Want to take advantage of Marriott STARS benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. This is valid for paid stays at BVLGARI, EDITION, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and St. Regis.
Ford and I recently wrapped up a five night stay at the 179-room St. Regis Aspen, which we booked with Marriott Bonvoy points. This was my first time visiting the property in several years, and I was curious to see how it’s holding up. I was also looking forward to comparing it to the St. Regis Deer Valley, which I reviewed last year.
Long story short, I’m a huge fan of the St. Regis Aspen. The hotel has a fantastic location, great service, and I appreciate the lack of nickel-and-diming.
In this post:
Redeeming points at the St. Regis Aspen
Marriott Bonvoy will soon be introducing dynamic award pricing, which will likely be a huge devaluation for aspirational redemptions. As a result, I’m trying to redeem as many of my Bonvoy points as possible. I managed to find award availability for five nights in mid-January, and the entire five night stay cost 400,000 points (the cost was 100,000 points per night, plus a fifth night free).
As a point of comparison, the cash rate at this hotel for a standard room was over $2,000 per night, so we got a phenomenal value. It’s worth acknowledging that these rates really just reflect the absolutely incredible demand for luxury hotels in the United States, as we’ve seen rates more or less double at many properties. Despite that, hotels are full. Also keep in mind the frustrating cancelation policy when redeeming points.
I decided to apply some of my Marriott Bonvoy suite night awards to the reservation. I figured there was no chance that they’d clear, given that the hotel was more or less sold out. So I was delighted when the upgrade did end up automatically clearing at the five day window, all the way into a one bedroom suite. I really lucked out.
For context, that five night stay would have cost $13,605 if paying cash.
I also want to take a moment to commend the St. Regis Aspen for not having a resort fee. This is incredibly rare for a resort in the United States. The hotel doesn’t charge a fee like this in spite of offering all kinds of value-add services, which I’ll cover in more detail below.
Book St. Regis Aspen with Marriott STARS
If you’re booking a paid stay at the St. Regis Aspen, I’d highly recommend booking through a travel advisor affiliated with the Marriott STARS program. You’ll pay the same as the flexible cash rate available on Marriott’s website, and you’ll receive the following additional perks:
- Complimentary full or continental breakfast daily for up to two people per room
- Hotel credit valued at 100USD once per stay
- Room upgrade, subject to availability at check-in
- Complimentary basic Wi-Fi daily
- In-person welcome
- Personalized welcome amenity and note
Note that Marriott STARS upgrades are prioritized ahead of upgrades through other programs, like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, which is why I’d recommend booking through STARS. You can earn Bonvoy points when booking a Marriott STARS rate, and can also take advantage of any elite benefits, should you have status.
If you want help with a Marriott STARS booking at the St. Regis Aspen, Ford is happy to help, and can be reached at [email protected].
St. Regis Aspen location & transportation
Arguably the biggest selling point of the St. Regis Aspen is its location, right in the heart of Aspen. You can walk anywhere in town within a few minutes. I consider this to be a major advantage compared to other ski hotels in the United States, where you can get almost nowhere by foot.
If you prefer not to walk (after all, the streets can be slippery), the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle anywhere in the downtown area.
The St. Regis Aspen also offers a complimentary shuttle to Aspen Pitkin County Airport (ASE), which sure is convenient. The airport is only a 10-15 minute drive from the hotel.
Lastly, while we’re talking about transportation, the St. Regis Aspen also has a BMW X7, which can be reserved for four hours on a complimentary basis, between 7AM and 9PM. We didn’t use this (since we didn’t have anywhere to drive), but essentially getting an X7 for free for four hours is pretty awesome.
St. Regis Aspen check-in & lobby
Upon arrival at the hotel I first checked out the lobby. The St. Regis Aspen’s lobby is large, and I’d say it’s cozy and traditional for a mountain resort. It’s well maintained and feels nice, without being overly luxurious. Inside the entrance and to the right was reception, while straight ahead was the lobby bar.
There are also several hallways leading to various wings of the property, as well as some cute places to sit.
Inside the entrance and to the left was a staircase leading down a level, as that’s where the gym, spa, and conference rooms are located.
Our check-in experience was efficient and professional. We were advised of many of the hotel’s features, and were also told that on account of my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status we had a $52 daily breakfast credit, which could be used in the restaurant or via in-room dining.
Since we were in a suite, we were also introduced to a butler, who escorted us to our room. We were assigned room 405, located on the fourth floor (the hotel has five floors). The elevators were just behind reception and to the right.
St. Regis Aspen one bedroom suite
Interestingly the decor in the hallways feels very different than the decor in the lobby. Upon exiting the elevators we turned left, and then our room was just a short walk down the hallway and on the right.
