It can be hard to disentangle Aspen, Colo., from its mythic, manufactured image as America’s winter playground. Ever since it transformed from frontier silver mine to international snow-sport destination, guests are often shoehorned into a one-size-fits all vacation experience like an uncomfortable boot.
But for those seeking a different side of the mountain, the newly opened boutique MOLLIE Aspen, part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ L.V.X. collection, is a breath of icy-fresh air. Named after Aspen’s historic Mollie Gibson silver mine, the hotel is a startling synthesis of green technology, minimalist design and décor authentic to the region. Far from being yet another over-the-top caricature of the Rocky Mountain West, MOLLIE is urbane, cultured and innovative, like Aspen itself.
Located on Aspen’s Main Street, with views of Ajax and Shadow Mountains, the hotel can be enjoyed by guests and locals alike, all year long.
“MOLLIE stands out as one of Aspen’s few independent boutique upscale hotels,” said Michael Brown, co-founder of HayMax, the project’s owner, developer and operator. “This independence has empowered us to unleash our creativity, infusing the property with a design and philosophy deeply intertwined with the charm, spirit and culture of Aspen and its surroundings.”
NEW WEST STYLE
So ingrained are snow-based activities to Aspen’s identity that its reputation as a place of art museums, opera houses and high fashion is often overlooked. Brooklyn-based interior design firm Post Company incorporated natural landscape-motifs for MOLLIE, but plumbed less traditional sources in other ways, like a minimalist, Bauhaus-inspired presence first brought by Aspen Skiing Company founders Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke in the 1940s.
“We wanted to create an environment that had a sense of permanence and durability,” said Ruben Caldwell, a partner at Post Company. “To accomplish this, we blended vernacular materials from Aspen and the Western U.S. We focused on muted colors, hand-woven textiles and textures, geometric patterns, mid-century brutalist furniture, whimsical lighting and hardware accents, and natural materials, such as wood, brick and stone in the design.”
White oak millwork, lime washed walls and concrete mixed with warm local stone aggregate were used to create a cozy, welcoming environment inside. A collection of signature vintage furniture pieces—Roger Capron coffee tables, Mario Bellini leather sofas, Marenco and De Sede lounge chairs and Rainer Daumiller dining chairs—greet guests in the lobby.
On the walls, photographs from Matthew Johnson, a commissioned tapestry from textile artist Rachel Snack and other works of art further connect the hotel to Aspen’s legacy as a creative community.
“This programming brings history directly into the hotel and makes room for guests to experience a new generation of creators,” said Caldwell.
THINKING INSIDE THE BOX
With a footprint of just over 0.4 of an acre and a maximum height limit of 32 feet, the first challenge for Basalt, Colo.-based CCY Architects was squeezing a luxury boutique hotel onto the historic thoroughfare. Sitting astride Aspen’s residential and commercial neighborhoods, the façade needed to withstand the harsh winters and the intense UV light that is endemic to high altitude, without looking out of place.
CCY used brick and thermally modified wood siding made from fast-growing, sustainably harvested radiata pine—laid vertically in random widths to emulate the rhythms of a forest—in a nod both to nature and the wood-clad cabins found throughout the Rockies.
“As you drive down main street in Aspen, MOLLIE fits in effortlessly to the existing fabric of the town,” said Todd Kennedy, AIA and partner at CCY Architects. “Its façade relates to the dimensions of the underlying historic lot lines, and the material palette is quiet yet sophisticated, causing the hotel to feel as though it’s always been there.”
MOLLIE’s windows are made with fiberglass exterior frames and specially glazed glass that reduces the radiant cooling in guest rooms, while solar panels on the roof help offset the all-electric air-to-air heat pumps, which are three times more efficient than standard HVAC systems.
“This approach reduces operating costs and the carbon footprint in a significant way,” said Kennedy. “The efficient glazing systems have a similar effect. Relying on fiberglass exterior frames and highly efficient glass, the windows reduce the effect of radiant cooling that impacts guest comfort on cold winter evenings.”
THE FRONTIER OF FLAVOR
In a hotel packed with innovation, an ordinary F&B offering just won’t do. Enter Gin & Luck, the avant-garde refreshment atelier that broke the cocktail bar-mold with Death & Co and its world renown outposts across the country. Opening Death & Co Denver in 2018 gave Gin & Luck CEO Dave Kaplan the confidence to take on MOLLIE’s food and beverage program.
“Denver’s very different [from Aspen] but it gave us a great point of reference,” said Kaplan. “Many of us also worked, or in my case grew up in, Jackson Hole, so we have a solid understanding of mountain towns. We set out to create something different for Aspen that carries forward the [hotel’s] beautiful design. There’s a ‘less is more’ approach throughout—great ingredients and subtle takes on classic dishes and cocktails, presented in a refined and restrained way.”
Gin & Luck designed each dish and drink specifically to match MOLLIE’s subdued yet sensuous aesthetic. Drinks like Vanguard Martini and Sundog, or dishes like the Winter Salad, Crudo and the MOLLIE Burger are becoming fast favorites, said Kaplan.
Split between a café offering small-batch coffee from Sightglass, an elegant all-day restaurant and bar with heated outdoor seating, and a rooftop lounge with unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains, there’s a lot to savor in this small space. For Kaplan, the subdued environs—and the stories behind them—reveal a side of Aspen long-sought but seldom found.
“The atmosphere and the offerings are meant to feel as honest and energizing as the nature that the valley is known for,” said Kaplan. “I want to start and end my day in this space, from coffee to cocktails and everything in between.”
Story contributed by Derek Herscovici.