The Little Nell
USA
The Little Nell
675 East Durant Avenue, Aspen,
Colorado 81611, USA
www.thelittlenell.com
HOTEL INFORMATION
Shareholders
Privately owned
Date of Creation
November, 1989
Hotel General Manager
Henning Rahm is an established leader in the hospitality industry with a career spanning more than two decades. Henning is responsible for all aspects of operations at The Little Nell including day-to-day management, strategic planning and guidance for all departments. His favorite aspect of the job is mingling with the beloved guests of the hotel throughout the outlets from the living room and lobby to the restaurants, as well as on Aspen’s slopes and trails. His expertise and passion lie in elevating workplace culture to an art form. Henning holds a degree in business management from the Hospitality School in Muenster, Germany, and a Master’s Certificate in Business Leadership and Management from Michigan University. He began his career at the Five-Star Romantik Hotel Telsemeyer, and most recently served as Regional General Manager of Limelight Hotel Aspen and Limelight Hotel Snowmass. He sits on the Board of Directors for the Aspen Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Aspen and the Basalt Education Foundation. In his free time, Henning enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, traveling, spending time with his family and everything that involves food & wine.
HENNING RAHM
GENERAL MANAGER
P: 970.920.6359
THELITTLENELL.COM
hrahm@thelittlenell.com
Hotel Positioning
Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond, Relais & Châteaux
THE LITTLE NELL
History & Story
The story of The Little Nell begins with a prized piece of land at the foot of Aspen Mountain. Originally, the land belonged to the Ute Indians, who called it the “Valley of the Thunder River” and made it their summer hunting ground. During the Silver Boom of the late 1800s, prospectors staked hundreds of mining claims around the valley.
In 1881, a miner named D.D. Fowler recorded a claim he called “The Little Nellie” on the eastern side of Aspen Mountain, not far uphill from where the hotel stands today. A few years later the mine was joined to the nearby Chance and Enterprise tunnels and renamed “The Little Nell.” It was not until the late 1930s that Aspen began to re-immerge, this time as a ski town. The Aspen Skiing Corporation was born in 1946, and Aspen hosted the FIS World Championships in 1950.
By the 1960s, there was also a popular store, bar and café called “Little Nells.” More than 20 years later, last call was made at Little Nells, and in 1989, a new landmark,
The Little Nell, took its place as Aspen’s hub of hospitality.
Date Renewal
In 2008, Chicago designer and Aspen resident Holly Hunt and her team began working with The Little Nell to capture the new aesthetic of Aspen. They renovated the Living Room, element 47 and six specialty suites, with the goal to welcome guests as if they were stepping into the comfort of a luxurious private home. They accomplished it with a transitional blend of modern and classic and a “very close attention to the textures,” by mixing fabrics, woods, stone, and metals.
Main Strengths, Special Touch
The signature suite décor and color palette creates a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere for guests after a long day of skiing or biking in the mountains of Aspen. The warm, modern feel of the suites is complimented by special artwork, hand-selected by the property’s owner and artist – Paula Crown.
Location
Located at the base of Aspen Mountain, The Little Nell has astonishing mountainous views surrounding the resort and the charming mining town of Aspen at its front door. A Relais & Chateaux resort, The Little Nell is the only ski-in/ski-out, five star, five diamond resort in Aspen and is conveniently located near the museum, boutiques, restaurants, parks, music venues and all that this international epicenter has to offer.
