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
• 13 Master Sommeliers of 147 in the US have come through The Little Nell
• 10 steps from the Silver Queen Gondola Building
• Audi complimentary drive program
Children’s Corner
Family amenities : Full cribs, strollers, car seats, highchairs, booster chairs, step stools, outlet plugs & toilet locks, infant bathtubs, toddler wash mitt, bubble bath, children’s robes & slippers, stuffed animals, kids teepee (available in our larger suites due to size), assorted board games, kids’ ski & bicycle rentals, children’s room service menus, babysitting services (licensed/bonded/insured).
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
Element 47, a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, is Aspen’s finest spot to wine, dine and unwind. Tucked inside The Little Nell, Element 47 serves Colorado Contemporary cuisine emphasizing local wagyu beef, house-made pastas and seasonal produce. The dining experience is complemented by the
hotel’s award-winning wine program and genuine hospitality. The name Element 47 pays tribute to silver, the precious metal that first put Aspen on the map.
• Ajax Tavern
Say “apres-ski,” and most people picture something strikingly similar to Ajax Tavern – glamorous yet relaxing at the base of the slopes. Ajax Tavern’s sun-soaked, mountainside patio, next to the Silver Queen Gondola is the restaurant in Aspen for casual fine dining in an unbeatable atmosphere. The Tavern comes to life at lunch, and the party rolls on well into the night. If you go no further on the menu, try the truffle fries and Ajax wagyu double cheeseburger – they have earned their reputation.
• The Wine Bar
The Wine Bar is Aspen’s coziest après-ski address, recently refreshed with an Alpine chic décor and an array of seating arrangements. Discover our winter bar menu with delectable bites, specialty cocktails, beers on tap and by the bottle, and wines by the glass, bottle or porrón—a traditional glass wine pitcher that originated in Spain and is a fun and interactive way to sip!
Wellness
Heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi
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 : off-road tours, fly fishing, clay sport shooting, cruiser, road and mountain bike rentals.
Winter Adventures : Snowcat powder tours, first tracks, groom the mountain, sweep the mountain with ski patrol, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoe
Corporate & Celebration Events
tours
• 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
Private wine tastings
Hotel & Restaurants Awards
MICHELIN GUIDE
• Element 47 received the MICHELIN Guide Colorado's "Recommended Restaurant" distinction for 2023 and 2024. Little Nell Wine Director Chris Dunaway was named the MICHELIN Guide Colorado Sommelier Award winner for 2024.
• The first MICHELIN Key hotels in the U.S. were announced in 2024 and The Little Nell was awarded One Key, indicating “a very special stay.”
TRAVEL + LEISURE
• The Little Nell has often been recognized by Travel + Leisure in their annual World's Best Awards, The Little Nell was ranked #8 for « Best Resort Hotels in the American West » in 2020 and named to the T+L 500 in 2021, 2023, and 2024, which recognizes the top 500 properties in the
world. The Little Nell was also voted #3 on the list of 10 Favorite Resorts in Colorado of 2023 and #5 in 2024.
LA LISTE
• The Little Nell was named among the Top 200 Best Hotels in the world by LA LISTE for their World’s Best Hotels and Special Awards Hotels 2023.
JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
• Element 47 has been nominated for « Outstanding Wine Program »; multiple times. In 2000 (finalist), 2011 (finalist), 2014 (finalist), 2016 (semi-finalist), 2018 (finalist), 2019 (semi-finalist) 2020 (semi-finalist), 2022 (finalist). In 1997, George Mahaffey, executive chef at The Little Nell, was named Best Chef Southwest.
FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE
• Recipient of the prestigious Forbes Five-Star Award every year since 1996 and the coveted designation as « one of the best hotels in the world » ; The Little Nell was also rated Best Ski In/Ski Out Hotel in Aspen in 2023 by Forbes. Element 47 was named a Four-Star Restaurant in 2024.
AAA FIVE-DIAMOND
• Recipient of the prestigious American Automobile Association's (AAA) Five Diamond Award since 1991, « for uncompromising standards of excellence in all aspects of the operation »
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
• The Little Nell has been ranked among the top 50 « Best Hotels in the US » since 2014. In 2024, The Little Nell earned a Gold badge for Best Hotels in the United States. It ranks # 1 in Aspen, # 2 in Colorado and # 22 in the United States.
WINE SPECTATOR
• Recipient of the Grand Award for having an exceptional wine program since 1997, the highest distinction by this discerning publication.
WINE ENTHUSIAST
• Recognized as one of « America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants »; since 2011. Named to Wine Enthusiast »s inaugural Hall of Fame list since 2018.
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE
• The recipient of the « Best Hotel Wine List in The World » for 2023 and 2024, and « Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine in North America »; for 2024. The Nell was also honored for having a Three-Star Wine List in 2023.
CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER
• The Little Nell is regularly recognized by Condé Nast Traveler in their annual Readers; Choice Awards, having been rated a top property every year since 2017, most recently #10 for « Top 15 Hotels in Colorado »; in 2024 and among « The World’s Best New Hotel Spas »; in 2024.