The Little Nell’s ski concierge assists with tickets, lessons, overnight storage, equipment recommendations, and anything else you need to summit and descend the surrounding terrain. Guests who rise early can participate in the hotel’s First Tracks program, in which as many as eight people take a guided first run down the mountain before the lifts officially open. Those who opt to stay indoors can wander the refurbished hotel, which was fully renovated in 2009 by designer Holly Hunt. The new interiors are cozy, yet light and contemporary. Little Nell also featured a tapas-style Terrace Bar, where cocktails such as the Aspen Mule (ginger and Kaffir lime vodka) keep the après-ski atmosphere lively. Accommodations There are 92 rooms, including 11 suites, and three signature suites. Dining Don’t miss Montagna, where chef Ryan Hardy, an advocate of the slow-food movement, produces his own preserves and cheeses. His cohort, master sommelier Richard Betts, presides over Aspen’s viticultural epicenter, the hotel’s 20,000-bottle wine cellar that includes some of Betts’ own blends. Recreation Cold-weather activities include skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. In warm weather, guests can go hiking, horseback riding, hot-air ballooning, play golf, or participate in Nell's fly-fishing program, in which guests are transported by helicopter to Roaring Fork Valley for fly fishing followed by a four-course gourmet lunch served streamside. After an idyllic afternoon, guests are flown back to The Little Nell, stopping along the way at Chef Hardy's Rendezvous Farm, where they can hand-pick ingredients for their evening meal. Rates Rooms start at $550 per night.
