Quick backstory: I am a huge mountains > beach girl because I grew up skiing (and attempted snowboarding) out west (the real-deal mountains). My parents now live six months of the year in Edwards, Colorado—a short 25 minutes from Vail. So when presented with the opportunity to travel to Aspen, aka the ski capital of Colorado, of course it was a no-brainer for me.
Obviously, there are mostly all pros about this ski town, but the only con about Aspen is that it is a bit of a hassle to get to: Flights to the Aspen airport are hella $$$ and the alternative is to fly to the Denver airport and drive four and a half hours. So that’s what I did. Although it’s a long drive, I can definitely tell you that it is absolutely gorge and has the most amazing views. Def worth the time.
I recommend heading to Aspen at the beginning to middle of December. It’s not as crowded as it would be during the height of the holiday season, but you still get that magic Christmas feel. But honestly, you’ll have a great time and be able to ski any time from late November to April.
Although this would have been a perfect trip to take a special someone due to the cozy ski lodge winter wonderland vibes, I took a friend of mine, bc gals really do have more fun. Keep scrolling for alllll the details on The Little Nell Aspen (the chic room design! winter champagne picnics! cute ski boutiques!). Hope you’re ready to plan a vacay, because you’ll wanna book one at the end of this.
(FYI: I received a comped room, some comped meals, and a lift ticket in exchange for writing this review.)
Where You’re Staying
Once we checked in to the magical boutique hotel that is The Little Nell, we headed to our room, where we were treated to a charcuterie board and pinot noir. The hotel itself looked like it came from a Hallmark holiday movie, for real. There was a huge Christmas tree and decorations in the lobby as well as a lit fireplace and a cozy area to enjoy cocktails and coffee. Our room was modern with a twist of ski lodge. The room had an area to hang up your ski gear, like helmets, jackets, and more, which we had plenty of (check out some snow bunny ’fits below).
The bathroom was super elegant with a nice bathtub for soaking post-skiing (a necessity) and a shower with the greatest water pressure ever. The room came with two queen beds and a fireplace you could control with a remote, obv. We also had a balcony that overlooked the street, which was so cute but way too cold to enjoy since it was snowing while we were there.
We didn’t end up using the fitness center while we visited, but The Little Nell has a nice little gym, outdoor heated pool, and hot tubs outside. Okay, we kinda regret not taking advantage of the hot tubs, but it was chilly.
Your Ski Trip Packing List
sorel Women's Sorel Explorer™ II Joan
Caraa Tote Bag
What You’re Doing
Skiing is the main attraction in Aspen, of course, but I headed there a liiittle early in the season. Although there wasn’t much snow when I was there, I still went down a few ski runs that were open at the time, which were pretty epic. After skiing, we went back up the gondola to the top of the mountain and—drumroll, please—oversaw Gray Malin’s Dogs of Aspen photo shoot on top of Aspen Mountain. Dogs + skiing, does it get any better? It was so cool to chat with his amazing team and watch the doggos model in the snow with their lil knit hats.
And then we shopped. Ugh, the shopping in Aspen is just too good (I mean, it’s Aspen), so I suggest saving your coin a few months before your trip because you’ll wanna make your biggest splurges there! We had to take a walk through the town, which is also straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie, and peek into the designer stores. Most of the designers were Aspen-themed and exclusive to that retail location. It was pretty legit to see never-before-seen Prada ski outfits. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s so worth a walk around town to get that fresh mountain air.
If you wanna do something cute and picturesque with your S.O. on your honeymoon, or even during your bachelorette weekend, do a winter picnic. I definitely always thought of picnics as a summer thing, but this proved me wrong. The Little Nell provided us with a picnic backpack filled with charcuterie and bread for lunch and also…Veuve Clicquot champagne to celebrate. We took the picnic up the gondola and sat on picnic benches on top of the mountain. The *best*.
One of the highlights of this trip was being one of the first to see the Andy Warhol: Lifetimes exhibit at the Aspen Art Museum. It’s such a cool museum, highly recommend taking a ski break to tour it!
After you’ve had a full day of skiing, exploring, all of that, you’re gonna need a glass of wine. Your solution: Back at The Little Nell, check out The Wine Bar or The Board Room (a speakeasy within the hotel with plenty of mood lighting). The Board Room is a super-fun spot to host a social soiree or a meeting while you’re at the hotel. Inside, you’ll find a contemporary den with a huge flat-screen TV, plush couches, a bar area, and a pool table (basement party vibes). The Wine Bar has more of a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a nice glass of red. ;) Both opened in the past year, and The Little Nell continues to be recognized for its world-renowned wine program—it has literally 20,000 wines in its cellar, where it hosts private tastings and dinners, too, if you’re feeling fancy.
Where You’re Eating
We did more than just drink, promise. Aspen’s food scene is *chef’s kiss*. The first night, after we got settled in, we walked around the town and had a recommendation to try out The White House Tavern for dinner. Apparently, you need to get the chicken sandwich, which we found out after we ordered two salads (they were also fab though). That just means we’ll have to go back!
The thing you should know about Colorado is that the altitude can really affect you, so make sure to stay extra hydrated and fueled. So we did. After the photo shoot, we went down the gondola and had lunch at Ajax Tavern, where we got grilled cheese and tomato soup, tuna poke, salmon Nicoise salad, and cauliflower bites (those bites were arguably the best dish of all).
Just when we thought we couldn’t put any more food in our bodies, we had breakfast the next day at Element 47, which is right next to the lobby of the hotel. We had the winter vegetable scramble, basically the freshest omelet ever, the fluffiest lemon soufflé pancakes, the smoothie of the day, a berry smoothie, and, of course, coffee.
After a full day of shopping and walking around, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for my favorite dinner of all, which was at Chica (Chica restaurant in Miami and Vegas is now also in Aspen at Residences at The Little Nell). We got the seafood cazuela dish, which was honestly the best dish I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was almost like a paella, with Maine lobster, branzino, mussels, shrimp, spiced coconut broth, and a side of rice that you pair it with. I legitimately still drool at the thought of that dinner.
NGL, we had the best night sleep of our lives that night. IDK if it had to do with the fact that we had a super-busy day or we were in a true food coma…probs both. All that to say, The Little Nell is an *experience*, from the champagne picnics to the ski slopes. I’m sure you’re sufficiently ~influenced~ now.
