St Regis Aspen

One of the world’s most exclusive ski towns? Check. 5 star resort at the foot of snow capped mountains? Check. Champagne upon arrival? Check. Attentive service, beautiful rooms, and great perks from a VIP booking with Marriott STARS? Check. My wife and I spent two wonderful nights at The St Regis Aspen and can’t wait to return.

Our morning view from our upgraded Grand Deluxe with Balcony Mountain View Room

Trip Details

• When: October 202
• Where: Aspen
• Room: Booked Superior
  • Upgraded to Grand Deluxe with Balcony
  • Marriott Stars – details listed below
• Parking: $60 a night
• Marriott Status: Platinum
  • free breakfast ( $60 credit )
• Rate: Cash rates started in the mid $500s, points were 100k+
• Pet Friendly for a fee

Booking

We used my buddy Spencer Howard from StraighttothePoints.co to serve as our Marriott Stars Advisor. We booked same day with him and it was super easy and quick – Spencer is a great guy and will take excellent care of you should you book through him. Not cheap, but it was roughly 100k Marriott points per night, and compared to peak season rates of well over $1000 a night, we splurged and paid cash. If you’re unfamiliar with using VIP programs, check out this article we have.

Star Benefits

• • ( Available at : Bvlgari, Edition, Luxury Collection, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis )
  • Complimentary breakfast for 2 ( continental or full depending on hotel )
  • Space available room upgrades on arrival
  •  $100 hotel credit or something similar
  • Welcome amenity
  • Early check-in if available/ Priority for late check-out
  • Strict no-walk policy
  • VIP status with hotel management

First Impression/Check In

We were promptly greeted by the Valet and the front desk agent was one of the most friendly and gracious I’ve ever encountered. Champagne ( Piper Heidsick ) was offered…we accepted, and our benefits as STARS/Platinum members were explained. We not only received a $100 credit as a perk of STARS, but he threw in $150 food and beverage credit on top of it. Holy smokes.

St Regis Aspen Pool/Jacuzzis

If you exit the rear of the hotel and head up the stairs you’ll find a large pool and two hot jacuzzis. My wife and I didn’t indulge in either, but they are both kept piping hot and we saw several people saunter our for a quick dip.

The Room

Whenever I pay with cash and have elite benefits, or am booking through a VIP program I choose at least one category above the entry level room. In this case it was a Superior room which was $50 a night more expensive. My thought behind this is that it leaves the entry level rooms available for revenue, but also, since I’m a higher revenue producing guest it may increase my odds of a better upgrade. In this case, we received a multiple category upgrade to one of 7 rooms that features an enormous walk out terrace overlooking the mountain.

The Bathroom

French doors separate the marble clad bathroom from the bedroom. The shower pressure was incredible and it came replete with fine Remede bath products, slippers, robes, the works.

And then a closer look:

Dining

The night we arrived we grabbed a quick bite at Mountain Social which is the bar/restaurant. Each morning we enjoyed breakfast at Velvet Buck, and once during our stay we had Afternoon Tea.

Velvet Buck

I would highly encourage you to try the crab toast – delicious, fresh, and unlike anything I’ve really had elsewhere. The orange juice is fresh squeezed my wife tried a couple of different things and we both loved the chicken sausage. The service during breakfast on both occasions was absolutely excellent. Our breakfast each morning was over $100 and removed from the bill as a perk of both STARS and Platinum status

In the mornings, en route to Velvet Buck you’ll find coffee/tea.

Mountain Social

My sandwich was very good, an exactly what I wanted after a long work/driving day. The tableside S’mores were a fun treat and something I’d never done inside a hotel before, and the service was prompt and courteous.

Afternoon Tea

I’m a big afternoon tea fan and have enjoyed them at numerous hotels around the world. At $85 a person we really thought we’d be impressed, and sadly it fell beneath St Regis standards. While the desserts were very good, the scones were small, hard, dry, and served without any butter or clotted cream. Odd to say the least given the standard of the hotel. We weren’t asked of any dietary restrictions and the savory items were filled with food we don’t eat. After bringing this to our waiters attention we were offered just 2 additional items and no replenishments. Typically with high end afternoon teas you’ll receive a second or third round of savory items. Another odd thing was that we were never offered more hot water for our tea.

Our favorite front desk agent asked us how it went and we gave an honest assessment saying it wasn’t quite up to standard. He waived the fee for the entire tea even with us saying that wasn’t necessary. I very generous gesture that alone would have be revisit the hotel over competitors – anything less than “wow” and they aren’t happy.

Sabering

My single favorite experience included with staying at a St Regis…champagne sabering. It was a tradition started long ago on the battlefields when Napolean would saber champagne at the end of a battle day.

“Champagne: in victory, one deserves it; in defeat, one needs it.”

-NAPOLEON

Every afternoon at 5:15pm guests can enjoy a champagne sabering in the courtyard. I’ve had saberings at a few different St Regis hotels and having the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop is pretty unbeatable.

Fitness Facility/Spa

The fitness facility is well equipped with Peloton bikes an, for the first time I’ve ever encountered, a pilates reformer.

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Water fountains

The hotel has several of these filtered water stations and you can find extra water bottles in the gym

Overall

I would return to the St Regis Aspen in a heartbeat. I truly loved the experience and visiting in shoulder season was perfect. Sure, a few of the restaurants had restricted hours and the village was a bit quiet, but I loved it. If I were to return, I’d love to see what Aspen is like during the summer when we could enjoy some hiking, rafting, etc