like intimacy,” explains Fritas. “Especially when you spend a few hours having your hair done.” Fritas, who worked for many big salons in the past, wanted to move away from the stark, anonymous salons of yore with many chairs and too many people buzzing around. The couple decided to open a permanent location in Aspen after hosting two successful pop-ups at the resort last year. “We love servicing a new market while also getting to see a lot of our New York City clients on vacation,” says Williard Fritas, who specializes in balayage. “The St. Regis Aspen Resort is such a welcoming, beautiful hotel.” So what are the women of Aspen looking for stylistically? “A natural look as a lot of them are very active,” says Williard Fritas. “We also are big on maintaining the health of hair, so we offer deep conditioning treatments and a modern way of styling and blowing out the hair that does not promote damage. The dryness is real in the mountains!”

Suite Reyad Aspen

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Snow Beach Opens Atop Aspen Mountain

Natasha Wolff — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:58:50 +0000

Aspen’s hottest new “club” isn’t a private members club or located inside one of the resort town’s hottest hotels. Instead, it’s on top of Ajax Mountain. Brought to town by ASPENX, the new premium retail and experiential company conceptualized by Aspen Skiing Company, Snow Beach is a one-of-a-kind club pop-up experience now open for a limited six-weekend run ending on March 27. Operated by the team behind Aspen’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond hotel, The Little Nell, the experience offers a new take on après-ski for the 75th anniversary ski season.

Gray Malin

The outdoor setting features beach-themed décor in an alpine environment, masterminded by photographer creative director Gray Malin, bottle service and multi-course food pairings (think delicacies like caviar, Jamón Ibérico and black truffle pizza). “I was inspired to incorporate a vintage aesthetic into playful details such as the striped design of the beach cabanas and the lifeguard stands,” says Malin. “My goal was to create an immersive experience inspired by my work and pay homage to the chic après-ski culture that Aspen has perfected.”

Snow Beach Aspen

Snow Beach will feature sun-filled sweeping views of the Elk Mountains including Highland Bowl along with live DJ sets, custom cabanas and chairs, a lifeguard stand and snow games. “We are continually pushing ourselves to innovate and think differently at ASPENX, and this unique seaside-meets-slopeside inspired design is a great way to elevate the après-ski experience,” says Aspen Skiing Company and The Little Nell‘s Paula Crown. Tickets for Snow Beach can be purchased on ASPENX.com.

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The Limelight Aspen Will Be a Welcomed Retreat

Editors of DuJour — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:00:10 +0000

The Limelight Aspen is undergoing a significant renovation to debut this winter, which will enhance all of the hotel’s public spaces, including the Limelight Lounge, lobby and bar, as well as all 126 guest rooms and suites. The renovation, overseen by Stonehill Taylor, will inject the original Limelight property with a new level of vibrancy as well as high-quality furnishings and finishes.

Bar at The Limelight Aspen

The results will invoke Aspen’s dynamic history as a place of innovation with reference to the discovery of silver and the subsequent introduction of skiing.

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A Couture Coming Out in Aspen

Editors of DuJour — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:00:28 +0000

French fashion house Balenciaga has opened an industrial-chic boutique for its first Aspen storefront. The new outpost flawlessly reflects the brand’s sartorial aesthetic, as overseen by creative director Demna Gvasalia, through its design featuring weathered materials, aged concrete and an open, industrial-style ceiling. Shoppers can peruse men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections at the new Balenciaga Aspen boutique.

A Recycled Nylon Fire Backpack

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The Ultimate Foodie’s Guide to Aspen

Editors of DuJour — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 15:00:21 +0000

Dante Aspen at Chefs Club

After last season’s takeover of The Snow Lodge, New York City–based bar and restaurant Dante has landed at Chefs Club at The St. Regis Aspen Resort for a year-long residency. The all-day food and cocktail menu at Dante Aspen at Chefs Club will be paired with live acoustic performances and a slew of exciting activities. Dante Aspen will serve fresh, produce-driven dishes with coastal Italian influence (think whole Dover sole with butter, lemon juice, parsley and sauteed spinach) and cocktails including Rhubarb Sbagliato, Seville Spritz and Dante Martini. “The Aspen community has been incredibly welcoming to us this past season, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to expand our presence in town and to continue providing the Dante experience to the local community,” says Dante principal Linden Pride.

Dante Aspen at Chefs Club

Catch Steak

One of the newest iterations of NYC-born Catch Steak sits just minutes from the Aspen Mountain gondola and designer boutiques like Dior and Gucci. Catch Hospitality Group has transformed a 10,000-square-foot bilevel space into Colorado’s first Catch Steak, offering a meat-and-seafood-centric menu. The new location boasts a private cellar event space as well as a beautiful wrap-around rooftop terrace with fire pits for après ski and outdoor dining. “Aspen has become a second home and a community that means a great deal to me and my family,” says Mark Birnbaum, one of the group’s partners. “Bringing Catch Steak to this market felt like the perfect match to our lighter, brighter and fresher take on a classic steakhouse.” The vibrant design, overseen by the Rockwell Group, combines classic steakhouse motifs with a sophisticated edge.

Catch Steak Aspen

7908 Aspen

After time spent cooking in the kitchens of Café Boulud and Eleven Madison Park, Costa Rica–born chef Byron Gomez is at the helm of downtown restaurant 7908 Aspen. The Top Chef season 18 contestant first worked in Aspen in 2017, when Eleven Madison Park popped up there, and he fell in love with the Rocky Mountain town. At the supper club, Gomez is now cooking up fan favorites like steak tartare, a house burger and a Latin American–style roast chicken.

Woodfire half chicken at 7908 Aspen

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Discover a Handcrafted Skincare Brand For You

Editors of DuJour — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 15:30:30 +0000

The Carbondale, Colorado-based beauty brand Osmia was founded nine years ago by Dr. Sarah Villafranco. Through her research and treatment, Dr. Villafranco has become an expert in skin conditions like perioral dermatitis (from which she suffers) and acne. “When Osmia launched in 2012, there were only a handful of clean brands, and even fewer in the luxury category,” says Dr. Villafranco. “Now, the market is brimming with clean brands, although very few have our level of ingredient standards. As new brands continue to emerge, we’re grateful for the reputation we’ve built in the industry when it comes to transparency, commitment to quality, sustainability and truth.”

Osmia Nectar Vital Rose Drops, Naked Body Mousse and Body Soap

Handcrafted in small batches, the product line features fan favorites like Black Clay Facial Soap, Purely Simple Face Cream, Nectar Vital Rose Drops and Lip Doctor lip balm. “I just couldn’t find other products that didn’t aggravate my face,” she says. The brand has a quiz on its website designed to point people to two or three products based on their skin’s current needs. “We like to start people with a very simple routine so their skin can adjust slowly to the new products,” says Dr. Villafranco. “Once they’re seeing good results, they have the option to add in more steps or keep it simple and sweet for the long haul.” No matter your age, Osmia’s products and ethos are designed for everyone. “I got tired of the ‘you have to look 23 and perfect forever’ mindset in the skincare industry,” she explains. “Our products are made to bring out both your healthiest skin and your biggest, most authentic smile—at every age.”