The St. Regis Aspen’s one bedroom suites are generously sized, at 820 square feet. There was a long hallway leading into the living area, with a half bathroom on the right.
The living room was quite large, and featured a pull-out sofa, a leather lounger chair, and a desk with a seat.
Along the interior wall of the living room was a wall-mounted TV, plus an illy coffee machine.
There were double doors leading into the bedroom, which had a signature St. Regis king size bed (super comfy!), plus a chair by the window. There was also a dresser and TV along the inner wall.
There was a hallway in the bedroom leading to the bathroom. Along that hallway was a large walk-in closet, plus the minibar, featuring a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase.
Then there was the main bathroom, which was huge. It had double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet.
Toiletries were from Remede, as is brand standard at St. Regis properties. The Remede toiletries are among my favorite hotel toiletries out there — I appreciate that they have a bit of a kick to them, and also like the “beads” in the body wash.
As far as views go, the room faced some nearby buildings, and there were mountain views in the distance.
It was nice to see that the St. Regis Aspen didn’t seem to have any pandemic cutbacks. For example, twice daily housekeeping was standard, and there were even chocolates left by the bed at night. I haven’t seen those much in the past couple of years!
Since we were staying in a suite, we also received St. Regis’ signature butler service, including help with packing & unpacking, garment pressing, a butler desk, shoe shine service, and complimentary coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
Of those features, the one I really value is coffee. Most days I ordered some coffee, while Ford ordered hot chocolate after skiing (which was quite a setup, with marshmallows and whipped cream).
I have nothing but good things to say about our room. We got a great upgrade, and it’s always nice to have extra space. On top of that the room had a comfortable bed and generally felt well maintained.
The only thing that I wish we had was a fireplace. For what it’s worth, there are other one bedroom suites (and rooms) with fireplaces, so that is something you can specifically guarantee.
St. Regis Aspen pool & hot tubs
The St. Regis Aspen has an outdoor courtyard with one heated pool and three hot tubs. I was impressed by how warm the pool was, given the outdoor temperatures. Even so, I’m not much of a pool person (and that’s not just in winter destinations).
There’s another outdoor area with a fire pit, as well as some yurts which can be reserved for a private lunch or dinner.
St. Regis Aspen gym & spa
The St. Regis Aspen gym is located on the basement level, and is open 24/7. The gym is in the same area as the conference rooms.
The gym had an excellent selection of equipment and was quite large. The only downside was that there was no natural light, given that it’s underground.
The St. Regis Aspen also has a Remede Spa. The spa can only be used in conjunction with spa treatments. I didn’t get any treatments at the spa, though you can find the spa menu here.
St. Regis Aspen Velvet Buck Restaurant (breakfast)
Velvet Buck is the St. Regis Aspen’s only “real” restaurant, and it’s located just off the lobby. Currently the restaurant is only serving breakfast, which is available daily from 7AM until 11AM. On the one hand I’m surprised the hotel doesn’t have a proper all-day dining restaurant, though on the other hand Aspen has so many amazing restaurants within walking distance that it would probably be tough to compete.
Velvet Buck was a good size, and there was never a wait for a table, even though tables were very spread out.
For breakfast there were two options — there was either a menu, or there was a buffet available for $45 per person (including coffee, juice, and eggs).
We ordered off the menu each morning, which you can find below.
The breakfast selection at the St. Regis was excellent overall. The fresh juices were great, while the cappuccinos weren’t so amazing.
The food was phenomenal across the board, though, from the acai bowl, to the avocado toast, to the build-your-own omelet.
As mentioned above, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above can select breakfast as their welcome amenity, and that’s a $52 daily credit. While that won’t realistically cover a full hot breakfast for two people, it is a significant discount, and makes breakfast much more reasonably priced.
I’ll take a credit like this any day over the hotels that offer a complimentary continental breakfast consisting of coffee and a muffin. As you can see, on the menu there’s a $26 continental breakfast, so presumably that’s where the $52 credit amount comes from.
Another nice feature was that there was complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby each morning until 11AM. Between the coffee in the lobby and the coffee via butler service, I managed to stay well caffeinated throughout our stay. 😉
St. Regis Aspen Mountain Social Bar & Lounge
Mountain Social Bar & Lounge is the St. Regis’ lobby bar, and it’s open daily from 12PM until 10:30PM. This is a place you can get drinks, and on top of that lunch and dinner is served here as well. There’s both a bar area and then a bunch of couches by a fireplace where you could sit. There was even live music in the evenings.
