My Stay at Hotel Aspen

A glorious boutique hotel in Aspen, Colorado

It can be intimidating to book lodging in Aspen, Colorado. After all, $1,000 per night for a hotel room is not unheard of in this upscale ski destination. This is why Hotel Aspen is such a refreshing find.

We stayed at Hotel Aspen in January during Wintersköl, the town’s annual winter festival.

We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into our large Jacuzzi Suite that boasted a king bed, small kitchenette and best of all, a hot tub on the balcony.

This is a modern, boutique hotel with less than 50 rooms. It’s located within easy walking distance of everywhere you want to be in downtown Aspen, but it’s their list of stellar amenities that truly sets them apart.

We were thrilled to find that Hotel Aspen offers free parking. In any resort town, free parking is a perk that can save you hundreds of dollars during a trip—plus, parking here is hassle-free. The parking area is located right next to the building, which means no long hikes to retrieve those sunglasses you left in the car or long waits for a valet to retrieve them.

Despite not having skied that day, we started our Aspen stay with a little après ski hosted by our hotel. Both Hotel Aspen and their sister hotel across the street, the historic Molly Gibson Lodge, offer a free, daily après ski experience for their guests.

In addition to beer and wine, there was a hearty soup served on the afternoon we attended, along with various cheeses and loads of other goodies. Guests at Hotel Aspen enjoy après ski in the spacious and brightly lit Great Room with fantastic views of Aspen Mountain. Molly Gibson Lodge’s après ski is held in a warm and cozy pub-like room complete with roaring fire in the fireplace.

While Hotel Aspen has a beautiful heated, outdoor pool and hot tubs, during our stay, we preferred to soak in our balcony hot tub. Each morning we would sip our coffee and revel in the quiet of the surrounding neighborhood. It was at times like this when Aspen felt like a small ski village as opposed to a five-star resort town.

After our soak, each morning we’d head to the Great Room where we indulged in yet another amenity at Hotel Aspen—a full, hot breakfast. This meal is another reason why this hotel is a good lodging option when staying in Aspen.

Hotel Aspen and the Molly Gibson Lodge are both pet-friendly. As German Shepherd-owners, we tend to be skeptical when a hotel claims to be “pet-friendly” because most of the time they are only “friendly” to dogs 45 pounds or lighter. Thankfully, these two Aspen hotels welcome dogs of any size for just $25/dog per night.

Another bonus for guests of Hotel Aspen are the onsite ski lockers. And during the summer they have bikes for guests to use, free of charge.

There are lots of wonderful places to stay in Aspen, Colorado, but sometimes, it’s all about the little things, especially the free little things. I believe that the long list of amenities at Hotel Aspen and Molly Gibson Lodge make these two properties extra special in a town full of a lot of special things.