Hotel Jerome

Aspen is one of those magical, glamorous place. It’s splashed all over the newspapers every Christmas, when movie stars and supermodels descend upon its snowy streets pairing fur boots with diamonds. But there’s another side to Aspen – it’s rich with fascinating history and quaint local hangouts.

The cowboy-hat-sporting doormen who greet you Hotel Jerome call to mind the building’s glory days: at the height of Colorado’s silver boom in the late 1800s, the Jerome was a vacation mecca for New York socialites and prosperous businessmen making their fortune out west. I love walking into a place and immediately feeling its history, and the grand lobby here does just that: my eyes darted left and right to a roaring log fire, dark wood-paneled walls, a sweeping staircase, a giant portrait of the venue’s founder – Jerome B Wheeler – and the glint of chinking crystal glasses filled with scotch. Even the turquoise floor tiles are original, made from oxidized gold and dating back to 1890. I snapped straight back to 2016, though, when offered iced chlorophyll water at check in – it’s a superfood supplement said to help your body acclimatize to the altitude. Genius.

Jerome’s painstakingly restored J Bar – a one-time haunt of Hunter S Thompson – was packed for après ski beers when we made a beeline there for happy hour after unpacking (they also serve, according to the locals we asked, the best burgers in town). After a few very hours chatting to the friendly barman, it was time to venture out for dinner. I can’t recommend the new steakhouse Monarch enough; with impeccable service, awesome jazz and an animated crowd, it’s a must for date night. 

Post steak, we retired to our spacious room and looked out on the mountains (I requested the view in advance: waking up to the peaks every morning really does make a difference). The vista isn’t the only gorgeous sight, though: the décor indoors is really, really cool, striking a perfect balance between Ralph Lauren-esque chalet chic and modern elegance. I loved the Native American artwork and patterns on the blankets, mixed with festive red plaid and crisp white sheets. The bed was enormous and out-of-this-world comfy, and I slept like a baby (pro tip: humidifiers are available on request – mountain air combined with central heating can be somewhat drying, especially after a few gin and tonics). And from a practical standpoint, the service was truly impressive: the ski concierge, for example, takes charge of all your kit, so you don’t even set eyes on it until you’re ready to head to the slopes. The first round of everything in the minibar is free, and the in-room iPad connects you to every imaginable hotel service. They’ve put plenty of thought into every detail of a genuinely luxurious experience. 

Now, I’m a self-confessed obsessive skier, so the next morning we were up early for First Tracks (sign up in advance for this special treat, and you’ll be whisked up the mountain with the staff before any runs officially open). With the freshly groomed pistes awaiting above, we didn’t spend long on breakfast – the htoel’s Living Room buffet was perfect. It’s a cosy, stylish setting (I Instagrammed the crap out of it) serving delicious delights: I plumped for the pancakes with blueberry compote and a side of green-chilli chicken sausage (calories don’t count when you’re skiing all day) and a latte to go. It was a relaxed but speedy start to a long day’s skiing. 

That evening, back at the hotel, champagne in the hot tub proved the perfect way to celebrate a surprise mid-blizzard proposal in a gondola, halfway up the mountain (I said yes, of course!) Watching the sun set behind Ajax mountain, with Jerome’s pool all to ourselves, was heaven.