We had drinks here several times. While I’m not usually a bloody mary fan, I make an exception when staying at St. Regis properties, and try to have one with each stay (given that the bloody mary was founded at the St. Regis New York).
Ford had The Shogun (from the St. Regis Osaka), while I had The Harry’s Texas (from the St. Regis Houston). Both were excellent. Usually I’d try to have the “local” bloody mary, but it had bacon, so…
The rest of the cocktail list was great as well.
I enjoyed the Dean St. Mule.
The traditional cocktails were also good, including a dirty martini and old fashioned.
The bar snacks here were also mildly addictive…
St. Regis Aspen skiing
I’m not a skier, so I can’t chime in firsthand on the skiing conditions in Aspen. However, I can point out that the St. Regis Aspen isn’t ski-in/ski-out. The hotel is very close to the base of Aspen Mountain, and there’s a ski concierge, but you do have to leave the property to get to the mountain.
It’s either a very short walk (let’s call it five minutes with gear), or the hotel has a complimentary shuttle, which shows up very quickly. This is hardly a big deal, but it is a small disadvantage compared to some other popular ski resorts.
St. Regis Aspen service
I was impressed by the service at the St. Regis Aspen, especially given the staffing issues so many hotels are having. As is the case at so many seasonal ski resorts, the staff at the hotel were very international. It kind of felt like flying Emirates. There were staff from all over the world, and in particular there were dozens of people from Italy and South Africa.
Across the board service was very good. Every request was quickly taken care of, and there wasn’t a single service lapse.
Literally the only service feedback I have involves being seated at breakfast. When you arrive at the restaurant they ask for your room number, and then they leaf through pages and pages of documents for at least two minutes before seating you.
I’m guessing that they’re checking whether a guest has breakfast included or not, but it seems like this could be done more efficiently. Without exception, each morning it took that long, which just makes me think they must have a very inefficient system for managing this.
Bottom line
The St. Regis Aspen is one of my favorite Marriott resorts in the United States. The property has an ideal location, friendly service, and nice facilities. In particular, you can’t beat this place as a Marriott Bonvoy member — we were able to redeem points when a base room would have cost $2,000+ per night, and on top of that could use a suite night award to confirm an upgrade to a one bedroom suite. In fairness, this was my first time ever clearing an upgrade here, so I lucked out.
I also appreciate how this property doesn’t nickel-and-dime. Not only is there no resort fee, but the hotel does offer a lot of useful amenities, from complimentary coffee in the morning, to an airport and town shuttle.
If you’re a skier I’d highly recommend the St. Regis Aspen. I’m just sad about the upcoming Marriott Bonvoy devaluation, because I can only imagine how many points this property will cost in peak season.
If you’ve stayed at the St. Regis Aspen, what was your experience like?
I’d stay here for the spa alone. Just had a treatment, the best!
Might have chgd since beg of the yr but you can now buy spa access for $75/pp/day:
“This per day fee allows for full access to the spa facilities, including use of lockers. Amenity access is included with reservation of any service $65 or more. Spa guests enjoy complimentary access to all Remède features including steam caves, cold plunges, hot tubs,...
I’d stay here for the spa alone. Just had a treatment, the best!
Might have chgd since beg of the yr but you can now buy spa access for $75/pp/day:
“This per day fee allows for full access to the spa facilities, including use of lockers. Amenity access is included with reservation of any service $65 or more. Spa guests enjoy complimentary access to all Remède features including steam caves, cold plunges, hot tubs, a fitness center, oxygen lounge and confluence waterfall pool.”
Our butler gave us a btl of champagne & free spa access for my husband who didn’t get a treatment.
Btw the buffet is now $55/pp!
It’s good to see a hotel without a resort fee… but with rates from 1000-5000 dollars a night shafting the customer for the extra 40 bucks for all the amenities you graciously offered and have mostly been unavailable for the last 2 years due to Covid should be a crime.
The overall impression I get from your review is that the place is dark and dingy.
Stayed there also in 1 bedroom suite but in summer a few years ago. Butler service was fine and hotel was in a reasonable shape. Perhaps, because it was summer, I found the entire building somewhat claustrophobic and dark. Food was fine but that what you expect from St. Regis. Overall, it was an unremarkable stay.
I had better stays at St. Regis Princeville and Monarch Beach - both hotels are no longer in the Marriott portfolio.
The spa is unparalleled. Shame you didn't visit it
Truly is…just finished a treatment!
Our butler offered free spa access as well for my husband who didn’t otherwise get a treatment. This might have changed since the start of the year, but guests can purchase spa access separately for $75/pp/day. “This per day fee allows for full access to the spa facilities, including use of lockers. Amenity access is included with reservation of any service $65 or more. Spa guests enjoy complimentary access...
