News From Aspen Snowmass For The 2019-20 Season

As winter approaches, Aspen Snowmass prepares for the upcoming ski season with a number of developments including a new hotel and community centre, season pass deals and sustainability initiatives.

Aspen welcomes the W Aspen and The Sky Residences at W Aspen located slope-side on Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will debut a new Italian restaurant, Sam’s. The large Snowmass Base Village Development continues into the next phase with the opening of The Collective, a new community centre, as well as additional retail and dining options.

In hospitality, The Little Nell heads into the winter season with a recent renovation and celebrates its 30^th anniversary and the Limelight Hotel Snowmass enters its second winter season.

On the sustainability front, Aspen Snowmass is proud to start introducing Taiga Motors electric snowmobiles to replace its existing fleet and will prints all trail maps on stone paper helping avoid deforestation.

“After last season’s record snowfall we have a lot of momentum going into the 2019-20 season,” says Katie Ertl, senior vice president of mountain operations for Aspen Snowmass. “Along with big projects like the remodel of Sam’s restaurant and new snowmaking a bit further up on Lover’s Lane at Buttermilk, our expert employees have been hard at work maintaining the mountains with other projects such as new gear box rebuilds on four lifts, snowmaking replacement lines on Highlands and Snowmass, along with mowing/brush cutting grass on ski runs in anticipation of ski season. We are curious to see what this winter brings and look forward to rolling out the red carpet once again for our guests, passholders and locals.”

The following details what’s new at Aspen Snowmass for the coming winter 2019/20 season. 

Capital Improvements

W Hotels Debuts W Aspen

Nestled slope-side on Aspen Mountain, W Aspen is the second W Mountain Escape globally, following W Verbier in the Swiss Alps. The hotel features 88 guestrooms with bespoke furnishings influenced by the louche decadence of the 70’s and Aspen’s cultural-rich history. The rooftop is home to an 8,000 square-foot ‘Wet Deck’ with 360-degree views of Aspen, a heated pool, hot tub and live DJ. Hotel guests looking for the ultimate après ski destination can head to the Living Room Lounge and outdoor walk-up terrace, followed by the hotel’s underground nightclub, 39°. The Sky Residences at W Aspen offer an exclusive shared ownership opportunity with 11 W-branded Residences.

New Sam’s Restaurant on Snowmass

Opening in November at the top of Sam’s Knob on Snowmass following a $2.5m remodel, Sam’s will offer a selection of Italian dishes, from antipasti platters to homemade pizza, providing sweeping views of the Elk Mountains. Breakfast will also be available from 9am daily.

Snowmass Base Village Development Continues

The $600 million mountain-resort development at Snowmass Base Village (SBV) is currently the largest under construction in North America. The first phase of construction last season welcomed the Limelight Hotel Snowmass, ski-in/ski-out residences and a public events plaza with ice skating rink. This winter will see the opening of The Collective, a community centre that will house a restaurant, bar and games room, as well as a community lounge with live entertainment from local organisations such as Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and Belly Up. The new One Snowmass building will be home to a yoga studio, salon and spa, art gallery and boutique shops. 

Season Pass

The Ikon Pass

The Ikon Pass connects skiers and riders to 41 premier ski and ride destinations around the world. Aspen Snowmass is part of the 7-day combined access with the Ikon Pass (no black-out dates) and the 5-day combined access with the Ikon Base Pass (black-out dates included). This year, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado and Zermatt, Switzerland were added to the pass and all 2019-2020 Premier Adult, Chamber, Senior, and Parent Passes include a complimentary Ikon Base Pass.

Hospitality

The Little Nell Remodel and 30^th Anniversary Celebration

The Little Nell is Aspen’s only Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond, ski-in/ski-out hotel located just steps from Aspen Mountain. This spring, the hotel underwent an interior renovation of the living room, lobby and the après-ski bar, Chair 9. Ajax Tavern, a ski-in/ski-out restaurant inside the hotel, had an upgrade to the patio and bistro interior. Commemorative events and happenings will take place throughout the 2019/20 winter season in honour of the 30^th anniversary

Sustainability

PHANTOM Base Treatment Used on all Four Mountain Sports Rental Skis and Snowboards
PHANTOM is a permanent, one-time application, waxless base treatment, now used on all Four Mountain Sports rental skis and snowboards. Cured PHANTOM doesn’t cause biological damage and doesn’t present any long-term environmental risks.

2019/20 Aspen Snowmass Trails Maps Being Printed on Stone Paper

This season, all of Aspen Snowmass’ trail maps are being printed on stone paper, made from waste rock as opposed to tree fiber. This alternative is much better for the environment as it reuses waste minerals and the production requires far less energy – resulting in lower CO2 emissions.

To read the latest Aspen Snowmass sustainability report, visit www.aspensnowmass.com/we-are-different/sustainability-reports.

Winter Operations