I’ve called Aspen home for a while, so I’m a bit biased, but I truly believe it’s a perfect destination for a multitude of celebrations—not just wedding weekends. We’ve planned milestone birthday gatherings and girls weekends, but there are so many occasions to celebrate (and bachelor and bachelorette parties to be had) and opportunities to do so.
If you’re hoping for a wintery event, there are four mountains to ski on all season, Pine Creek Cookhouse offers snowshoeing, skiing, or sleigh rides, and you can hike Smuggler (also a summer favorite). Thinking about balancing the outdoors with some indoors, you’ll want to make appointments at the Remède Spa at The St. Regis Aspen Resort, or plan an afternoon at Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, which is a mountain dining spot in the Highlands that’s a party (the serve more Veuve than any other restaurant in the states).
Wanting to skip the snow and do something fun in summer? The trails are endless but my favorite is climbing up “The Pass” and spending the day on Lost Man Loop with a great picnic along the way. For water lovers, we recommend Elk Mountain Expeditions or Blazing Adventures for rafting excursions. This summer we planned a birthday gathering with a day at Pine Creek Cookhouse, where the group hiked up and then had a luxurious lunch, and later did yoga on top of Aspen mountain. We’re all about balance (fun, wellness, outdoors, indoors…you name it, it can be woven in).
We love continually discovering the new spots for groups of all sizes and styles, and putting together events of all shapes. But if you’re looking for some basic recommendations of what to do on a trip to Aspen, here are some more of our go to restaurants:
• 7908: After dinner hit the attached night club and party up a storm.
• Casa Tua (above): With a sister location in Miami, this fun spot has a great energy, with a mountain chic meets cozy Italian vibe.
• Betula (below): Get the Yellow Paloma cocktail or a Bottoms Up at this super chic restaurant. (We helped put together a beautiful dinner here recently and it’s great for a dinner party for up to 80 guests.)
• Matsuhisa: this Nobu spot has a private room in the back perfect for a group of up to 40 people.
• Campo de Fiori: This is an Aspen classic when it comes to Italian fare—and a classic in general, as it just celebrated it’s 25th anniversary.
• The White House Tavern: It’s a go to for lunch, with quality food and quality service.
• The Nell: If you have a group of six or less and want an experience unlike any other, we highly recommend dining in their private wine cellar.
We’re lucky to have some really great hotels too. Here are a handful of our favorites:
• The Little Nell
• The St. Regis Aspen Resort
• Hotel Jerome
• Limelight
All images by Jessica Claire.