Truly is…just finished a treatment!
Our butler offered free spa access as well for my husband who didn’t otherwise get a treatment. This might have changed since the start of the year, but guests can purchase spa access separately for $75/pp/day. “This per day fee allows for full access to the spa facilities, including use of lockers. Amenity access is included with reservation of any service $65 or more. Spa guests enjoy complimentary access to all Remède features including steam caves, cold plunges, hot tubs, a fitness center, oxygen lounge and confluence waterfall pool.”
The entire area is just gorgeous & my personal favorite amenity of the property. I’d actually book into the property just to use its Remede spa!
WHAT A JOKE, no nickel and dime?
Just because there is no resort fees?
First, the cancellation penalty of cash. If you're going to set a very restrictive 30 day policy, it's only fair to penalize in the currency you used to book.
I can't book cash rate and choose to pay the cancellation penalty in points.
The $52 breakfast credit is already violating Bonvoy T&C. The "only" time you get 'continental' breakfast...
WHAT A JOKE, no nickel and dime?
Just because there is no resort fees?
First, the cancellation penalty of cash. If you're going to set a very restrictive 30 day policy, it's only fair to penalize in the currency you used to book.
I can't book cash rate and choose to pay the cancellation penalty in points.
The $52 breakfast credit is already violating Bonvoy T&C. The "only" time you get 'continental' breakfast is when the lounge is closed.
You are confusing with Hilton, which only guarantee 'continental' breakfast.
Per Bonvoy T&C, they distinguish the breakfast.
"1,000 Points per Stay or amenity per Stay or breakfast in restaurant per night of Stay for Member +1 (including Resorts)"
and
"Globally: U.S. $100 If no continental breakfast or continental breakfast alternative was offered to Member"
I would have demanded my $100 welcome guarantee.
The property seem fine and reasonable priced for luxury in Aspen. Resort fees are straight out scam, which is good for them to not have it. But this property is far from no nickel and dime.
@ Eskimo -- I wasn't suggesting there was no nickel-and-diming just because of the lack of resort fee, but also because of all of the other inclusions, from coffee, to an airport shuttle, to a town shuttle, to the ability to rent a car for four hours for free.
Next, the standard Marriott elite benefit is for continental breakfast, not for a full breakfast. I'm 100% sure of this. Some hotels do offer a hot...
@ Eskimo -- I wasn't suggesting there was no nickel-and-diming just because of the lack of resort fee, but also because of all of the other inclusions, from coffee, to an airport shuttle, to a town shuttle, to the ability to rent a car for four hours for free.
Next, the standard Marriott elite benefit is for continental breakfast, not for a full breakfast. I'm 100% sure of this. Some hotels do offer a hot breakfast when they don't have to, but globally hotels are only required to offer continental breakfast.
Lastly, I totally agree the cancelation policy is ridiculous. Unfortunately this is much more common than you'd think. It's not just this hotel, but there are many hotels of different brands that have similar policies.
You are just wrong. You are confusing the breakfast benefit.
There are two breakfast benefits.
The "continental breakfast" benefit applies at legacy Marriott properties that are supposed to have a club/executive/concierge/M lounge. If there is no lounge or the lounge is closed, you get a choice of a continental breakfast or 750 points.
At legacy Starwood brands and at legacy Marriott properties with a resort designation, you get a choice of breakfast in the restaurant...
You are just wrong. You are confusing the breakfast benefit.
There are two breakfast benefits.
The "continental breakfast" benefit applies at legacy Marriott properties that are supposed to have a club/executive/concierge/M lounge. If there is no lounge or the lounge is closed, you get a choice of a continental breakfast or 750 points.
At legacy Starwood brands and at legacy Marriott properties with a resort designation, you get a choice of breakfast in the restaurant at check-in. This is a completely separate provision of the Bonvoy terms and conditions from the lounge access guarantee. It is supposed to be a full breakfast in the restaurant. It must also include tip and tax.
@ FNT Delta Diamond -- Right, to be clear, all that's promised is restaurant breakfast. It's not stated whether it will be a full, hot breakfast, or continental. Therefore a continental breakfast is within the guidelines, no? Because if it isn't, a vast majority of hotels in the United States aren't following the rules.
That is not true, Ben. You are confusing Marriott's admittedly confusing breakfast benefits.
At certain legacy Marriott properties without a resort designation, eligible elite status guests get a choice of 750 points per day or a continental breakfast if the property doesn't have a club/executive/concierge/M lounge or said lounge is closed.