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The Wine Bar at The Little Nell is Open

Editors of DuJour — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 15:00:32 +0000

The Wine Bar at The Little Nell is a perfect celebration of the luxury hotel’s acclaimed wine program. With an art deco design, DJ booth where only vinyl records are played and the best wines and small bites in town, the new destination and its adjacent venue in a private tent, The Krug Lounge, is the place to be this season. Right off the lobby and outdoors in the courtyard, both venues can host private wine tastings and events led by wine director Chris Dunaway, choosing from the hotel’s award-winning list of nearly 3,000 selections.

The Wine Bar at The Little Nell

“At The Wine Bar, guests have access to our entire wine list at The Nell, which is packed with the classics, as well as wines from some incredibly exciting up-and-coming regions both domestic and abroad,” says Dunaway. “We’re offering some of the most highly allocated wines by the glass.”

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Your Aspen, Colorado Travel Guide

Editors of DuJour — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:30:56 +0000

Where to Stay

Go from the snowy slopes to a welcomed hot seat at the Hotel Jerome this season. Part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, the property is now offering a special outdoor après-ski experience in the hotel’s chic courtyard where guests can cozy up in Galanter & Jones heated outdoor furniture after a day of skiing. The hotel has also partnered with Casa Dragones to offer guests a customized tequila menu with lovely libations such as the property’s signature cocktail, the Giddy Up Toddy. Adorned with cowhide rugs, leather chairs and chic couches—stylish seating that offers adjustable temperature and an ergonomic shape so you stay comfortable for hours—the outdoor setting is sophisticated and cozy. There’s also a clever hibachi setup where guests can cook their own pu-pu platters on personal charcoal grills.

Where to Eat

Tokyo-born chef/restaurateur Daisuke Nakazawa has brought a branch of his Michelin-starred New York City restaurant Sushi Nakazawa to Aspen this year with his partner, entrepreneur Ryan Chadwick. The space that formerly housed Chadwick’s Grey Lady restaurant has gotten a modern facelift for its new tenant. With a sushi and sashimi omakase as well as a selection of a la carte nigiri, sashimi, hot and cold appetizers and entrees and an extensive menu of sake and Japanese whiskeys, the restaurant ups the Aspen ante.

New York City-based bar and restaurant Dante has taken over The Snow Lodge for the winter season. Located at the base of Aspen Mountain, Dante at The Snow Lodge delivers the ultimate après-ski experience, featuring a chic, retro ski-designed restaurant and outdoor patio with scenic seating and fire pits, as well as live music, shops and wellness programming. “You couldn’t ask for a better spot when you come off the mountain for a cocktail,” says Dante co-owner Linden Pride. Breakfast and lunch and an après-ski cocktail hour menu mirror the offerings at Dante’s two downtown New York City locations, with all available for take-out and delivery through the Dante App. “We developed a dedicated menu of hot cocktails for outdoor dining with drinks such as our Hot Smoked Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Spiked Coffee and more,” says Pride. “We’ve also brought over our most popular dishes like our pappardelle all’ragu with wild boar, which is perfect after a big day of skiing.” The Aspen crowd has been eating it up so far and the Dante owners are already thinking about how to stay longer in the mountain town. “We’ve been exploring ways to expand into the Aspen market for some time, and when the opportunity arose to partner with The Snow Lodge, we were so happy everything came together and we were able to make it work,” explains Pride.

Where to Go

Dalwhinnie Farms has elevated the dispensary game in the heart of downtown Aspen with its boutique-like approach. Upon entering the elite storefront, customers are welcomed into a world of quality locally grown cannabis products ranging from creams and other topicals to an assortment of edibles. The store is decorated with a mix of modern and antique pieces curated from across the globe alongside luxe leather goods, unique jewelry and even Rolex watches.

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Visit The Hottest New Speakeasy In Aspen

Kim Peiffer — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 17:30:35 +0000

Gone are the days of traditional boardroom meetings (at least for now), so Aspen resort, The Little Nell, has converted its traditional meeting space into The Board Room, a sleek, uber private new hangout.

The Board Room is nestled secretly behind a row on bookshelves on the hotel’s lower level and a password is required for entry. This private space is available as a buyout for cocktail hour, a wine-paired dinner or to host a private meeting. Inside, you’ll find a contemporary den complete with a television and sound system, plush couches, a bar area and pool table that converts into a dining table. Programmable LED light strips throughout the space to wash the room in any color you want.The décor was expertly designed to reflect the marrying of two distinct eras in American history, from the style of the Prohibition era to clever Art Deco touches.

The Board Room at The Little Nell in Aspen

As you would imagine, such an exclusive spot requires advanced reservations (and a total buyout, which is what makes it the most exclusive new spot in Aspen), but is available for a variety of occasions. Dinner bookings have the option to create a custom menu designed by the hotel’s culinary team paired with curated wines from the hotel’s extensive cellar.

The Board Room at The Little Nell in Aspen

Reservations within six weeks are available on resy.com. To make a reservation for more than six weeks out, please contact The Little Nell Events Team at events@thelittlenell.com or 970-920-6382.

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Visit Dante’s New Pop-Up: The Snow Lodge in Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 18:00:45 +0000

New York City-based bar and restaurant Dante has taken over The Snow Lodge in Aspen for the winter season. Located at the base of Ajax Mountain, Dante at The Snow Lodge delivers the ultimate après-ski experience, featuring a chic, retro ski-designed restaurant and outdoor patio with scenic seating and fire pits, as well as live music, shops and wellness programming. “You couldn’t ask for a better spot when you come off the mountain for a cocktail,” says Dante’s co-owner Linden Pride. Breakfast and lunch and an après-ski cocktail hour menu mirrors the offerings at their downtown two New York City locations, with all available for take-out and delivery through the Dante App. “We developed a dedicated menu of hot cocktails for outdoor dining with drinks such as our Hot Smoked Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Spiked Coffee and more,” says Pride. “We’ve also brought over our most popular dishes like our pappardelle all’ragu with wild boar, which is perfect after a big day of skiing.”

Visit Dante NYC’s Pop-Up: The Snow Lodge in Aspen

The Aspen crowd has been eating it up so far and the Dante owners are already thinking about how to stay longer in the mountain town. “We’ve been exploring ways to expand into the Aspen market for some time, and when the opportunity arose to partner with The Snow Lodge, we were so happy everything came together and we were able to make it work,” explains Pride.

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Flower Power is Blossoming in Aspen

Kasey Caminiti — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 16:00:22 +0000

As a former L’Oréal executive, Harmony Bowman possessed all the know-how needed to launch a beauty brand (and one of our favorite Aspen-based CBD brands). Sidelined with an illness in 2017, Bowman was on bedrest and decided to create CBD-infused skincare line Blue Willow. “I began exploring the healing power of plants,” Bowman says. “I began making balms, oils and bath soaks with the aim of creating a brand that is as effective as it is beautiful.” Blue Willow launched with a body balm, body oil and bath soak, made with high-quality carbon dioxide-extracted, full-spectrum CBD oil and infused with botanicals and essential oils.

Blue Willow

“I get all of my ingredients from very small, reputable wholesalers and farmers that I know I can trust,” says Bowman of her products and their sustainable packaging. With products created to help soothe sore muscles (especially after a long day on the slopes) and fight inflammation, the body care space is ideal for the Aspenite. “My husband and I got married at the top of Aspen Mountain, and Blue Willow was inspired by the adventure and healing qualities of the mountains,” she says, adding that the company’s name is an ode to her favorite mountain pass, Willow Pass. “It’s a very special place, so founding the brand here felt natural.”

