The Little Nell

"The only ski-in/ski-out five-star at the Aspen Mountain base: 92 rooms, run by Aspen Hospitality and a Relais and Châteaux member."

Why The Little Nell for a family holiday

The Little Nell opened in 1989 at the base of Aspen Mountain and remains the only true ski-in/ski-out five-star in town, with the Silver Queen Gondola steps from the door. It is run by Aspen Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Aspen Skiing Company, and is a Relais and Châteaux member. For a family it is about as easy as a ski trip gets: ski straight back to the hotel, hand boots and gear to the team overnight, and walk the kids to ski school and the gondola in the morning. There are 92 rooms and suites, and the adjacent Residences at The Little Nell add multi-bedroom apartments for larger groups. Element 47 is the hotel's restaurant, known for an award-winning wine list, and Ajax Tavern at the gondola base is the family-friendly après-ski spot for burgers and truffle fries. In summer the same base puts you near the Maroon Bells and the Aspen Music Festival. The honest caveat: Aspen Mountain has very little beginner terrain at this base, so families with first-time skiers often take lessons over at Snowmass or Buttermilk, and peak-season rates here are among the highest in American skiing.

Best room to request

For a family, one of the Residences at The Little Nell gives you a multi-bedroom apartment; otherwise connecting rooms or a suite work well.

The wider context

The Little Nell sits within our broader Top 20 Hotels in Aspen for a Family Holiday list. It scored an aggregate 9.9/10 across the three editorial criteria, competitive against the field but, on a family holiday-specific factors, the angle above is what earned its rank. For the alternatives in the same Aspen neighbourhood, see Aspen Mountain base and adjacent. For a different city entirely, see the related lists below.

With dates settled, the booking window that works is about twelve weeks ahead. Suites with the prime view angle sell through first; for peak months, availability is measured in months rather than weeks. The plunge-pool and terrace suites, the categories that justify this ranking, tend to sell out before anything else.

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