Aspen, aside from being a posh ski town and hub for outdoor adventure, is known for its leadership in environmental practices and forward-thinking business and cultural climates, businesses, and advocacy. Much of this is led by the Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think tank and nonprofit working to “ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world.” The Institute brings together a diverse coalition of leaders and communities to address complex challenges – and it’s possible for travelers to stay on-site at Aspen Meadows Resort. Management of the hotel operations is handled in partnership with Salamander Collection, but the programming, architecture, and art remain tightly aligned with the Aspen Institute’s mission to foster reflection, dialogue, and leadership. Aspen Meadows Resort is far from the standard ski resort lodging, its onsite programming, excellent dining, and mid-century mod vibes making it the best place to stay with your family in Aspen – especially if they’re as interested in experiencing art and thought leadership inspired by it, as they are skiing it.
Sleep Inside This Living Bauhaus Art Museum in Aspen
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A culturally-rich stay that inspires more than just powder turns
Taking an art walk is an obligatory activity at Aspen Meadows Resort. Photo: Aspen Meadows Resort
I visited Aspen Meadows Resort early in the ski season with my wife and four-year-old daughter. Our plan was to ski while also having the space to spend some quality family time afterward, so we wanted somewhere that inspired conversation and togetherness more so than a standard hotel room does. The heart of the resort’s cultural life is the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, a museum-grade exhibition space on the Aspen Institute campus that is free to the public. The 7,000-plus-square-foot center is devoted to the work and legacy of Bauhaus artist and designer Herbert Bayer, who master-planned the campus and (alongside a fair share of artists, ski bums, and revelry-induced cultural icons including Hunter S. Thompson) helped shape Aspen’s postwar cultural identity. Inside, rotating exhibitions draw from a deep archive of paintings, prints, tapestries, works on paper, and design pieces. It’s a interesting place to visit that can be done in as quickly as half an hour if you have kids in tow.
Aspen Meadows Resort, with rooms from about $378 during off-season and upwards of $900 during ski season, and the Aspen Institute operate as a single, integrated campus. The resort is physically set within the Institute’s 40 acres in Aspen’s West End and is owned by the nonprofit. We stayed in a Bauhaus-designed suite originally built to house Institute participants (you can see this in the unit’s layout, which included plenty of space to work, read, socialize over a drink, and gaze at the mountains).
Outside, the resort is an open-air art gallery. Each morning I’d walk my dog (some units are dog-friendly) through the campus of Bayer’s Bauhaus-influenced buildings, through open space integrated with outdoor sculptures and landscape interventions. We’d wander past mounds and gardens, stopping to stare at geometric plazas and sculptures, the meaning of some escaping my grasp but all connected by walkways intended as a “total work of art” labeled so as to connect mind, body, and surroundings.
Our room at Aspen Meadows Resort
Bauhaus defines the entire aesthetic. Photo: Aspen Meadows Resort
The Bauhaus style defines the resort’s guest lodging. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite that looked straight out of classic Hollywood. The bright colors of the chairs and art in the living room were amplified by snow falling outside the window. Wood played heavily in the design, and the exterior looked more like a retro apartment complex than a hotel. Our balcony faced Aspen Mountain, becoming a perfect (albeit chilly) spot for morning coffee. The king bed was soft, comfortable, and fit my wife and I as well as our young daughter, with room to spare.
The room included a kitchenette with a mini-fridge, microwave, sink, and Nespresso coffee maker. As an aside, I have historically struggled with Nespresso machines, often leaving a mess of grimy water on the counter due I’m sure to user error rather than mechanical dysfunction. Here, though, I successfully made coffee each morning with no hiccups, a testament to the resort having chosen the simplest of such devices. The water in the shower took a few moments to heat up, but once it did it was warm and with excellent water pressure. A double-sink vanity included all the staple toiletries and accessories.
Outside the room, there’s a lap pool and hot tub on the property, along with a fitness center. The hotel offers room service, snowshoe rentals are complimentary, and bikes can be rented onsite. The resort offers tennis courts and has the ability to host groups both large and small. A big snowstorm hit while we were there and our truck appreciated the heated driveway coming in and out of the parking garage underneath the tennis courts — it’s a short but steep ramp, and vehicles would be a-slipping and a-sliding without such a feature.
Exploring Aspen’s West End, the resort’s dining, and the ski resorts beyond
Photo: Kristi Blokhin /Shutterstock
The resort is located on the northern portion of Aspen’s West End, a neighborhood known for its famous residents (on a prior trip to Aspen I spotted Lance Armstrong at a bar downtown, and was told he owned a house in the neighborhood). The property is somewhat secluded but easy to reach, and a complimentary resort shuttle runs on the hour (or by request) to take skiers over to the gondola at Aspen Mountain or elsewhere in the four resorts. My daughter took a lesson at the Treehouse Adventure Center in Snowmass, which ran from 9:30 AM to 3 PM and included plenty of free time in the center’s play areas in addition to ski instruction (don’t french fry when you’re supposed to pizza!) along with lunch and snacks. Olivia was ecstatic when we picked her up, and several days later continues to demonstrate her pizza and french fry skills to any who will watch.
My wife took our dog on a five-mile hike straight from the resort, hopping on a trail system right behind the guest check-in and lounge building. This building also houses West End Social, the resort’s take on fine dining. We ate here our first night in town. I indulged in the juicy Duck Confit and my wife had chicken. The kids’ menu was quite adventurous – my daughter ordered the grilled shrimp, and while I’m certain she didn’t expect what would show up, she ate the entire dish – a true testament to the care of Executive Chef JD Baldridge and his team. The entire meal was fantastic and, for my wife and I, paired well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
The Meadows Cafe, a floor below West End Social, offers a full coffee bar and both warm and grab-and-go breakfast options. The baked goods, in particular, are of note here, and I also had a great Americano before hitting the slopes our first morning. I am generally skeptical of staying outside a town center, especially when that town center offers walkable access to some of Colorado’s best snowboarding. Aspen Meadows Resort makes that a non–issue, however, by running a good shuttle combined with the area’s superb public transit system, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (commonly referred to as “Rafta”). We drove from our home two hours away in Palisade, but even if you arrive by transit or fly in, it won’t be a problem to not have a car during your stay – and that includes having stuff to do throughout. In that way, Aspen Meadows Resort embodies what is great about Aspen. No other ski town is as rich in advocacy, art, or activism, and by staying here you can not only learn about but be a part of it. 