Another of our new favorite Aspen-based CBD brands is Antedotum. Since launching with its hero product Vital Face Oil in 2019, Antedotum has released an Elixir Firming Serum to help remedy a number of skin issues, from extreme weather to altitude and hyperpigmentation. Founder Karina Perez-Marconi started Antedotum to ameliorate the harsh effects on skin that come from an active outdoor lifestyle.

Antedotum’s Vital Face Oil and Elixir Firming Serum

“The purity and potency of our ingredients is paramount, so we partnered with small farms in Colorado and Oregon who are just as obsessive about this as we are,” says Perez-Marconi, who worked in the luxury beauty industry, including at Chanel, before founding her brand in Aspen. “This unparalleled landscape inspires us to bring you the cleanest, most pure products from the American birthplace of CBD. My intention is to cultivate happiness though healing by building luxuriously beautiful, plant-powered skincare with potent restorative therapies to transform your skin.”

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Suite Reyad Opens In Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:00:04 +0000

Whitewashed walls, champagne herringbone wood floors, velvet sofas, Tom Dixon light fixtures and a carved marble fireplace have made Suite Reyad the most elegant hair salon in New York City for the past two years. Its cozy jewel box space at the Pierre Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is just what French colorist Reyad Fritas wanted for his first salon. “A Parisian apartment where I could welcome clients as if it was my own place,” Fritas explains of what he wanted his salon environment to be. The Paris-born master colorist, who’s known for his meticulously applied balayage highlights, has colored the hair of fashion editors including Nina Garcia and Sally Singer, top models and designers like LoveShackFancy’s Rebecca Hessel Cohen for years.

And now, he’s opening a salon at the luxurious St. Regis Hotel in Aspen for the month of February for his well-heeled clientele who are spending winter in the snowy Rocky Mountain town. Reyad’s wife and business partner, Jax Williard Fritas, and their team of hair pros will be on hand to offer cuts, color and styling treatments following all local Covid-19 safety protocols and by appointment only. “Aspen has always been interesting to us,” says Williard Fritas. “Everyone tells us about the magical little town, with a specific clientele from the south, east, west, and middle of the country. And, a good amount of our own New York clients have residences here.” So how did they choose where to open in town? “We felt the St. Regis Aspen Resort was a perfect fit,” Williard Fritas explains. “It is an extraordinary, five-star luxury destination, nestled at the bottom of Aspen Mountain. Un-clicking their ski boots and climbing into one of our robes, clients can treat themselves to balayage highlights and a hammam conditioning treatment. We’re calling it Aprés Hair.”

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How to Spend a Weekend in Aspen

Editors of DuJour — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 16:00:53 +0000

Where to Stay:

Nestled in the vibrant heart of downtown Aspen stands a luxury retreat the world can’t wait to meet. Just steps from the slopes of Ajax Mountain, Aspen Street Lodge is a stunning, intimate new hotel. Nine lodge rooms and two penthouse suites have been designed with a refined and warm contemporary mountain décor. Expansive terraces with panoramic views, a penthouse pool and hot tub and a game room and bar for après-ski enjoyment coupled with high-touch service put the best of Aspen at your fingertips. For a weekend in Aspen with family or friends, a celebration or a company retreat, you can even take over the entire property and prepare for a sublime experience.

Aspen Street Lodge

Where to Shop:

The first Giorgio Armani pop-up in Aspen invites shoppers into a fashionable winter wonderland. The spacious boutique welcomes visitors to the world of Armani, complete with fixtures emulating ski lifts and cable cars and other seasonal decorations. Shop men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, beauty, Armani/Casa and the label’s technical EA7 ski wear collection. The pop-up will be open until the end of March.

Giorgio Armani Pop-Up in Aspen

Where to Eat:

Joonas is a new wine and tapas bar featuring dishes from Northern Spain’s Basque region. The 70-seat dinner-only restaurant offers shared plates emphasizing Middle Eastern and Asian flavors, along with a diverse wine list.

Local restaurateur Ryan Chadwick recently opened Aspen Pie Shop, serving scrumptious deep-dish square pizza with unique toppings like Wagyu beef meatballs and chicken parmesan. A full bar and sandwiches and salads are also available to complete your culinary discoveries during a weekend in Aspen.

Pizza from Aspen Pie Shop

The W Aspen Townie Food Truck is a popular curbside addition to the hotel that debuted last spring to feed first responders and locals. It became so popular that the hotel decided to leave it open all winter and include expanded seating where you can nosh on sandwiches like the Milstein Philly Roasted Chicken and the Cali Club.

Firefly is a small live music lounge and restaurant with tunes curated by local musician Chris Harrison. The restaurant is run by hospitality veteran Jeremy Parker and chef Jeremy Kaplan, who has created some American classics that you must try during a weekend in Aspen.

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Get Ready to Ride and Imbibe in Aspen

Natasha Wolff — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 15:30:36 +0000

What’s more rewarding than indulging with a decadent meal and world-class wines after working up an appetite in the Rockies? The Little Nell hotel, which has cemented its five-diamond, five-star status once again as the crown jewel of Aspen 30 years after its opening, has concocted its annual Ride & Dine dinner series for the summer. Travel along the river from the hotel to Mad Dog Ranch in Snowmass with a group of other cyclists to arrive at the most picturesque al fresco dinner spot.

Riders en route to Mad Dog Ranch

Toast your trip with a bottle of wine selected from the hotel’s 20,000-bottle cellar while you dine under the stars listening to live music. The last dinner of the season will be held on September 15.

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These Ladies Know How to Pack a Bag

Kim Peiffer — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 18:00:13 +0000

Aspen locals, close friends and avid travelers Laura Kaplan and Nicole Tarumianz came up with the idea for Capricho during a family surfing trip. “While talking between waves, Laura and I discovered a shared quest for the ultimate travel companion: a bag that embraces quiet luxury and enduring elegance,” says Tarumianz. “In all our years of searching, we’ve never found the perfect travel bag.” So they set out to create a line of supple, buttery totes and duffles (made of Colombian leather) without any ostentatious logos that would be able to withstand serious travel. The Marcella tote ($1,295) and Clarita weekender zippered duffel ($1,595) come in black, loden green, cocoa, navy, sky and clay. “[They’re] handcrafted leather bags made for a lifetime of journeys and adventures,” explains Kaplan. We spoke with the co-founders to learn about their unique approach to luxury. caprichobags.com

What makes Capricho bags unique?

Simplicity and Colombian craftsmanship define the beauty of a Capricho bag. A Capricho isn’t structured. Instead, the totes and duffels are soft yet durable. However, even when they are filled to capacity, they easily squish under an airplane seat or in a crowded overhead space. A simple yet thoughtfully sized interior zipper pocket holds your airline tickets, passport and phone, and there’s a strap to easily secure your bag on the top of your suitcase.

Where are they produced in Colombia?

Capricho’s boutique workshop in Bogota handcrafts exclusive Alma leather, produced solely for Capricho bags. Alma perfectly matures with age and is deceptively light. The Bogota workshop is anchored in family heritage and has been producing leather for nearly 20 years.

Your brand is about “intuitive luxury.” What does that mean to you?

Every day, we make decisions that reflect our personal view of travel and a life well lived. How does a specific place, person or product make you feel? We may be in the business of making bags, but our vision is to enhance our collective nature to live authentically. With every design decision, we strive to transform personal experiences via intuitive luxury—to create a conduit that broadens perspectives, deepens relationships and helps celebrate each individual’s unique global perspective.

