After a week skiing in Snowmass and visiting Aspen, Colorado, I’m back to report some commonalities and design themes I’ve observed in hotels and resorts. But first the skiing. I won’t go as deep as the feet of fresh snow on the slopes, but I can tell you that the skiing experience was the best ever! I can easily see why anyone would choose to go West to ski.
Overall Impressions
For the most part, hotels in the Aspen/Snowmass area had similar themes but different aesthetics. One was more modern, another was more traditional, and the other was eclectic. I checked out a good number of places while I was there. In Snowmass, I stayed at the Viewline, which was convenient geographically but as an Autograph property, it definitely had a Marriott vibe. That is, it didn’t have the original design touches like the ones in Aspen did. However, I will say that Snowmass is a bigger mountain to ski and way more family-centric than Aspen.
In Aspen, many of the hotels such as the Little Nell, the Mollie , the St. Regis and the St. Jerome were in close proximity to each other as the ski village is much smaller than Snowmass. I would also say that in Aspen, hotels had a more prominent vacation resort vibe. They seemed like they were geared not only for ski enthusiasts, but for people seeking premium amenities.
Overall Trends
I didn’t get a chance to visit every area of every hotel but I did spend most of the time in the lobby. I loved how there were many cozy nooks in each lobby – the perfect spot to relax with a drink or a book. As far as themes, I’ve included what I noticed the most.
Wood – Definitely the accent choice when it came to lobby from wooden mantelpieces over the fire, to wooden countertops, to wooden furniture, and in some cases, wooden paneling and molding. As a texture, wood creates a warm and cozy atmosphere, which makes sense in a snow resort destination. Mainly darker-colored woods like walnut and mahogany were used. The lighter woods I saw were actually whitewashed. However, in my opinion, it gave off an institutional and sterile feel versus a cozy one.
Fireplaces – There’s nothing quite like a warm fireplace after a day in the cold. I wasn’t surprised that every hotel lobby had one or more fireplaces. Whether they were natural wood or gas powered, these fixtures added essential warmth and softness. It’s no surprise the seating areas next to the fireplaces were always filled.
Textures – More than anywhere, I saw a lot of mohair and velvet fabrics used on furniture and pillows. These textures provide a feeling of luxury as well as warmth. However, second to textured fabrics, leather was also very common when it came to being used on couches. Color palettes of these textures leaned towards darker and earthen tones.
Stone – Stone was intentionally placed in most hotels I visited. It was more often integrated into the flooring. Tumbled stone is a good choice for flooring as it’s easy to clean and prevents tripping hazards since it creates more traction to walk, especially with wet shoes. I noticed plenty of walk off mats in stone that either had a honed or rock finish.
Compared to what I’ve seen on the East Coast, Aspen and Snowmass are on another level when it comes to ski experience and luxury experience. I would absolutely recommend an adventure out there, in any season. The scenery is picture-perfect and breathtaking. Not only is it an amazing place for outdoor adventurers, it also provides a great foodie experience because of the vast amount of restaurants and its craft beer scene.