Key sites/activities in the area
Aspen Mountain
Aspen Art Museum
The Aspen Institute
Theatre Aspen
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
The Maroon Bells
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Aspen Film
Belly up Aspen
Continental Divide on Independence Pass
Fun Facts
• Only ski-in/ski-out hotel on Aspen Mountain
• Pet amenities, including gourmet dog meals and cozy beds
• A Living Wall next to the pool in the courtyard
• 4 :1 – ratio of staff to guest
• 20,000 bottles of wine are stored in element 47’s cellar
• 10 Master Sommeliers of 147 in the US have come through The Little Nell
• 10 steps from the Silver Queen Gondola Building
• Cooking classes with The Little Nell chefs
• Audi complimentary drive program
Children’s Corner
Family amenities : Full cribs, toddler beds children’s robes & slippers, stuffed animals, strollers, car seats, highchairs/booster chairs/step stools, infant bathtubs, infant soap & shampoo, wash mitt, bubble bath, diapers, baby wipes, bibs, bottles, children’s cups, Playstation 3 & game library, Children’s toys, board games, children’s books & vacation journals, kids ski & bicycle rentals, children’s room service menu, babysitting services
HOTEL FEATURES
Accommodation
Number of rooms in all: 92
• 52 guest rooms – Town side or Mountain side, most feature balconies, average 600 square feet
• 26 premium guest rooms – Town side or mountain side, most with vaulted ceilings, average 660 square feet
• 8 suites with private art collections
One-bedroom town side or mountain side: average 850 square feet
Two-bedroom town side: 1,150 square feet
• 6 specialty suites with private art collections
Benedict suite: 1,250 square feet, 1-bedroom
Iselin suite: 1,250 square feet, 1-bedroom
Roch suite: 1,250 square feet, 1-bedroom
Pfeifer suite: 2,000 square feet, 2-bedroom, can be enlarged to 3- or 4-bedroom, wet bar and dining table for 6
The Little Nell suite: 1,450 square feet, 1-bedroom, can be 2- or 3-bedroom, 2 wrap-around balconies facing Aspen Mountain
The Paepcke suite: 2,500 square feet, 1-bedroom, can expand to 2 or more bedrooms, balcony facing Aspen Mountain, dining space for 6 and wet bar
Restaurants & Bars
• Element 47
New American cuisine by Executive Chef Matt Zubrod and a wine program with a reputation as rich as its 20,000-bottle wine cellar. The Little Nell has earned the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1996 and also achieved the remarkable feat of graduating 10 of North America’s 140 Master Sommeliers (the most of any establishment in North America), including Carlton McCoy who runs the wine program today. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Ajax Tavern
The ultimate après-ski setting with its sun-drenched mountainside patio. Located right next to the Silver Queen Gondola, Ajax Tavern is the hub for casual fine dining in an unbeatable atmosphere. The Tavern comes to life at lunch, and the energy rolls on well into the night. If you go no further on the menu, try the truffle fries and Ajax double cheeseburger made with meat from Kurt Russell’s Home Run Ranch. Both have earned their reputation. Open from 11:30 am – 10 pm with an après-ski menu from 2 – 6 pm. Chef de Cuisine JD Baldridge
• Chair 9
Known as one of the best après-ski lounges around with an inviting atmosphere, drinks and appetizers, three LCD HD TVs and entertainment. Open from 2 – 8 pm in the winter with live music daily from 4 – 7 pm.
Wellness
Heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi
Health center
Fitness center with strength-training equipment, cardiovascular exercise machines, steam rooms and elegantly appointed changing rooms
Massages and facials available in 3 spa treatment rooms or in guests’ rooms
Summer Adventures : jeep tours, fly fishing, cruiser, road and mountain bike rentals, stargazing, horseback riding
Winter Adventures : Snowcat powder tours, first tracks, groom the mountain, sweep the mountain with ski patrol, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoe tours
Corporate & Celebration Events
• Weddings, Groups & Meetings, Special Events
• Aspen Mountain Wedding Deck: up to 250 guests
• Aspen Mountain Club : 250 for a reception and 120 for a seated dinner
• The Sundeck : 500 for a reception and 300 for a seated dinner
• Element 47 – 110 for a reception (200 with the outdoor patio), 86 for a seated dinner
• The Gallery – 65 for a reception, 45 seated
• Terrace Room – 135 for a reception, 80 seated
• Benedict’s – 150 for a reception, 80 seated
• Grand Salon – 175 for a reception, 120 seated
• Board Room – 16 seated
• Gondola Plaza – 500 guests
Extra Notable Features
Skiing
Cooking classes
Private wine tastings
Hotel & Restaurants Awards
2015
• Forbes Five-Star Award for 20 consecutive years
• Element 47 restaurant & bar was awarded Five-Stars from Forbes in 2015
• Ranked #1 for ‘Best Hotels in Colorado’, and in the top 25 for ‘Best Hotels in the US’ for 2014 & 2015 by US News & World Report :
• Ranked #6 on ‘Top 25 Resorts in the US’ and #27 on ‘World’s Best Hotels’ by Travel + Leisure :
• ‘Best Overseas Ski Property’ for the 3rd year running, by Australia’s Luxury Travel Magazine
• AAA Five Diamond Award for 21 consecutive years
• 2015 Silver Level GreenLeader, Certificate of Excellence for the last 5 years running, Trip Advisor
• ‘Grand Award Winner’ for 20th consecutive year, by Wine Spectator
• One of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants in 2015, 2013, 2012 & 2011, by Wine enthusiast
2014
• Most Outstanding Wine Program 2014 Short List Nominee, James Beard Foundation
• Ranked as ‘World’s Best Ski Resort,’ and 5th overall ‘The Travel Top 50’, The Australian’s Wish Magazine
• Member of the ‘Gold List’ and named one of the top 500 properties in the world, Conde Nast Traveler