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Skier Kim Reichhelm is Carving Out Her Niche

Amiee White Beazley — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 16:30:24 +0000

A local ski legend, Kim Reichhelm, named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Skiers of All Time by Skiing magazine, is known in Aspen and worldwide for her Ski With Kim adventures. A champion in the world, U.S., and South American Extreme Skiing Championships, Reichhelm was a defining force behind women’s big mountain skiing in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and subsequently pioneered the concept of women-only ski clinics.

“A group experience is even more empowering than a one-to-one lesson, because we learn from one another,” Reichhelm says, explaining why women’s camps are key for improvement. “I’ve found it can be easier to process the information when we are listening to someone teach another person. It takes the pressure off of the individual and allows everyone to relax and learn more.”

Kim Reichhelm.

Now with expanded offerings, Reichhelm’s Ski With Kim courses lead women through inbounds and backcountry terrain on guided trips that are shaping a new generation for the sport. Also a member of the K2 skis athletic and design team, Reichhelm provides attendees at her women’s clinics with the chance to enjoy complimentary, state-of-the-art women’s specific K2 demo skis. Her clients can test out all different skis, which helps them make educated buying decisions without any pressure. Inspirational female guests and uplifting conversations are woven throughout the camps.

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Book The $45,000 Aspen Snowmass Experience

Amiee White Beazley — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:00:28 +0000

In honor of its 10th anniversary, Viceroy Snowmass is partnering with private jet company EvoJets for an exclusive winter experience in Aspen Snowmass. Travelers will fly directly into Aspen, where Viceroy guests will be whisked to a luxury one-bedroom residence for a lavish getaway that includes a spa treatment for two, lift tickets and a private ski guide, a hot air balloon ride, and dogsledding. To navigate the five-star itinerary, guests will also receive a personal concierge for the entirety of their stay. Starting price: $45,000.

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Family Tradition in Aspen

Amiee White Beazley — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:30:59 +0000

For close to a decade, interior designer Kam Davies of Davies Design Group has been curating interior spaces for families throughout the Aspen Valley with a mix of traditional beauty and contemporary innovation.

Davies spent much of her childhood helping her mother comb European markets and antiques fairs in their home state of Connecticut, which fostered Davies’ love of homes that tell a story. This art form has carried over into her design sensibility, which balances custom crafted pieces and found treasures from across the United States, France, and the rest of Europe. Her goal: to create spaces of integrity where her clients can entertain, raise children, work, and recharge.

“My style and design are influenced by my East Coast roots, extensive global travel, and my current home in the Colorado mountains,” Davies says. “The bespoke spaces I create are layered and authentic and weave together timeless classics and beautiful innovative design. I love clients who are looking to create a home with warmth and interest.”

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Meet The Little Nell’s Newest Wine Director

Amiee White Beazley — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:30:48 +0000

Just four years after joining The Little Nell, Chris Dunaway, 30, has succeeded Carlton McCoy, managing the resort’s Grand Award–winning wine program. Trained at the American Sommelier Association and in New York’s best wine programs, including those at restaurants by Daniel Boulud, Dunaway has taken the helm just in time for the June Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, where he will host his predecessor in McCoy’s new position as CEO and president of Heitz Cellar at a Friday night dinner and tasting.

The wine cellar at The Little Nell

Assuming Dunaway’s previous role as head sommelier is Erik Elliott.

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Inside The Newest Hotel in Aspen

Amiee White Beazley — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:00:08 +0000

The long-awaited Snowmass Base Village, a $600 million mountain resort development at the base of Snowmass Ski Area, is finally a reality, and at its core is the new Limelight Hotel Snowmass. With a key location, adjacent to the Elk Camp Gondola, the Limelight offers 99 spacious rooms and luxury residential units on the second, third, and fourth floors that range in size from two to three bedrooms. Limelight is also home to Colorado’s largest indoor rock-climbing wall, adventure activities such as First Tracks and Inside Tracks, and a ski concierge.

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Celebrating How Design Shaped Aspen

Amiee White Beazley — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 15:00:07 +0000

The entire city of Aspen is celebrating Bauhaus design in 2019. Throughout the year, Aspen Historical Society’s Wheeler/Stallard Museum will mount a new exhibition, “Bayer & Bauhaus: How Design Shaped Aspen.” The retrospective will delve into the profound, though often unnoticed, influence of Herbert Bayer’s work on the tony Rocky Mountain town. The never-before-exhibited Bayer Collection offers a unique view into his extensive works—both fine art and commercial—sharing Bayer’s lasting impact through sketch studies, original prints, architectural drawings, graphic design works, and historical photographs. The show is being presented as part of a community-wide celebration of the centenary of the German art school Bauhaus.

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Meet Aspen’s Newest Power Players

Kim Peiffer — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:30:29 +0000

After two insanely successful summers in the Hamptons, Eleven Madison Park is moving its pop-up dining experience to the slopes with the launch of EMP Winter House, in partnership with American Express. Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara have created the perfect après-ski spot inside the St. Regis hotel, featuring classic Alpine dishes inspired by Humm’s Swiss roots. “It’s the type of food we want to eat when we’re done with a day on the mountain—schnitzel, foie gras, pastas, steaks, stroganoff, and more,” Humm says. “Heartier fare, but done with great ingredients.” Guests can choose from multiple dining experiences, all of which will no doubt be memorable. “We wanted to create a restaurant that offered multiple types of experiences,” says Humm.

Will Guidara (left) and Daniel Humm

“You can sit in the main dining room at a table or the chef’s counter and order à la carte; prebook a private (and heated) yurt and indulge in a communal fondue or lamb roast feast; or you can visit us during the day for après-ski cocktails and snacks in Yurt Village.” Speaking of cocktails, there’ll be plenty of those to go around, too. “Leo Robitschek’s eggnog is the best I’ve ever had,” says Guidara. Will this be the toughest reservation to score in town this season? All signs point to yes.

The private Yurt Village at EMP Winter House

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Fueling Up in Aspen

Kim Peiffer — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 19:30:43 +0000

Nestled at the base of Aspen Mountain, St. Regis Aspen recently underwent some renovations, including the debut of a sleek new restaurant for this ski season: Velvet Buck (named after the velvet fur that grows on the antlers of a male deer). Exposed brick and mounted antlers fuel a traditional ski-town vibe in the dining room, while the menu offers a “modern mountain cuisine” deemed perfect for the après-ski set who’ve worked up an appetite after a day of carving down the slopes. The caramelized pork belly and braised short ribs, washed down with a signature Vesper Martini, is the perfect ending to that perfect day of powder.

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The Art of Architecture in Aspen

Kim Peiffer — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 16:00:29 +0000

The Aspen Art Museum has launched a new partnership with longtime collaborators Chris Stone and David Fox, founders of renowned New York–based architecture and design firm STONEFOX. The dynamic duo, who have been supporting the AAM for more than a decade by consulting on event design and contributing auction donations, will help with future installation plans at the museum including advanced lighting to optimize art pieces.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Aspen Art Museum to highlight their incredible exhibition programming and contribute to the enhancement of the museum’s gallery spaces. It is an exciting opportunity to reach such a wide audience and to impact the Aspen community’s experiences of their landmark art museum.” The AAM endeavors to highlight continual focus on the relationship between art, architecture, and design, with an expansive view toward furthering approaches to future exhibition design, making it perfect timing for this partnership.

