Five-star One MICHELIN Key Aspen Mountain, Aspen
The Little Nell
Ninety-two rooms at the foot of the Silver Queen Gondola, where you ski back to the door and some 20,000 bottles wait in the cellar.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- One Key, 2026
- Rooms
- 92
- Opened
- 1989
- From the airport
- Aspen airport, about three miles
The hotel
Named after a silver claim.
The hotel takes its name from a mining claim on the slope above it. The miner who staked it named it, the hotel says, after a certain lady of the night called Little Nell. The Little Nell opened in 1989 at the base of Aspen Mountain, earned five AAA Diamonds in 1991 and five Forbes stars in 1996, and has kept the Forbes rating every year since.
Holly Hunt redesigned the suites in 2014. Champalimaud Design followed in 2017 with the rooms and junior suites, in neutral tones with marble bathrooms, heated floors and, in many rooms, a fireplace. The fine-dining room, Element 47, takes its name from silver's atomic number, a nod to the town's mining past. Ajax Tavern, on the slope by the gondola, is open all year, and the cellar holds about 20,000 bottles.
- Ski in, ski out The Silver Queen Gondola starts at the door, and Ajax Tavern sits on the slope for après-ski.
- The cellar About 20,000 bottles in the cellar, singled out by the MICHELIN inspectors in their write-up.
- The Adventure Program Fly fishing, off-road tours and snowcat skiing for fresh powder, arranged from the hotel.
Dining
Silver, wine and the slope.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel; MICHELIN listing from the MICHELIN Guide Colorado 2026. Shown for information.
- Element 47 MICHELIN Guide Contemporary The fine-dining room, named after silver
- Ajax Tavern Slopeside brasserie Open all year, known for its wagyu bolognese
Recognition
Five stars for three decades.
- One MICHELIN Key 2026
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Every year since 1996, including 2026
- AAA Five Diamonds First awarded in 1991
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 4 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children All ages welcome. Children up to five stay free in an existing bed.
- Pets Dogs accepted on request, for a fee, and welcome in the lobby and pool courtyard.
- Wellness A health centre with steam rooms and three treatment rooms. Massages can also be booked in the room.
Getting there
Flying to Aspen.
Aspen's own airport is about three miles from town, a drive of around ten minutes by our estimate, with nonstop flights from several US hubs and a private terminal run by Atlantic Aviation. It closes from 4 April to 19 November 2027 for the runway rebuild; Eagle County, about 70 miles away, takes those flights instead.
- Dallas 1 h 50
- Los Angeles 1 h 55
- New York 4 h 00
- Miami 4 h 10
- London 10 h 25 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does The Little Nell have?
- One, in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide selection. No hotel in Aspen holds more.
- Is The Little Nell ski-in, ski-out?
- Yes. It stands at the foot of the Silver Queen Gondola on Aspen Mountain, and you can ski back to the hotel.
- Can we fly into Aspen in summer 2027?
- No. Aspen airport closes from 4 April to 19 November 2027 while the runway is rebuilt. Eagle County, about 70 miles away, is the alternative.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Aspen?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Aspen, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Staying at The Little Nell?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Aspen, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.