At certain legacy Starwood properties as well as certain legacy Marriott properties with a resort designation, eligible elite status guests get a choice of...
That is not true, Ben. You are confusing Marriott's admittedly confusing breakfast benefits.
At certain legacy Marriott properties without a resort designation, eligible elite status guests get a choice of 750 points per day or a continental breakfast if the property doesn't have a club/executive/concierge/M lounge or said lounge is closed.
At certain legacy Starwood properties as well as certain legacy Marriott properties with a resort designation, eligible elite status guests get a choice of a restaurant breakfast at check-in. Notably, this benefit is not defined by Bonvoy as a continental breakfast.
These two benefits are completely different and are governed by completed different provisions of the Bonvoy terms and conditions.
This just isn't true, Ben. You are confusing two separate and distinct Marriott breakfast benefits.
The "continental breakfast" benefit is part of the lounge access benefit that applies at certain legacy Marriott brands without a resort designation. At properties with a closed club/executive/concierge/M lounge or at properties without said lounge, eligible elite status guests are entitled a choice between 750 points per day and a continental breakfast.
By contrast, St. Regis falls under a separate...
This just isn't true, Ben. You are confusing two separate and distinct Marriott breakfast benefits.
The "continental breakfast" benefit is part of the lounge access benefit that applies at certain legacy Marriott brands without a resort designation. At properties with a closed club/executive/concierge/M lounge or at properties without said lounge, eligible elite status guests are entitled a choice between 750 points per day and a continental breakfast.
By contrast, St. Regis falls under a separate elite status benefit that applies to certain legacy Starwood properties as well as properties of certain legacy Marriott brands without a resort designation. At these properties, eligible elite status guests are entitled to a choice at check-in that includes a restaurant breakfast. This is NOT a continental breakfast. Bonvoy deliberately only uses "continental breakfast" in the context of the separate lounge access benefit. Notably, there is no dollar value attached to this benefit. Any property limiting the breakfast to $40 or $52 is in violation of the benefit if that amount doesn't the true cost of breakfast, tip and tax.
Admittedly, this is confusing but you are wrong when you state a guest at a St. Regis is only entitled to a continental breakfast.
Sorry for all the duplicate posts but comments were not posting and displaying. So I kept retyping them.
This is the one thing Hyatt is clearly better, they actually define breakfast.
My understanding is the standard breakfast benefit is "breakfast", not full nor continental. So in technicality they can get away with it and as I customer I can also get away from that property. I avoid several properties due to this very reason. In this case, they can't even hide behind the restaurant is closed excuse.
My personal test for "breakfast"...
This is the one thing Hyatt is clearly better, they actually define breakfast.
My understanding is the standard breakfast benefit is "breakfast", not full nor continental. So in technicality they can get away with it and as I customer I can also get away from that property. I avoid several properties due to this very reason. In this case, they can't even hide behind the restaurant is closed excuse.
My personal test for "breakfast" is simple. Had I booked the room with breakfast rate, will I get the same breakfast. That's when I would feel the property failed to delivery my 'breakfast in restaurant' amenity. My expectation also grows with the brand so I would think this much at Aloft.
@FNT Delta Diamond
It is separate provision between the welcome gift and lounge alternative.
But you might be wrong too. As far as I remember, during the SPG days, it was continental or 500 starpoints. MR has no breakfast welcome gift.
Both had club access but MR had continental breakfast as alternative but SPG has no alternative.
It was after Bonvoy, that 'breakfast in restaurant' was introduced as a welcome gift. So I don't think it's a legacy thing either.
My dog swam in that pool
The Viewline (former Westin) Snowmass has the stupid 30 day policy too. I was actually supposed to stay there this weekend on points and last minute did not want to go. However they contacted me last week saying they would not be fully in Bonvoy for my stay so I had the option to get all my points back with no penalty. Score!
On a side note I cannot get over the Ritz BG and...
The Viewline (former Westin) Snowmass has the stupid 30 day policy too. I was actually supposed to stay there this weekend on points and last minute did not want to go. However they contacted me last week saying they would not be fully in Bonvoy for my stay so I had the option to get all my points back with no penalty. Score!
On a side note I cannot get over the Ritz BG and Park Hyatt BC this season. I live in Beaver Creek and have had friends who want to go stay there when my place is full - they are either sold out or $2500+ every weekend this season. Bonkers. At least the Ritz apres party is still going off!
Every high end resort everywhere in the country seems to have this weekend pricing for the rest of the year. Try the Rosewood Montecito/ Santa Barbara. Resorts on Nantucket. All over $2000 per night every weekend for the rest of the year. It's insane.