The Aspen Art Museum’s exterior

“We love being a part of the Aspen Art Museum family because the museum, while a smaller-scale institution, has a huge gravitational pull in the art world. You get all the benefits and intimacy that its size affords, like direct access and communication with curators, artists, and its CEO and director, Heidi Zuckerman, as well as opportunities of an institution 10 times the size.”

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Art Meets Activism in Aspen

Amiee White Beazley — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 15:00:22 +0000

Anderson Ranch Arts Center will honor Chinese conceptual artist and human-rights activist Ai Weiwei with the International Artist Award at its Annual Recognition Dinner in Snowmass Village on July 19. The award is given to globally recognized artists whose careers have fundamentally influenced contemporary art; past winners have included Frank Stella, Theaster Gates, Cindy Sherman, Vik Muniz, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Photo courtesy of Anderson Ranch Arts

Born in Beijing in 1957, Ai was the subject of a well-known arrest and imprisonment by the Chinese government. Now exiled, Ai resides and works in Berlin; his work spans a wide range of media, including architecture, installation, social media and documentary film, including his first feature-length documentary, Human Flow, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2017. “My duty as an artist is to associate myself with freedom of expression, and to spark dialogue around urgent issues facing humanity,” says Ai. “We live in a complex and ever-changing society, and my art calls on people to question and engage with that reality, to respond to history as it happens, and to demand accountability.”

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Mike Kaplan is Making Aspen Great Again

Editors of DuJour — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 17:00:10 +0000

In Aspen’s business landscape, Aspen Skiing Company looms largest — literally and figuratively; it owns and operates four ski slopes (virtually all of Aspen’s ski terrain), three hotels, 15 restaurants, dozens of shops and employs 4,000 people. At the top is Mike Kaplan—a ski bum-turned-CEO who uses his high office to uphold the town’s legacy as both a natural playground and a spiritual and intellectual Eden.

“Aspen’s roots are about being much more than a recreational escape,” says Kaplan. Indeed, before it was a luxury hotspot, Aspen was a physical and intellectual retreat after WWII for the 10th Mountain Division, a regiment trained to fight fascism in Italy’s rocky terrain. Capitalizing on this athletic and intellectual spirit, Walter Paepcke founded both Aspen Skiing Company and the nonprofit think tank Aspen Institute in 1947. “Walter [believed that] Aspen had everything you could want — fishing, hiking, skiing — so the other things that make life worth living, like the arts and engaging in intellectual dialogue, should be here [too],” says Kaplan.

Today, Kaplan continues that dialogue as an advocate for social and environmental responsibility. Since becoming CEO in 2006, he has fought climate change locally, overseeing the installation of three methane-capturing megawatt generators at a nearby mine, and nationally, traveling to Washington to lobby for climate taxes and efficiency incentives.

If Kaplan’s mission is to “make Aspen great again,” his definition of “great” runs contrary to the current administration. “We were founded by a lot of immigrants,” he says. “We want to continue to embrace that diversity; this community is very dependent on people coming from Central and South America and Mexico to supplement the workforce.”

Recently, Kaplan’s advocacy reached new heights. In a 2017 op-ed he wrote for the Wall Street Journal, he denounced the “xenophobia radiating from the Oval Office,” and attributed a 30 percent drop in visitors to Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies. “[We have] always been about civil discourse and not about agreement or group-think,” says Kaplan. “So everything I’ve put forward has been opinionated but civil and hopefully fairly objective; it’s about proposing solutions as well.” Despite the dip in international tourism, the company continues to grow; in November 2018 it will open its fourth luxury hotel, the Limelight Hotel Snowmass.

With its social consciousness and ever-expanding luxury portfolio, Aspen Skiing Company may not be a utopia, but it sure comes close.

Main image: Jeremy Swanson

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Awaken the Peace

Editors of DuJour — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 16:00:37 +0000

Seen on a growing number Aspenites: wearable wellness jewelry created by Aspen gemologist and spiritual psychologist Katie Beckley. Raising one’s internal energy and vibration, Awaken the Peace bracelets, necklaces, charms and pendants are made of consciously sourced gemstones, precious metals and rare minerals. They are also generating quite the cult following of celebrity chefs such as Eric Ripert and Nobu Matsuhisa. Each design features a charm consisting of a propriety blend of metals, minerals and pure gemstones, composed to bring balance to its wearer. Sold exclusively in the Remede Spa at St. Regis Aspen Resort and online.

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Snowmass Hits Fifty

Editors of DuJour — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:30:26 +0000

This winter, Snowmass Ski Area will commemorate its 50th anniversary with a season’s worth of festivities. Celebrations include 1967-style pricing for lift tickets at $6.50 on Friday, Dec. 15, followed by an activity-packed weekend complete with a retro party at Elk Camp restaurant, fireworks, the return of Banana Days and an on-mountain celebration at Spider Sabich Picnic Area. The celebration continues throughout the season with new gold signs to mark original ski trails, monthly firework displays over Fanny Hill and a new mural in Base Village commemorating the history of Snowmass.

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The Little Nell Gets a Makeover

Editors of DuJour — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:00:46 +0000

In time for winter, the Little Nell reveals a top-to-bottom renovation by New York–based luxury design firm Champalimaud Design. Refreshing the 52 guest rooms, 26 premium guest rooms, eight junior suites and all guest-floor corridors, the design was inspired by an “Authentic Aspen” motif. Champalimaud’s approach towards the project was to make the spaces fresh, light and welcoming, utilizing palettes of blue, tan and gray to reflect the relaxed nature of Aspen. Key features include plush carpet in the guest rooms and corridors and details such as navy-blue ottomans and plush decorative pillows. New wall coverings behind the color-block headboards recall a mid-winter snowstorm—should guests not have had enough in their window views.

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Furniture Pops Up in The Mile High City

Mary Elizabeth Andriotis — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 15:30:40 +0000

Denver-based e-commerce home furnishing brand Sixpenny launched just last year, and already has a successful tour of pop-up shops under its belt. Now, following successful pop-ups in Los Angeles and New York City, Sixpenny is going back to its Denver roots. The shop is open in the Mile High City from November 2nd through December 31st. A place for shoppers to see products before purchasing them online, the shop’s Sip-N-Shop wine hours, flash sales and various events offer a unique look at the company’s vast selection of reasonably priced sofas, sectionals, arm chairs, ottomans, coffee and side tables, and more. With bonuses like free shipping, 30-day “no-fuss” returns and free, unlimited fabric and leather swatches, Sixpenny, a user-friendly retail experience unlike any other. And what’s more: they donate 6% of net proceeds to charitable partners
in the form of useful resources and supplies. Presently, their partner is Warren Village, a Denver-based non-profit organization that assists low income, single-parent families in achieving long-term economic stability.

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Amy Phelan’s Guide to Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 16:00:40 +0000

While she makes her primary home on Park Avenue, Amy Phelan doesn’t come to Aspen just to hit the slopes. As Event Chair of the Aspen Art Museum’s largest annual fundraiser, ArtCrush, she is the most influential arts patron in town. Here’s where you’ll find her when she’s not moving and shaking.

Cup of Joe: SO Café on the Aspen Art Museum’s art-filled rooftop. The matcha latte with almond milk is my favorite.

Power Lunch: Casa Tua is a chic and cozy Italian restaurant with fun al fresco dining, a delicious menu, and live music
in the evenings.

Cocktail Hour: The patio of Ajax Tavern at The Little Nell hotel is right at the base of beautiful Aspen Mountain and is in the center of town. The outdoor patio is always fun, lively, and a favorite place for cocktails.

