“Some place warm, a place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Aspen.”
Ah, Aspen, the most luxurious of all the Colorado mountains. A sweet, Rocky Mountain paradise. A place where you can break out your fanciest of outfits, shop until you drop, eat at the top restaurants and still cater to your outdoorsy side! That is what we call Colorado at its finest. I’ve always had a love affair with Aspen. When you are there, it feels like you are on a true, luxury vacation, even though you are just hours from Denver.
I had the pleasure of staying at The Gant Aspen this past weekend with my husband. This was my first time staying at The Gant and, let me tell you, it lived up to that oh so fabulous Aspen lifestyle! The Gant combines the comforts, privacy and conveniences of home complemented by the luxuries of premier resort services and amenities. I honestly don’t know how I can go back to staying in an ol’ fashioned hotel room after our incredible experience here. There are 140 condos within the property and all are decorated to the nines with full kitchens, dining rooms, private patio / balcony and real, wood-burning fireplaces (did someone say s’mores?!), which offers guests a distinct experience. Accommodations range from one to four-bedroom floor plans and three levels of luxury interiors including standard, deluxe or premier rated condominiums.
We stayed in a two-bedroom, premier condo and I was so impressed from the moment we arrived. The condo felt brand new and was so well done! It truly felt like staying in a luxury condo with gorgeous views of the mountain and aspen trees everywhere. We felt so at home and spoiled! My husband and I could not get over how comfortable our bed was too! You know how there’s nothing better than going home to your own bed? Well, honestly, this bed made me question that statement. All condos have luxurious linens and down pillows, as well as a bedroom humidifier and fan. It was so nice to have our own condo and private space, especially during this weird, Covid time. We loved hanging in the living room and decompressing after our day activities and took advantage of the full kitchen by storing food in the fridge and heating up leftovers from our amazing dinners. It was like being at home… if only my home as actually in Aspen. Sigh.
Before we dive in more, let me give you a quick snippet of our long weekend itinerary:
Thursday:
Checked in and were greeted by the friendliest concierge and complimentary valet
Lunch at Aspen Wine & Cheese – you can’t go wrong on this menu
Sunbathing by the heated pool surrounded by beautiful aspen tress blowing with the breeze (cue ultimate relaxation)
Hit up the Pickleball courts at The Gant – they even have paddles and balls for you to use!
Drinks and dinner at Clark’s (Confession, this may have been the longest I’d gone without eating oysters, which I blame on Covid, and Clark’s was next level)
Friday:
Morning coffee and breakfast from Pepperjack’s Café – The Gant’s on property food and bev
Got my ass kicked on Ute Trail hike
Lunch at J Bar - much deserved after that grueling hike!
Retreated back to the safety of our condo at The Gant after nearly dying on Ute Trail – seriously one of the hardest hikes I’ve done
Dinner at Betula – OH EM GEE, an Aspen must! The coziest and chicest restaurant of them all!
Saturday:
Rented E-bikes from Aspen Bikes
Waved at the road bikers as I cruised by on my electric bike on our way to Maroon Bells (spoiler alert, they don’t wave back)
Took in the breathtaking Maroon Bells and hiked to Crater Lake
Cruised back to town (seriously these E-bikes are game changers) and walked around the farmer’s market
Swapped out our bike batteries and biked to Pine Creek Cookhouse for lunch and cocktails
More pickleball because with a court view like this, you can’t stay away!
Dinner at Aspen Pie
Sunday:
More locally roasted coffee from Pepperjack’s Café
Said goodbye to our amazing condo and drove stunning Independence Pass home
Just typing away about our weekend makes me want to go back. This was seriously the ultimate staycation! The Gant was the perfect location for our Aspen adventure! It is right in town and a quick walk to all the restaurants, shops, and bars. Even better, if you are going for a ski vacation, it is SO close to the gondola! Nothing worse than awkwardly walking around in ski boots and being far from the chairlift. This would seriously mean your boots were made for walking. Pun intended.
As summer is wrapping up (honestly, how is August?!) and we move into Fall and Winter, I cannot recommend a weekend getaway or Colorado staycation at The Gant enough! Fall is so beautiful in the mountains and, shocker, Aspen is full of aspens and what is better than some leaf peeping in the fall?! Better yet, bring on ski season! We didn’t use our wood-burning fireplace in the room since it was August and that would just be a tad excessive, so I am thinking I clearly need to go back this winter to light that bad boy up! If you’ve never skied Aspen, you are missing out! It is such a fun, steep mountain and if you think the summer scene is something, then just you wait until winter. Picture bottles of Veuve being bought just to shake up and spray all over the après crowd. Only in Aspen.
The Gant would be so perfect for a winter vacay and I for one cannot wait to go back! You can click here to see all of the promotions they are currently offering (as if you needed an excuse to go) but here are a few that really sparked my interest:
Colorado Staycation Special:
Local Aspenites needing a parents’ night off to city-dwellers seeking a mountain escape receive 30% savings to play tourists in their own state. Be it enjoying mountain views over a glass of wine from a private balcony, exploring the Aspen area’s hiking and mountain biking trails or a simple change of scenery – enjoy a picturesque base-camp for Aspen adventure or respite with a luxuriously intimate condominium.
Stay More, Save More:
Travelers opting to design their own vacation can select savings based on their visit duration preferences. Enjoy 15% savings on one-night stays, 20% savings on three-night stays and 25% savings on six or more night stays.
Countdown to Winter:
With the understandable and unforeseen early closure to the 2020 ski season, The Gant is already dreaming about its first powder turns this winter. Snow seekers have early access to reserve advance winter savings up to 20% for the 2020/2021 season.
So, my friends, time to dust off the hiking boots, ski boots, suitcase, whatever! It is time to head to Aspen and stay at The Gant for your stay. I cannot wait to go back to this special place.
Here are my Aspen musts and what I will be doing next time:
Restaurants:
Aspen Meat & Cheese: The ultimate lunch spot
Betula: This is a newer restaurant that wows from the moment you walk in. The upstairs patio is so chic and cozy. Pro tip, order the Yellow Paloma cocktail (thank me later, cheers!)
Clark’s: The best oysters in town and amazing seafood
7908: Heads up, this upscale restaurant turns into a club after dinner so bring your dancing shoes!
Ellina: A hidden gem in the heart of town with a great menu
Pine Creek Cookhouse: Nestled in the mountains and offers amazing views and food. Highly recommend e-biking here!
Hikes:
Things to Do:
Electric bikes to Maroon Bells
Skiing Aspen Mountain, Snowmass and Highlands
Cloud Nine – if you know, you know
Gondola to the top of the mountain
Stand up paddle boarding - float Stillwater to Rainbow Bridge of the Roaring Fork River
Where to Stay:
THE GANT OF COURSE!