St Regis Aspen has always had a dinner restaurant....The Velvet Buck must have closed when a lot of things closed in Aspen, around March 2020, and now must be having staffing/other issues to not be open for dinner. It's great they can manage the twice-daily housekeeping, and all the other great services.
Is this the hotel where Harry and Lloyd stayed at ?
I want to know too!
ooohh. I had this booked for a bit but then cancelled due to the one month cancellation policy. Are you using stock photos or was the place just that empty. I don't like crowded, but I don't like empty either. Snowmass has a nice ski in ski out Marriott redemption place I stayed at previously, but I really wanted to venture to Aspen town center to try that mountain too and see if the vibe...
ooohh. I had this booked for a bit but then cancelled due to the one month cancellation policy. Are you using stock photos or was the place just that empty. I don't like crowded, but I don't like empty either. Snowmass has a nice ski in ski out Marriott redemption place I stayed at previously, but I really wanted to venture to Aspen town center to try that mountain too and see if the vibe was good. Might still make it this season, but not likely. If there's fresh snow, I could make that place a ski in ski out.
Have not stayed there but have been to events there for Aspen Food and Wine-Bests Chefs etc..(the Place is a total Zoo then) They used to have the Chef's CLub with Visiting Top Chefs from all over the US. It was fun to eat there then....
Oof on the generic small ice-cube-maker cubes in that Old Fashioned. I wouldn't serve myself that at home, and would certainly expect the St. Regis to give you a single big, clear cube.
No mention of Kitty, their Bernese Mountain Dog? That's the best draw of the hotel!
This reminds me of John Dutton’s fight to save his ranch. Even though it’s fictional, can’t help but think there would have been many locals in these towns who must have felt that way.
Thank you for revealing The Other Side of Aspen to your audience, BJ.
If you had showed me the pictures of the interior of the hotel (without seeing the outside and the location) I would say it was the Grand Hyatt in Vail. I am pretty sure the same designer did both hotels. The finishes, the room, bathroom, breakfast area are exactly the same.
What was the cancellation penalty (how much, cancel by date)?
Thanks!
@ Beachfan -- You have to cancel 30 days in advance. And if you have to cancel within that timeframe, this lovely policy applied:
"A monetary fee in the amount of 99 percent of your reservation’s entire room rate at time of booking will be charged for any cancelled room nights of your points reservation. The monetary fee is charged to the credit card on file in your reservation. The monetary fee is nonrefundable....
@ Beachfan -- You have to cancel 30 days in advance. And if you have to cancel within that timeframe, this lovely policy applied:
"A monetary fee in the amount of 99 percent of your reservation’s entire room rate at time of booking will be charged for any cancelled room nights of your points reservation. The monetary fee is charged to the credit card on file in your reservation. The monetary fee is nonrefundable. Any points are returned to your account for all cancelled room nights of your reservation."
Infuriating policy, so you've really just gotta hope for the best...
This cancellation policy should be a story in and of itself.
Thanks so much for the review--and for commenting on the reason I have no intention to stay there. I'm also Titanium and "hope for the best" on a five-night points stay has a potential $10,000 out-of-pocket loss if cancelled less than 30 days out. That's a pretty big disincentive and far in excess of many credit card trip cancellation insurance policies. 30 days is a long time, and if I am cancelling a trip, it...
Thanks so much for the review--and for commenting on the reason I have no intention to stay there. I'm also Titanium and "hope for the best" on a five-night points stay has a potential $10,000 out-of-pocket loss if cancelled less than 30 days out. That's a pretty big disincentive and far in excess of many credit card trip cancellation insurance policies. 30 days is a long time, and if I am cancelling a trip, it means something really bad has happened, so this would just add to the pain. There are other nice places around.
"I was also looking forward to comparing it to the St. Regis Deer Valley, which I reviewed last year."
I'm interested (and somewhat surprised) there wasnt a more direct comparison of the two properties. Do you view them as roughly equals or is there one that you'd be more likely to return to (whether thats a preference for the town or something else one resort excels at)?
@ ECR -- In my Deer Valley review I mentioned the pros and cons of each property, and I don't think my feelings have changed much there.
The pros of the Deer Valley property are that it's ski-in/ski-out, there are lots more suites (so upgrades are easier), and I prefer the hotel as such.
The pros of the Aspen property all basically involve that I have a strong preference for Aspen over Deer Valley. I...
@ ECR -- In my Deer Valley review I mentioned the pros and cons of each property, and I don't think my feelings have changed much there.
The pros of the Deer Valley property are that it's ski-in/ski-out, there are lots more suites (so upgrades are easier), and I prefer the hotel as such.