Retail Therapy: Performance Ski has the chicest selection of ski clothing and ready-to-wear for men and women.

Field Trip: Woody Creek Tavern is one of my happy places. You can bike ride the Rio Grande Trail to Woody Creek for the best fresh lime margaritas you’ve ever tasted, not to mention the nachos. You can sit inside or outside and watch the hummingbirds and cyclists
come and go.

Date Night: Cache Cache is one of my favorite restaurants in Aspen. The food is delicious and service is fantastic. Great wine list, beautiful people, elegant and warm décor, and you are always greeted by the gracious owner, Jodi Larner.

Don’t miss: The Aspen Art Museum is not only an architectural masterpiece designed by the world-renowned Shigeru Ban, but also always has inspiring exhibitions, a rooftop café overlooking Aspen Mountain, a cool gift shop, as well as fun events
like the artist lecture series, rooftop movie night, live jazz music
and much more.

Hidden Gem: The Caribou Club is an Aspen institution. The cuisine is always fresh, creative and delicious, and if that weren’t enough, a live DJ and dance floor dancing starts after
10 p.m. So much fun!

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Barbara Glass’s Guide to Aspen

Amiee White Beazley — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:00:30 +0000

From penthouses to country clubs, Barbara Glass’s interiors are some of the stateliest that this snowcapped community has to offer. But when she wants to get out, here’s where this creative spirit heads.

Cup of Joe: I love the open kitchen and chic industrial design at Victoria + Co. on Durant Street. You can’t beat the café’s proximity to the mountain, and its coffee is the best in town.

Cocktail Hour: The Little Nell has an incredible wine list and I can bring my pug Willie into the dog-friendly lounge.

Retail Therapy: I always stop into Paris Underground for vintage French furniture, lighting and accessories—every piece is unique.

Field Trip: Because the Aspen Art Museum is free, it’s easy to pop in for a few minutes and visit a single room. If you have time, spend an afternoon on the gorgeous roof deck and lunch at SO Café.

Date Night: The Wild Fig’s bistro walls and lighting make it intimate and charming at night. I recommend the Fish in a Bag seasoned with herbes de Provence. It’s simple and delicious.

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An Inside Look at Vacheron Constantin’s Snow Golf Cup

Paul Frederick — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:00:54 +0000

Over a hot cup of coffee, in a quiet corner of the Snowmass Golf Club, I recently sat down with Vacheron Constantin’s, Juan-Carlos Torres after a few rounds of golf. Not just any golf, but snow golf. Played much the same way as normal golf, except an orange golf ball is necessary if you are to have any hope of finding your ball. Land off the “green,” and you can find yourself trying to swing from two feet of fresh white powder.

Snow Golf Cup

After 15 years of hosting the Vacheron Constantin Snow Golf Cup in Megeve, France, the brand decided to try a version in Aspen, Colorado last year. Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world, which Torres is keen to point out has little or no link to snow or to golf. He explained to me that the point of the cup is not about competition or selling watches, but about friendship.

Pine Creek

Over the course of four days, Vacheron’s invited VIPs, top customers, and press from across the Americas to join the brand for an exciting weekend of snow golfing, skiing, snowmobiling, and of course, fine dining. Torres said, “To have your own such event, you have to have your network of customers. You have to know your customers, and you have to establish loyalty with your customers.”

Pine Creek

Spending four days with the brand is a commitment for any customer, and one that Torres and his team do not take lightly. At night, guests were treated to a special preview of the newest Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle World Time and Copernicus Celestial Spheres timepieces, a highlight for any watch or golf aficionado.

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The Weekender: Aspen, Colorado

The Editors of DuJour — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 17:30:12 +0000

This March, for the first time since 1997, the United States will be hosting the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals, and star athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety will descend upon Aspen in droves to carve out their winning paths. They’re set to race downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and the nation’s team event with upwards of a $125,000 purse on the line. Here, a guide to the winter wonderland.

What to Eat and Drink:

Nothing beats a hearty meal after a day spent in the elements. On Aspen’s restaurant row, Meat & Cheese has carved out a “world farmhouse” dining experience, and the Sunday brunch scene scores with the debut of The St. Regis Aspen’s decadent Dean Street Social, complete with bottomless mimosas, a dessert bar and a carnival-themed kids’ dining room. On the beverage side, Jimmy’s amps up its American-produced wine list, and for the liquor connoisseurs, Hooch boasts a nuanced list of regional whiskeys. Bottoms up!

Meat & Cheese

Where to Stay:

During the World Cup, Aspen’s granddame resort, The Little Nell, is realizing the ultimate skier’s fantasy with its Ten Star Deluxe World Cup Finals Package. Ringing in at approximately $25,000, the package includes a four-night stay for two in one of the hotel’s luxury suites, a snowcat powder tour, dinner at acclaimed Element 47, a visit to the cellar with wine director and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy and access to The Little Nell’s mobile champagne and caviar bar, stationed on Aspen Mountain during the races, making a celebratory toast always at arm’s reach.

675 East Durant Avenue; thelittlenell.com.

The Little Nell

What to Wear:

Those who’ve dusted snow off that Bogner one-piece one too many times needn’t fret. GetOutfitted—a Rent the Runway for the snow set—can help. With head-to-toe looks for men and women (including helmets, skis and poles) that are shipped directly to your hotel or home in Aspen, the service ensures you’ll hit the slopes in style. Returns are as simple as packing the gear in an included prepaid mailer—no schlepping, or dusting, required.

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The Best Boutique Resorts Near Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 16:50:17 +0000

Dunton Town House
From the owners of Dunton Hot Springs in Dolores, Colorado, comes a 19th-century inn in downtown Telluride that has been turned into a stunning five-bedroom bed-and-breakfast accommodation under the watchful eye of interior designers Christina Rossi and Johnny Roxburgh. duntontownhouse.com

Taylor River Lodge

Taylor River Lodge
The newest from the Eleven Experience (a company that provides personalized vacation plans for the aspiring explorer) offers guests beautiful cabins and access to premier semi-private waters for fly-fishing.

“The real showstopper is the lodge’s jaw-dropping bathhouse spa, which boasts a giant louvered wall that opens completely to the river below,” says Jenny Jeffery, the brand’s marketing director. elevenexperience.com

The Broadmoor Fishing Camp

The Broadmoor Fishing Camp
This seven-cabin fly-fishing retreat on Tarryall River is a great catch. “The opportunity to land a ‘Grand Slam’ [catching brown, cutthroat, rainbow and brook trout in one day] is unique here,” says manager Scott Tarrant. “The fishing is as good as any Gold Medal water.” broadmoor.com

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Get Behind the Wheel of a Maserati

Paul Biedrzycki — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 22:15:28 +0000

Maserati’s Welcome Winter drive experience has set up shop in Aspen from February 11-20, offering an opportunity to test drive the Q4 “on-demand” all-wheel drive system on a custom-built snow track. The program—in partnership with luxury properties The Sky Hotel and Westin Snowmass Resort—gives prospective (and current) Maserati owners a perfect complement to their day on the slopes.

I gave the program a spin and can report that both the flagship Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans handle the extreme conditions with ease, the only risk being that their seductive styling may melt the track. The vehicles’ cold weather capabilities also tease Maserati’s upcoming SUV, the Levante, set to premiere in Geneva next month.

Additionally, Maserati will host après-ski events on February 11, 13 and 18 at the Sky Lodge in the heart of Aspen. For more information and to register visit rsvpmaserati.com.

