From the annual tree lighting to festive New Year’s Eve events, Aspen hotels maintain a certain festive mood in the city every year. And while many uphold their beloved traditions this year, others use the Christmas high season as an opportunity to renew.
Last Friday, the W Aspen presented its new concept for the lounge on the second floor of the hotel. The sophisticated seating area and the bar, which used to be called The Living Room, were reinvented (or reduced) to 39 Degrees – an après-ski hotspot for tourists and locals alike, as was the lounge bar of the same name in the predecessor of the W, Sky . resided hotel.
The revival of 39 degrees fulfills the desire – and arguably the need – for an affordable and accessible après-ski scene in Aspen, explains Justin Todd, general manager of W Aspen.
“We want to bring the atmosphere back to W Aspen with 39 degrees in a way that connects with the local community,” said Todd. “We reinvented the second floor of the W – a place that reflects what people wanted: an après-ski scene that is accessible and not overpriced.”
Todd, who took up the position of General Manager about four months ago, has worked to balance the global, zippy feel of the W Hotel with the local Aspen ski culture.
As part of Marriott International Inc., more than 60 W Hotels operate internationally. The hotel chain combines luxury with fun and maintains an unmistakable ambience at all of its locations worldwide.
When the W Aspen replaced the Sky Hotel and officially opened in 2019 and becomes the brand’s first “mountain escape” in North America, it plans to bring locals and visitors to the venue with a rooftop public pool and bar called “WET Deck” Curls. and a promising après-ski scene were short-lived following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Now, in order to expand pre-pandemic efforts for the hotel, Todd said his main focus with the revised 39 Degrees is “getting the music right” and “offering a wide variety” of food and drink.
The 39 Degrees is open seven days a week and cultivates live music with frequent DJ sets and a range of craft cocktails, mocktails, and canapés that Todd says during the après-ski hours every day from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at reduced prices Tobe offered.
Following the recent introduction, Todd expressed enthusiasm for W Aspen’s New Years Eve event, which will be held in the retro space of 39 Degrees.
“We started discussions about the New Year’s Eve plans in early September and investigated the potential of the ongoing COVID situation,” said Todd. “This is the second time the W Aspen has had a big blow-out for New Year’s Eve, and we’re looking forward to making the evening a little fun again.”
W Aspen is bringing New York-based electronic music duo The Knocks to perform at the event. The iconic group is known around the world for their upbeat tracks that “really intertwine with the W brand,” explains Todd.
The paid event starts at $ 259 for general admission and guarantees entry and access to W Aspen’s special NYE menu. VIP tickets are $ 650 per person and include bottomless champagne, unlimited snacks to share, and reserved seating in the lounge. Doors open at 9 p.m. with a live DJ and The Knocks take the stage at 11 p.m., followed by some surprises, Todd said.
Looking ahead to 2022, Todd is keen to expand the 39 degree atmosphere to the roof of the WET Deck. From December 26th to April 11th, W Aspen is cooperating with “Select Aperitivo: Select Slopeside”, a creative pop-up that curates the après-ski atmosphere. W Aspen’s WET Deck is one of three locations that host this Select Slopeside concept in the United States, the other two being Viceroy Snowmass and Urban Cowboys The Lodge in New York State.
The W Aspen isn’t the only hotel in town to ring in the new year with new arrangements. Hotel Jerome recently reopened its Bad Harriet underground lounge bar – a long-awaited introduction to the little nightlife, said Patrick Davila, general manager of Hotel Jerome.
Located under the historic Aspen Times building, Bad Harriet has had an exclusive, speak-easy vibe over the years that only required seating in its small vintage eatery. The bar closed due to COVID-19 in early 2020, and Davila and the Jerome team have been working on redesigning the space in advance of the official unveiling last week.
“We are re-imagining the entire space and the entire concept,” said Davila. “Our new variant is more inclusive with a very cocktail-driven menu and food pairing options – the atmosphere is electric.”
With 60 seats and 14 tables, Davila said they encourage reservations, but the bar will always be open for walk-ins and unreserved tables will be served first.
Open Wednesdays to Sundays from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., the newly designed Bad Harriet can be used as a cocktail excursion before dinner, as a side trip and everything in between. Davila explained that Bad Harriet’s new cocktail program is based on three pillars – the focus is on powerful women in the story, followed by Jerome, who is dedicated to the classics, and a section based on the style of cocktail making – all complement each other in a curated menu with 21 drink options.
Regarding the New Year’s Eve celebrations, Bad Harriet hosts two party seating arrangements – the first to celebrate an East Coast New Year and the second to celebrate Mountain Time – which, according to Davila, are both already sold out.
There will also be a New Year’s Eve party with reserved seats in the Living Room of Hotel Jerome and the hotel’s J Bar will be open to the public.
“Wherever you are at the Jerome that night, you’ll be partying,” Davila said. “We will make sure that a glass of champagne is in the hands of the people by midnight.”
Other new hotel events this New Year’s Eve include The Little Nell’s additional party at the foot of Aspen Mountain in the restaurant and on the tent terrace of the Ajax Tavern, as well as the hotel’s traditional New Year’s Eve dinner in Element 47.
The Snow Lodge pop-up also opened at the St. Regis Aspen Resort last week, and the posh lounge is hosting a New Year’s Eve party with three seats for dinner from $ 395 per person and a “surprise musical performance,” according to a press release.
In addition to the excitement of all the novelties, many of the city’s hotels have upheld holiday traditions this season, such as the tree-lighting rituals at The Little Nell and the St. Regis and The Residences at The Little Nell’s annual Elf on a Shelf. “- an activity run by the ski concierge team throughout December, showing an elf on a shelf in the ski locker room for children to experience.
“I am amazed every day – their creativity and enthusiasm for making the children who stay here smile,” said Carol Lucy, general manager at The Residences. “We have a family whose daughter goes to the ski concierge every morning to see what ‘Elphy’ is up to for the day; One of our owners even asked us if she could be responsible for ‘Elphy’s’ activities on one of the days. “
From long-standing festive traditions to new programs and concepts, the Aspen hotel scene is maintaining its holiday vibe this year, and Todd hopes to carry this peppy aura safely into 2022 along with the other hotel directors.
“My expectations are that everyone will have fun and close what has been a challenging year for many people in a safe and secure setting,” said Todd. “We are all looking to a better future by 2022.”