The pros of the Aspen property all basically involve that I have a strong preference for Aspen over Deer Valley. I think that the town is much cuter and has better restaurants, and I like that the hotel is right in town. Also, I have a strong preference for Colorado over Utah when it comes to laws around alcohol, etc.
Thanks!
This post made me happy. We just stayed at the new Viewline Resort in snowmass (Autograph Collection) for 50-60k per night and was regretting not paying the extra points for the St. Regis. For the decor, suite size, skiing and breakfast benefit the viewline seems to win on all points. The only downside is we had to shuttle into Aspen if we wanted to go out there. We enjoyed the Snowmass Village, however. It was our first time not staying in Aspen proper.
You missed the best part! The champagne sabering ritual.
Unfortunately I really dislike Remede toiletries. Smells horribly minty.
Great review! It brought back some memories of living in Aspen 23 years ago as a broke young man! The hotel was phenomenal back then, even though I could only afford to do a drive by. I would love to visit again…only now I have a dollar to my name.
I stayed at the Jerome, which is an Auberge Resorts property, when I was in Aspen last year. My friend stayed at the St. Regis so I visited him there. While it was nice and the location was a smidge better, if you're paying cash go for the Jerome and reserve through a Virtuoso-related travel agent. Bigger rooms, a design aesthetic that more clearly reflects its Aspen location, and better food in the restaurants. The...
I stayed at the Jerome, which is an Auberge Resorts property, when I was in Aspen last year. My friend stayed at the St. Regis so I visited him there. While it was nice and the location was a smidge better, if you're paying cash go for the Jerome and reserve through a Virtuoso-related travel agent. Bigger rooms, a design aesthetic that more clearly reflects its Aspen location, and better food in the restaurants. The Jerome is a little bit further from the mountain, but they basically have on-demand rides to both Ajax and all the other nearby mountains. Also a way better hot tub set up. But that's just my opinion.
@ Jason -- I hear you. If I were spending $2K+ per night at a ski resort (which I wouldn't) I'd probably book more of a boutique property. To me the real benefit of the St. Regis is the loyalty angle, but otherwise I've heard good things about the Jerome and of course the Little Nell.
This year I'm staying at the Limelight. It was renovated in the fall and still right in the heart of Aspen, but with a more accessible price point than the Jerome or the Little Nell. Perhaps I'll return to those another time, but for now I agree - $2K/night is too much. Limelight was well below $1K when I booked, and the location is great. So we will see!
Glad you had a good...
This year I'm staying at the Limelight. It was renovated in the fall and still right in the heart of Aspen, but with a more accessible price point than the Jerome or the Little Nell. Perhaps I'll return to those another time, but for now I agree - $2K/night is too much. Limelight was well below $1K when I booked, and the location is great. So we will see!
Glad you had a good stay at the St Regis. I enjoyed visiting my friend there, seeing the property, and meeting some interesting characters in the hot tubs out back.
I stayed at the Limelight last year for the first time and was pleasantly surprised with it. Back in the day it was bascially a hostel where you stayed when you truly could not afford anything else haha, but they have done a good job with it. As you mention, it's a substantial price point below St. Regis, Little Nell, Jerome etc, but it's a great location and perfectly nice. Kitty corner to St. Regis so the location is great.
Lucky,
If you were a betting man, where would you wager this hotel (and those like it) end up in posts cost after March / in 2023?
Many people are expecting Marriott to peg the points value to a pretty hard .5 cents per point ratio. This would result in this hotel costing 400K points a night, compared to your pricing of 400K for five nights. It’s hard for me to see that. I...
Lucky,
If you were a betting man, where would you wager this hotel (and those like it) end up in posts cost after March / in 2023?
Many people are expecting Marriott to peg the points value to a pretty hard .5 cents per point ratio. This would result in this hotel costing 400K points a night, compared to your pricing of 400K for five nights. It’s hard for me to see that. I am personally expecting peak redemption cost of 200K a night for a standard room and off peak at closer to 125K to 150K. But curious as to your thinking
@ Anthony -- This is an excellent question. I've been meaning to write a blog post about predictions for Marriott's devaluation, so let me get right on that. Stay tuned!
Am I the only one who thinks the St. Regis Aspen will probably increase to 200,000 or 250,000 points per night once award-redemption categories go away?
I think 200K is feasible. The thing is that is actually probably fair value for Marriott points (about 1 cent) in the current crazy hotel rate environment. Luxury hotel room rates have permanently inflated higher in many markets.
Kudos to the St. Regis Aspen for being honest and not having a resort fee, especially on a room with a cash rate of around $13,000 or whatever you said it would have cost if paid in cash and not points.