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Planning the Perfect Colorado Escape

Darrell Hartman — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 18:50:06 +0000

Crested Butte, Colorado, is often called the last great Rocky Mountain ski town: It’s got an Old West charm that Vail, which sprung up out of nothing half a century ago, never had. Best of all, tour-and-lodge company Eleven Experience is making it very, very easy to enjoy this unsung powder haven to the fullest.

It offers, for starters, guided skiing in your own private mountain domain. The company, which works internationally but is based in Crested Butte, affords exclusive access to more than 1,000 acres in Gunnison National Forest, and bring guests in via souped-up Sno-Cat. Given the variety of available grades and surfaces, you can warm up on groomed trails then brave backcountry glades and bowls in the afternoon—or, if you like, vice versa.

Scarp Ridge Lodge

There’s a restored cabin on the mountain for cocoa breaks and après-ski and a pair of deluxe lodging options in town. One is Scarp Ridge Lodge, a seven-bedroom former brothel; the other is four-bedroom Sopris House. (It can be rented on its own or in conjunction with its more spacious neighbor.) Also available is Eleven’s private saloon—three blocks off the town’s main drag and complete with jukebox and custom-made pool table.

Skiing at Crested Butte

Included in every booking are Wagner skis that have been made specifically with this terrain in mind, a perk Eleven offers at its other ski locations as well. (One of those is Iceland, where the company opened a farmhouse property; the other is the French Alps hamlet of Le Miroir, where guests can traverse or helicopter into Italy then ski back across the border.) With gear provided and a mini-mart at each lodge offering skiwear from the likes of Patagonia and Icebreaker, you can literally arrive with nothing more than a change of clothes—and perhaps a swimsuit, for the saltwater swimming pool or steam room at Scarp Ridge or the copper hot tub at Sopris House. (Both properties come with a sauna.) In other words, get yourself to Crested Butte, and it’ll be all downhill from there.

NEXT: Where to eat, drink and shop in Aspen…

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What’s in Store at the 3rd Annual AspenBrainLab

The Editors Of DuJour — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 13:48:35 +0000

Of all the conferences and conventions to take in this summer, the AspenBrainLab is one of the most interesting and engaging. The annual lecture series was born out of the Aspen Brain Forum‘s desire to foster collaboration and scientific discovery. Now in its third year, the series does just that—and so much more.

The conference, held at the prestigious Aspen Institute, includes twelve brilliant short talks and meditations surrounding the brain, including topics like addiction and recovery, sleep deprivation and the aging effects of stress on our bodies and brains. Speakers range from innovators like Walter Isaacson and Anderson Cooper to leading doctors in the neurology field, and reflection sessions cover everything from hip-hop meditation to laughter meditation.

Session one will take place from 8am-12:30pm followed by Session two from 2-5pm on July 25. Tickets range from $175-$500 and can be purchased online at aspenbrainlab.com or aspenshowtix.com

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Winter Expeditions and Adventures

The Editors Of DuJour — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 16:01:23 +0000

1. Great Expeditions

In August, a fleet of fully loaded 2014 Range Rovers traveled close to 1,000 miles of rocky trails and unpaved mountain passes along a portion of the original Great Divide route. The trek commemorated the 25th anniversary of the original off-road Land Rover Great Divide Drive and Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit developed by the U.S. Forest Service to promote safe and responsible off-road driving. landrover.com

Carver Carbon Fat Bike

2. Pedal Power

While skis still dominate roof racks in Aspen, there is a new toy in town. The Fat Bike—a mountain-bike-style frame outfitted with four-inch-plus tires with unique treads and filled to a lower pressure—can maneuver on winter roads and trails, through snow and ice or on sand. Rent one from Ute City Cycles on Main Street and compete in the Fat Cycle Challenge during Aspen’s annual Wintersköl celebration in January.

Carver Carbon Fat Bike, $4,000, carverbikes.com

WayBack 96 skis

3. Mountain Must-Have

K2 Skis has reinvented its backcountry collection. The BackSide touring series includes the WayBack for men and TalkBack for women. The skis are extremely light, thanks to a new Snophobic topsheet, and feature tapered tips and tails with centered grommets perfectly positioned for slapping on skins.

WayBack 96 skis, $840 (without bindings), k2skis.com

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Inside the New Aspen Art Museum

The Editors Of DuJour — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:43:34 +0000

The Aspen Art Museum had reason to celebrate after completing its recent $45 million construction this summer. Here, CEO and director Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson shares her favorite moments from the opening of the new museum, designed by Pritzker prize–winning architect Shigeru Ban.

The Spectacular Now:

“First Buddhist monks blessed the building. We opened and 8,000 people came through. They were lined up down the corner and around the block. I almost started to cry.”

Ban-Aid:

“For Shigeru Ban’s exhibition, ‘Shigeru Ban: Humanitarian Architecture,’ inside the museum, it was important for me to show the broad-based nature of his practice, including his creations for United Nations refugee shelters in the 1990s. His humanitarian work emphasizes the notion ‘do well to do good,’ which characterizes a lot of people in Aspen.”

Culture High:

“Visitors will be profoundly and permanently affected by the artwork and these spaces. It was just something that was never here before.”

637 East Hyman Avenue; aspenartmuseum.org

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The Best Bars in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:36:23 +0000

Belly Up
450 South Galena Street
bellyupaspen.com
The live music at this downstairs venue is particularly excellent. Past performers have included B.B. King, Phoenix, Nas and Counting Crows.

Caribou Club
411 East Hopkins Avenue
caribouclub.com
This members-only club offers velvety couches and plush pillows to lounge on while you meet friends for a drink. Ask about the bottle-service offerings paired with caviar.

Finbarr’s
415 East Hyman Avenue
finbarrspub.com
This pub has true Irish charm. Don’t miss its extensive scotch and whiskey menus.

Justice Snow
328 East Hyman Avenue
justicesnows.com
Creative custom beverages are whipped up by the bar’s “cocktail mechanic” Joshua-Peter Smith. Just tell him what you like and he’ll come up with a delicious drink you’re sure to love.

Sky Hotel
709 East Durant Avenue
theskyhotel.com
Named one of the Top Nine Snug Hotel Bars to Warm You Up in Winter by USA Today, this bar has a reputation for getting skiers toasty with its cozy atmosphere and strong cocktails.

Caribou Club

J-Bar
330 E Main Street
hoteljerome.com
The bartenders at this old-school spot inside the Hotel Jerome really know their stuff. Ask for a specialty cocktail and you won’t be disappointed.

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The Best Hotels in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:55:56 +0000

Hotel Jerome
330 East Main Street
hoteljerome.aubergeresorts.com
Though it’s over a century old, this hotel has been renovated with all the creature comforts needed for a seriously luxurious stay. Las Vegas-based designer Todd-Avery Lenahan added charmingly updated décor while keeping the lodge’s vintage vibe intact.

Hotel Jerome

Hotel Lenado
200 South Aspen Street
hotellenado.com
Try the gourmet breakfast that’s custom-made to suit your culinary needs—if you can rip yourself out of tone of the plush down comforters, that is. The boutique hotel is also pet friendly; so don’t worry about leaving your pup behind!

Limelight Lodge
355 South Monarch Street
limelighthotel.com
The limelight offers a home away from home for you and your vacation-mates. The multi-room suites have full kitchens, plenty of living room space (with a fireplace) and large bedrooms.

