White Elephant Aspen to Debut in Late Fall 2025
White Elephant Aspen to Debut in Late Fall 2025
Marking the brand's first western outpost, the anticipated Aspen debut builds on the White Elephant Resort's legacy of its beloved Nantucket and Palm Beach properties
Known for iconic properties on New England's Nantucket and in Palm Beach, White Elephant Resorts is bringing its inimitable mix of service, style, and hospitality to the American West. Scheduled to debut late Fall 2025, White Elephant Aspen (a project by Boston-based New England Development) will be located on the corner of Main Street and Garmisch Street, in the beating heart of the West End neighborhood and just steps from downtown, along the town's cultural and intellectual epicenter; the Aspen Institute, Harris Hall, and Benedict Music Tent are just a stroll away.
For the 54-room hotel, White Elephant Resorts retained Boston-based architectural firm EMBARC to inject a dose of modernity into Aspen's prevailingly Victorian-inspired aesthetic, and the resulting alpine-chic concept exudes a similar boutique sensibility as the collection's other five properties while also beautifully showcasing Aspen's cultural and artistic legacy. Stylish contemporary interiors are imbued with a deep sense of place, as seen in the rich color palette of rust, warm whites, and deep charcoals, paired with smooth leather, wood, and stone textures. Brand accents like a brass elephant trunk serving as the lobby desk and elephant knockers on guest room doors add playful touches.
The rooms and suites — some of which will have private outdoor patios or balconies for taking in the mountain air — come with Roman clay wall finishes, porcelain tile flooring, natural woods, and such textural elements as horsehair and rustic stone mosaics. Custom furniture will be featured throughout, including hand-painted lamp shades, embossed leather headboards, resin coffee tables, and oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures, all set against a palette of Aspen whites and cognac tones. The piece-de-résistance is the 1,660-square-foot Penthouse Suite, with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and dining space, and a 1,600-square-foot balcony with sweeping views. Families and small groups, meanwhile, will have plenty of room to spread out in the two-bedroom suite, measuring 730 square feet.
A highlight is White Elephant Resorts' focus on art: common spaces and guest rooms will showcase more than 125 original works, curated by art advisor Emily Santangelo, who has worked with White Elephant since 2017. Designed to slow guests down to meander through what feels like a vivid gallery, the collection will include landscapes by artist Alex Katz and paintings by Robert Peterson, as well as special commissions by Orit Fuchs (whose Pop Art-inspired "Lady of the House" so memorably presides over the lobby of the White Elephant Palm Beach) and young British wunderkind Doodle Boy. A focal point in the lobby will be the rotating photography of Maroon Bells by famed shutterbug Bob Tabor. Plus: in another brilliant fusion of past and future, the White Elephant Aspen will partner with Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a cornerstone of Colorado's artistic community for more than 60 years, creating an energetic dialogue with the region's art history, as well as opening the doors to this unique place for guests who will be able to sign up for special programs, including an arts summer camp for kids.
Fans of White Elephant Resorts' Nantucket and Palm Beach properties will be delighted to discover that signature restaurant LoLa 41 has also made the move out West. Known for inspired seafood and sushi specialties, the bistro draws inspiration from destinations along the 41st longitude parallel, all the way from Japan to Nantucket, where the White Elephant Resorts' story began.
Overall, the hotel will offer unrivaled access to the best of Aspen, one of the American West's most versatile destinations, with Michelin-starred dining, shopping and culture in town, and adrenaline-fueled adventures in the great outdoors. Wintertime is celebrated for top skiing, snowshoeing and arguably the chicest après-scene, while warmer temperatures bring festivals, special events and breathtaking hikes. To facilitate exploration, White Elephant Aspen will extend its long-standing partnership with BMW, offering courtesy cars to guests, though for more active types, complimentary bikes will also be available as well as a shuttle to the slopes. For the end of an active day, there's a year-round heated pool, two hot tubs, and a supremely romantic outdoor fire pit. Sophisticated, refined, exciting: the portfolio's newest sibling is poised to be the talk of the town when it opens later this year.
Getting There: With direct service from Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta via United, Delta, and American Airlines, Aspen offers convenience and pristine nature, making it perfect for weekend getaways, family trips, long-term and working vacations, and more. White Elephant Aspen offers complimentary BMW transfers to and from Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
For more information, please visit www.whiteelephantaspen.com.
About White Elephant Resorts
White Elephant Resorts is a collection of premier hotels and resorts in Nantucket, MA; Palm Beach, FL; and Aspen, CO that specialize in bringing their award-winning combination of service, design, and amenities to today's discerning traveler. Properties include The Wauwinet, with access to both bay and ocean beaches and home to award-winning TOPPER'S restaurant; White Elephant, the iconic hotel located right on Nantucket Harbor with the Brant Point Grill; Jared Coffin House, a historic hotel in Nantucket Town and its restaurant, Tap Room; The Cottages at the Boat Basin, private waterfront cottages; and Nantucket Boat Basin, a 240-slip full-service award-winning marina. White Elephant Palm Beach debuted in November 2020 in Palm Beach, FL with Nantucket-favorite LoLa 41 restaurant, and White Elephant Aspen is set to open in late fall 2025. In 2024, The Wauwinet and White Elephant Nantucket were ranked in Travel + Leisure's World's Best awards, and both White Elephant Nantucket and White Elephant Palm Beach were recipients of Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards. TOPPER's is AAA's only "Five Diamond" restaurant on Nantucket and has been a recipient of Wine Spectator's "Grand Award" for 28 consecutive years.