I would be curious to know the staffing level. Colorado is struggling big time because hotel and restaurant staff in mountain resort towns cannot find anywhere to live. All the apartments they used to...
Kudos to the St. Regis Aspen for being honest and not having a resort fee, especially on a room with a cash rate of around $13,000 or whatever you said it would have cost if paid in cash and not points.
I would be curious to know the staffing level. Colorado is struggling big time because hotel and restaurant staff in mountain resort towns cannot find anywhere to live. All the apartments they used to occupy were rented out to remote workers at the beginning of then pandemic or converted into Airbnb rentals. It's actually a huge problem. While other destinations have struggled, Colorado has had record tourist seasons since the pandemic. In fact, summers in Colorado are now as busy as ski season.
But I digress.
My one complaint is the $52 breakfast benefit. That's just non-compliant. At St. Regis, Marriott platinums and above can select breakfast for themselves and one guest in the restaurant. Limiting it to $52 is absurd when it's basically impossible for two people to get a hot breakfast with coffee, tip, and tax for $52.
St Regis Deer Valley’s breakfast benefit is $40 per day per room..
Much prefer the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch at Beaver Creek. Been both to St. Regis Aspen and RCBG multiple times each over the past eight years and STA leaves a lot to be desired for a luxury ski resort. There's no apres patio scene and the atmosphere here is much more muted. Doesn't feel like you're at a world-class mountain resort like the Bachelor Gulch. And honestly, Ajax is such an overhyped mountain.
But, St. Regis is genuinely luxury whereas Ritz-Carlton is fake luxury.
Ritz Carlton is like the Ruth's Chris of "luxury" hotel chains. It's fine but sterile and very 90s and you could do a lot better.
Ajax is one mountain, but all 4 mountains make Aspen way more compelling than Beaver Creek/Bachelor Gulch. Plus the town of Aspen is way better than anything you get in Beaver Creek or in the general area.
@ tef0306 -- Good to know, thanks. I've only had dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (while staying at the Park Hyatt), and thought it was nice but not that memorable. I'll definitely check it out at some point.
Personally I still appreciate how in Aspen the hotel is right in town. For the entire five days we were there I didn't once have to get into a car, which was kind of nice. That's...
@ tef0306 -- Good to know, thanks. I've only had dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (while staying at the Park Hyatt), and thought it was nice but not that memorable. I'll definitely check it out at some point.
Personally I still appreciate how in Aspen the hotel is right in town. For the entire five days we were there I didn't once have to get into a car, which was kind of nice. That's not really the case in the Beaver Creek area, and for that matter there's not nearly as good of a restaurant scene, for those who care about that.
Agree with Ben.
in Aspen everything is either a walk or easy shuttle ride away.
Whereas if you stay at the Ritz Carlton BC you are near nothing. And yes, there's really no great meals in the Beaver Creek area that are easily accessible. Though I do love this strip mall Italian place down the hill in Avon. And the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek wasnt that great either. When I stayed there the...
Agree with Ben.
in Aspen everything is either a walk or easy shuttle ride away.
Whereas if you stay at the Ritz Carlton BC you are near nothing. And yes, there's really no great meals in the Beaver Creek area that are easily accessible. Though I do love this strip mall Italian place down the hill in Avon. And the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek wasnt that great either. When I stayed there the food was mediocre. But I did enjoy their 'smores presentation at the end of the day on the patio outback. That was fun.
Into skiing and dont mind taking a car or shuttle to dinner go to Beaver Creek /Vail. Into everything besides skiing go to Aspen. Pretty simple. Ritz Bachelor and Park Hyatt Beaver are amazing if you are skiing all day. Nothing better than not having to walk one step in your gear and being able to walk in during lunch and change into some fresh and dry gear before heading out for some afternoon laps.
Disagree. Vail is obviously a much bigger mountain but overall I really prefer the skiing at Ajax and Aspen in general. It has more exciting terrain, especially compared to BC. Of course I'll agree with your comment about skiing right into the ski valet, but it's no big deal to take a 1 min. shuttle to St. Regis (or other hotels), or you can ski in/out of Little Nell. You're only options in Vail for...
Disagree. Vail is obviously a much bigger mountain but overall I really prefer the skiing at Ajax and Aspen in general. It has more exciting terrain, especially compared to BC. Of course I'll agree with your comment about skiing right into the ski valet, but it's no big deal to take a 1 min. shuttle to St. Regis (or other hotels), or you can ski in/out of Little Nell. You're only options in Vail for skin in/out are the Arrabelle, Grand Hyatt, and Vail Lodge... no thank you... Aspen as a town has so much more to offer than the other two on top of all that.