Little Nell Hotel

Little Nell Hotel
675 East Durant Avenue
thelittlenell.com
Want to enjoy your vacation to the fullest without having to leave the comfort of your resort? This hotel fits the bill. The personal shoppers will pick up your local store purchases—even grabbing your groceries—so you can focus on having fun.

Sky Hotel
709 East Durant Avenue
theskyhotel.com
A relaxing spa, bathrooms stocked with chic CO Bigelow bath products and a yoga mat in every room make this hotel perfect for relaxation and pampering. Unwind in the heated pool with a stunning view of Aspen Mountain.

St. Regis Resort
315 East Dean Street
stregisaspen.com
Make sure to visit the spa at this five-star resort where you can indulge in its menu of farm-to-massage-table offerings. All of the treatment rooms are stocked with elixirs made of local ingredients for a truly Aspen-only experience.

The Ritz-Carlton at Aspen Highlands
75 Prospector Road
ritzcarltonclub.com
The slope-side heated pools and Jacuzzis make this resort feel seriously luxurious. If you go during warmer weather, ask about access to the two nearby championship golf courses.

Westin Snowmass
100 Elbert Lane, Snowmass Village
westinsnowmass.com
Come for the ski-in/ski-out accessibility and stay for the state-of-the-art amenities. The Westin Workout fitness center is as high-end a gym as you’ll ever visit.

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The Best Shopping in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:35:00 +0000

Amen Wardy
520 East Durant Avenue
amenwardy.com
The perfect place for gifts, this shop stocks everything from candles to napkin rings. Your friends and family back at home will love the local snacks and jarred foods.

Brunello Cucinelli
 508 East Cooper Avenue
brunellocucinelli.com
 This lodge-like store offers an array of incredibly soft cashmere, knitwear and shearling outerwear. The cozy clothes and accessories manage to be effortlessly comfortable and chic.

Distractions
465 East Hopkins Avenue
distractionsaspen.com
Aspen-appropriate designer clothes, jewelry and accessories make this store a one-stop shop. Pop in to look at shoes and leave with an entire outfit (or five) in your shopping bag.

Gorsuch
465 East Hopkins Avenue
gorsuch.com
No need to show up on the slopes fully outfitted for a ski session—just stock up at Gorsuch. The store houses everything from parkas to helmets for both men and women.

Nuages
601 East Cooper Avenue
nuagesaspen.wordpress.com
Shop for ready-to-wear clothes and accessories at this small but mighty Aspen boutique. Its selection of Alaia and Roland Mouret is perfect for evenings out on the town.

Pitkin County Dry Goods
520 East Cooper Avenue
pitkincountydrygoods.com
This family-owned business stocks leather goods, clothing and accessories from cowboy boots to cashmere. The offerings are a solid mix of mountain essentials and city favorites.

The Cos Bar
309 South Galena Street
cosbar.com
Aspen’s local answer to a beauty store staple like Sephora, this shop has everything from high-end skincare and makeup to men’s cologne. If you’re looking to add to your own scent collection, the selection of Tom Ford makeup and Sisley skincare is top notch.

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The Best Restaurants in Aspen

The Editors of DuJour — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 12:28:00 +0000

Ajax Tavern
685 East Durant Avenue
ajaxtavernaspen.com
This popular hangout boasts excellent food and notoriously delicious drinks. Ask about the offerings from local craft distilleries.

Brexi
411 South Monarch Street
brexiaspen.com
The black-and-white tiled floor signals to diners that they’re stepping into a classic brasserie, but it’s not until you try the traditional French menu items that you get a full sense of what you’re in for. Specials include Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon and a Duet of Duck.

Cache Cache
205 South Mill Street
cachecache.com
What do you get when you mix a classic-French-trained chef and a modern American restaurant? The elegant yet hearty menu at Cache Cache, of course. Ask for suggested wine and food pairings from famed French sommelier Alex Harvier.

Campo Di Fiori
205 South Mill Street
campodefiori.net
The seasonal menu at this Italian favorite includes warm and comforting cuisine piled high on pristinely white dishes. Order a few pasta dishes to share with your tablemates because we doubt you’ll be able to choose between the selections.

Caribou Club

Caribou Club
411 East Hopkins Avenue
caribouclub.com
This exclusive members-only club features a restaurant of meat-focused favorites. Ask about the caviar service, which can be served on the couches of the Great Room, in the Dining Room while you eat your meal or at night alongside bottle service.

Chef’s Club at the St. Regis
315 East Dean Street
chefsclub.com
The Food & Wine brand selects up-and-coming chefs from around the world to be a part of their Best New Chefs teams. The chefs then create innovative menus for a completely new and inviting dining experience.

Element 47 at the Little Nell Hotel

Element 47 at the Little Nell Hotel
675 East Durant Avenue
thelittlenell.com
The recently restructured restaurant now includes offerings that range from small snacks to elaborate multicourse meals. Ingredients are sourced locally—even the beers!

Matsuhisa
303 East Main Street
matsuhisaaspen.com
The Japanese cuisine at Nobu outpost Matsuhisa is authentic and flown-in daily. Check the specialties—you’ll want to try the King Crab Tempura “Amazu” Sweet Ponzu.

Pinons
105 South Mill Street
pinons.net
Twenty-seven years of feeding quite happy customers is no easy feat. Snag a table in the newly renovated 110-seat dining room and order up plates of comforting yet fresh menu options.

Snowmass Kitchen

Snowmass Kitchen
100 Elbert Lane
westinsnowmass.com
This slope-side eatery makes après-ski snacking incredibly easy. The modern space serves a mix of light fare and comfort food. Try the fresh fish.

Spring Café
119 South Spring Street
springcafe.org
Aspen’s first all-organic eatery offers creatively cooked vegetarian fare in a modern, open-air space. Even its cooking utensils are free of aluminum and other metals that are considered by some to be harmful.

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A Warm Aspen Welcome

The Editors Of DuJour — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 21:15:27 +0000

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Fast Food: Lamborghini Turns 50 at the Food & Wine Classic

Natasha Wolff — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Aspen locals and tastemakers enjoyed a spectacular dinner by chef Michael Voltaggio (and his Ink chef de cuisine Cole Dickinson) while taking in amazing panoramic Rocky Mountain views on Friday night during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Actress and author Ali Larter, Lamborghini’s Leonardo Laviola and Food & Wine‘s Kate Krader came out to toast the luxury automaker’s 50th anniversary and their Gallardo LP 560-2 50th Anniversary and Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera sports cars—on display in the driveway. (Both are available for sale at their new Denver dealership.) Over cocktails at the mansion, which belongs to Houston residents Dr. Brian and Carol Kirshon, the 20-some attendees noshed on deep-fred crispy beef tendons and Goose Island‘s Belgian-style vintage Matilda and Sophie ales.

Far Niente wines from Napa were paired with Voltaggio’s inventive dishes like hay-smoked asparagus with medjool date sauce and fresh horseradish snow and slow-cooked beef with “turnips pretending to be beef.” Larter, attending her first Aspen classic, arrived with her manager and indulged in many of the weekend’s parties and tastings. She was in town in advance of her “anti-Goop” entertaining book, Kitchen Revelry: A Year of Festive Menus from My Home to Yours (St. Martins), due out in September. Guests enjoyed the sweeping sunset at the home, on the market for $16 million, before heading down the mountain in the Lamborghini of their choice and zipping off to the weekend’s other events.

Click through our DuJour gallery to see the sleek new cars, plus more photos from the event.

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