Aspen Information

Apres-ski

The USA's number one ski party town has a huge choice of après-ski venues and, unlike most other ski resorts in the country, the majority are within walking distance of one another.

The Red Onion (tel: +1 970 925 9955; www.redonionaspen.com) is a very long established, unpretentious pub with a good drinks menu and friendly staff.

Eric's (tel: +1 970 920 1488; www.sucasaaspen.com) is another household name with 14 beers on tap and more than 50 malt whiskies to try until 0200. Those who prefer tequila should opt for Jimmy's (tel: +1 970 925 6020; www.jimmysaspen.com), which stocks 80 varieties that can be sipped between bouts of salsa dancing on Saturday nights, starting at 2300.

Eating out

There are around 150 places to eat in Aspen with cuisine served from across the globe, including: Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Savoyard and Thai.

As well as being a great après-ski spot, Jimmy's is also good for dining as one of several informal, atmospheric and moderately priced restaurants. The White House Tavern (tel: +1 970 925 1007; www.aspenwhitehouse.com) is similarly popular with a limited menu, mostly burgers, but of large size and made using high quality ingredients.

Boogie's Diner (tel: +1 970 925 6610) in Aspen village, which is inspired by the 1982 film Diner, is a good choice for traditional 1950s- and '60s-style American food at affordable prices, and is pure fun. Pyramid Bistro (tel: +1 970 925 5338; www.pyramidbistro.com) is very popular, using organic ingredients to create cuisine that aims to be tasty and fat free.

After a full day on the slopes, there's no better place to quash hunger pangs than New York Pizza (tel: +1 970 920 3088), which serves classic large American pizza.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

There's arguably more to do at Aspen off the snow than in any other resort in North America, ranging from high-energy outdoor pursuits to more sedate cultural offerings.

The arts feature very highly with about 40 art galleries and museums, including the popular Aspen Art Museum (tel: +1 970 925 8050; www.aspenartmuseum.org). The resort also has music and dance schools, several theatres, regular film festivals and even its own ballet company. Live music of all kinds is performed at numerous venues around the resort.

Various adventure sports are equally prominent; the list includes paragliding, ballooning, curling, ice skating, snowshoeing, dog sledding, rock and ice climbing and the more sedate fly fishing.

Being pampered is a must after a few days on the slopes, and there is a wide choice of spas and beauty parlours to enjoy. Among these is the lavish health centre in The Little Nell (tel: +1 970 920 4600; www.thelittlenell.com), which offers a wide selection of treatments.

Family fun

Aspen and Snowmass are both well equipped to cater for families, although the latter has an advantage for younger families with its easier terrain adjacent to the village.

The Treehouse ski school (tel: +1 970 923 1227) at Snowmass accepts children from eight weeks (for supervised indoor play) and offers specially tailored ski classes to suit children's age and ability. The Family Zone on Snowmass Mountain is home to adventurous and interactive kids' trails, a children's race arena and a terrain park. There's even a special kids' trail map with all the important details.

The recently opened central childcare centre is a state-of-the-art facility for young children, and there are also a large number of babysitting services for toddlers and young ones.

Retail therapy

There are about 300 shops in Aspen, making it a veritable retail paradise unmatched by almost any other ski resort. Most of the world's best-known designer brands are here, including Christian Dior, Prada and Gucci along South Galena Street, but there are also plenty of regular shops and local retailers from grocery shops to pharmacies.

Splashing out

Skiers who love powder should take a Powder Tour (tel: +1 970 920 0720), which involves riding in a luxury snowcat to prime untracked stashes on the backside of Aspen Mountain. After all that hard work, sit down to a gourmet lunch, which is included as part of the tour.

Hotels

The attractive old mining town boasts a plethora of top-notch accommodation, including luxury hotels and extravagant chalets to suit its well-heeled clientele. There is also a wide choice of moderate hotels in Aspen, as well as inns, bed and breakfasts, lodges and apartments - with something to suit all budgets.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap