You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
There are only 19 rooms at the Hotel Durant in Aspen, Colorado. And one of them, at least, has this horrid view. That means the odds of getting stuck with this anti-view are pretty good so make sure you ask before you spend your days staring up out of jail.
Apart from the view from some bottom floor rooms, Hotel Durant doesn't seem such a bad option. It's very central, and has average rates of around $130 which isn't too bad for Aspen. The main thing that bothers us (other than this view) is their website slogan: "The Aspen hotel to stay in!" We're just not sure that's actually a sentence.
It's hot. The beach at Coney Island is crowded and Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs just aren't doin' it for you anymore. You're sitting inside watching Top Chef, your tummy is rumbling, the chefs turn you on and you're wondering which contestant is going to land that coveted ticket to the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen.
And then it dawns on you: Colorado is not as hot as wherever you are, and the Aspen Food and Wine Classic is this weekend (June 13-15). The place will be crawling with hot chefs. You should go.
Well, here's the catch: tickets to the Classic have been sold out for a good long while now, but rumor has it that celebrity chefs and culinary giants head over to the ultra-swanky Sky Hotel for some partytime during the weekend.
And they choose Sky for a pretty good reason, too.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Contributing Editor NatalieWW hits the slopes...in her mind. Enjoy.
With much of the Western U.S experiencing dramatic snowfall, I just couldn't help myself. I took a sick day (shh! don't tell the boss) and headed three hours up into the mountains (yes, Arizona has mountains) for some skiing. But one day just wasn't enough. Having returned to my cubicle and the relentless sunshine of Phoenix, I am dreaming today of downy powder and rolling, wide-open groomers -- but this time, with better digs.
I'm thinking somewhere like the L'Auberge d'Aspen at Aspen/Snowmass. Each "fabulously styled" cabin has a real wood-burning fireplace, down comforters, hand-crafted furniture, kitchenette and individually-themed décor. Oh -- and everybody's favorite accessory -- antler chandeliers. Most rooms have what I consider a necessity for a ski cabin, your own private Jacuzzi.
I believe I would go for Club Cottage #22, The Bells. The theme is Ralph Lauren-meets-Robert Redford, with dark woods, high beamed ceilings, overstuffed leather sofa, and romantic iron headboard. I think I'm feeling another sore throat coming on....
Of course, Lloyd Christmas described this city best when he decided to follow his lady love across the country in Dumb And Dumber:
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.
In the film, Lauren Holly, as the endearingly indifferent object of Lloyd's affection, embodies the WASP persona. When visiting Aspen, her character, Mary Swanson, could very well have stayed at The Little Nell. For the past three years, The Little Nell has made Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List. It's self-described "understated elegance" sounds like the kind of quiet haughtiness exclusive to Old Money folks.
And starting at $470 a night, you'll need to have kept your cash in Escro for quite some time to afford to stay. The simply-named The Bar is known for its martinis, naturally.
We love Laura Landro's "The Finicky Traveler" column in the Wall Street Journal. She stays a few days to a week at some expensive (usually overpriced) hotel anonymously, points out everything that went right or wrong, then calls up management and asks why so many things need fixing.
This past Friday's column was for the St. Regis Aspen in Colorado. The headline, "Welcome Guests, HELLO OWNERS!" refers to the disconnect between what the fractional owners get (very nice) and what the hotel guest get (um, not so nice). Landro praised the spa with oxygen bar, the free Internet access, and the complimentary goodies and good toiletries in the room.
The room itself though--two of them since she had to switch--did not fare so well.
With all the focus on Miami hotels, we forget that it's actually ski season out there in the rest of America. But at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, things are just gearing up.
And apparently ski butlers seem to be so yesterday as the hotel offers a Ski Doctor on staff. And no, he doesn't set your broken bones or treat your sprained ligaments. John Clendenin is billed as "Aspen's Famous Ski Doctor" and is a pro to the stars that come into town for lessons.
It is two days of intense instruction, and access to a private snowcat, which offer you the best backcountry skiing in the world.
When you're done on the slopes with Clendenin, the package includes a gourmet lunch at Cloud Nine Bistro, an après-ski massage at Remède Spa and you can take home a limited edition of Head skis. Total cost is $6,000 per guest which includes along with ski doctor time, two nights in a suite and gourmet breakfast served by your St. Regis Butler daily.
Call 866-716-8135 for reservations and ask for rate code SRSNOWA.
When it comes to Aspen, we'll take all the help we can get. So thirty-percent of hotel rates sounds pretty damn good. As a part of a grand opening celebration the Hyatt Grand Aspen is dropping that 30% off rates until December 15th. Since Conde Nast Traveler put the hotel on their "hot list" we're thinking the place may fill up.
But what exactly does this promotional rate mean? For studios with kitchenettes it's still going to run you $300-$600 and prices only go up from there, you know into the thousands range. Studio can mean a lot of things so we're relieved to get a description on the place:
Every aspect of Hyatt's studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom accommodations has been designed with lavish attention to detail. Enjoy finely crafted interiors incorporating stone, polished woods, granite and marble with multiple fireplaces, private balconies, grand kitchens, spa tubs and steam showers. And it's all just steps from Aspen's world-famous boutiques, galleries, restaurants and nightlife.
The rooms also boast WiFi, plasma TVs, gourmet kitchen appliances, a wine refrigerator and washer/dryer. As for the resort, don't worry there is a member's only club. If this is all sounding too good to be true, well of course it is. A recent review complains about the unattentive staff, screaming children throughout the resort and the missing maid service.
Yet, if you end up loving the place so much, you can buy your own residency within the complex, then you don't have to worry about the crappy maid service; you'll also really up your member's only status. But you're not going to score the promotional rate with real estate.
If you want to check out the Aspen "scene", then hit up the poolside bar at the Sky Hotel.
39 Degrees earns high marks for the amazing backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and the large heated pool/hot tub area but also for its creative drink menu.
The Pimptini was voted the city's 2004 Cocktail Classic. And there's also the Botox Martini, garnished with a wrinkled "Botox" cherry. One guest has even called the scene "more cool, fun and filled with beautiful people than the Standard in LA." On the other hand, this does mean that any local off the street is welcomed in:
Then several groups of local people came to the pool area to party. One guy took his shorts off and went into the pool in his underwear. The waitress said as long as you purchase a drink you can use the pool.... We felt as if we were paying good money for our tiny room so that locals can come use the best part of this hotel, the bar/pool area.
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by amandak
When it comes to Aspen, we'll take all the help we can get. So thirty-percent of hotel rates sounds pretty damn good. As a part of a grand opening celebration the 
