Skiers — and Thought Leaders — Have Flocked to Aspen for Decades
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MID-SEPTEMBER PRESS TRIP TO ASPEN and Snowmass, Colo., gave participants more than a taste of the destination.
It gave us food for thought. Our group was the first to try out a shortened version of the traditional two-week executive seminar that has been a mainstay of the Aspen Institute since its founding in 1950 — an intensive readings-based discussion of the “Great Ideas” of Western thought. (Read my October Behind the Scenes column about my Aspen Institute experience at http://bit.ly/naJwsg.) We gave the Leadership Fundamentals pro-
gram a test drive at Aspen Meadows Resort, a Dolce Resort — the western home of the Aspen Institute and site of the annual Aspen Ideas Fes- tival. A five-minute drive from the Aspen Airport, the 98-suite Aspen Meadows sits on a lovely 40-acre meadow along the Roaring Fork River, surrounded by the stunning Colorado Rockies. Its Bauhaus-inspired architecture cuts a clean line against this awe-inspiring backdrop, and the floor-to-ceiling windows in its spacious, newly renovated suites offer sweeping vista views. Aspen Meadows’ new $14-million, LEED Gold–certified Doerr-Hosier Center is the latest addition to the property’s 22,000 square feet of technologically advanced, IACC-certified function space. The resort can accommodate groups of 10 to 800 people in six separate buildings and 24 possible venues. Three on- site dining venues feature contemporary cui- sine inspired by local sustainable ingredients. Downtown Aspen, quaint and sophisti-
cated, is a quick drive from the property. The second evening of our trip, we enjoyed a never-ending array of delicious dishes served family-style at the Steak House No. 316 — a new addition to Aspen’s dining scene that is housed in a circa-1893 mining cabin. While Aspen is best known for its miles of fresh-powder runs for skiers and snowboard- ers, it also shines in the warmer months. In addition to the Aspen Music Festival programs, there’s golf, fly-fishing, mountain biking, raft- ing, and hiking — which we dabbled in with an all-too-brief walk in the breathtaking Maroon
18 pcma convene November 2011
MOUNTAIN MECCA: From top to bottom — The Aspen Meadows Resort, a Dolce Resort, home of the Aspen
Institute and Aspen Ideas Festival; the
quaint town of Aspen; and a view of the pool at the new Viceroy Snowmass Luxury Resort Hotel.
Bells wilderness park. The following morning, we again headed to the great outdoors, for a team-building activity that included ziplining across the canyon and rappelling off a cliff at Devil’s Punchbowl. Then it was over to Viceroy Snowmass Luxury Resort Hotel, only seven miles from downtown Aspen, for an overnight stay. A striking new ski resort appointed with reclaimed timber, textural stone, and em- bossed metals, the LEED Gold–certified Viceroy Snowmass offers 173 guest “residences,” ranging from studios to four-bedroom suites. Groups can utilize more than 9,000 square feet in eight meeting rooms and event spaces, including a ballroom with an outdoor terrace, an executive boardroom, meeting rooms, and private dining rooms. The 7,000-square-foot Viceroy Snowmass spa offers six luxurious treatment rooms and a meditative relaxation lounge. Outside, there’s an all-season heated saline pool and terrace with cabanas. Eight K Restaurant offers a display kitchen, a stunning 87-foot glass bar, and a modern take on the roaring fireplace. Its seasonal menu makes the most of regionally sourced ingredients — and, with its views of one of the world’s finest ski mountains, the most of its spot on the map. n