Welcome to altitude, W Hotels. Where the beloved Sky Hotel once stood, the just-opened W Aspen now marks the spot. And unlike its Kimpton predecessor, you can now call this piece of paradise a part-time home.
As part of W Hotels Worldwide’s first-ever North American alpine destination — the hotel group opened its first Mountain Escape property in Verbier, Switzerland in 2014 — The Sky Residences at W Aspen offer an exclusive shared real estate opportunity with 11 slopeside units. Upon its grand opening celebration in August, the inventory was already 40% sold, indicating a much-needed niche for fractional ownership.
Ski-in, ski-out access to Aspen Mountain is punctuated by a private, Residences-only roof deck with spa, lounge seating, BBQ grills, outdoor kitchen and fire pit, as well as on-property amenities including concierge, 24/7 security, in-residence dining, housekeeping, ski lockers, valet, and fitness center. W’s signature “Whatever/Whenever” service promise provides residents and hotel guests with “whatever they want, whenever they want it!”
The Sky Residences portfolio features five 2-bedrooms (approximately 1,567 square feet; starting in the mid-$500K price range) and six 3-bedrooms (approximately 1,993 square feet; starting in the $800K price range), available for a 1/10th shared ownership interest in real estate. Enjoy five weeks of usage — four of which are guaranteed Planned Vacation Weeks within the winter and summer (two weeks per season). The fifth week of ownership, Space Available Nights, can be either dedicated to the winter or summer season, depending upon ownership preference and availability.
“The Sky Residences at W Aspen feature compelling statements of space and design that defy expectations,” says R.J. Gallagher, Jr. of Forte Aspen, the agency managing sales. “It’s where an owner can get away from it all, while having it all. Effortless ownership, where quality time with family and friends is the only order of the day. And night.”
The building itself — Aspen’s first new luxury hotel in 25 years — was brought to life by locally-based architecture and design firm Rowland + Broughton, resulting in an environmentally sustainable, modern mountain chalet with long, sloping roof lines drawing inspiration from the Rocky Mountain landscape. W Aspen and The Sky Residences at W Aspen are owned and were co-developed by Washington, DC-based Northridge Capital (also owner of the Sky Hotel for 16 years), which financed the buildout and also tapped locally based Sarpa Development as a project partner.
The W brand’s signature luxurious, energetic vibe interior was dreamt up by global interior design firm nemaworkshop that pays homage to Aspen’s storied inhabitants from the silver miners of the late 19th century to the swinging counterculture of the ‘60s and ‘70s to the current crop of globe-trotting billionaires.
Each of the W Aspen’s 11 Sky Residences exude a cozy warmth reminiscent of a Swiss chalet through the use of rustic wood finishes, sloped ceilings and fireplaces, complete with decor channeling Herbert Bayer, Thomas Benton, and the Ute Indian Tribe mixed with modern industrial touches and rich, ski-wear-inspired fabrics.
Gallagher adds, “This shared ownership opportunity offers a unique combination of the hip W brand and the prime Aspen location. All of these amenities right at an owner’s fingertips — in one of the greatest locations, in one of the most desirable towns in the world.
Additional owner benefits include access to the Living Room restaurant and bar, 39 Degrees (a nod to the Sky Hotel’s beloved lounge, and the WET Deck — an open-to-the-public rooftop bar with a pool, cabanas and hot tub. Already proven to be Aspen’s hottest new spot, there’s no closer commute home than to a Sky Residence of your very own.
For more information about The Sky Residences at W Aspen, or to take a tour contact Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty at 970–925–6060 or visit waspenskyresidences.com.
Since the ribbon was cut at the grand opening celebration of the long-awaited Snowmass Base Village (SBV) development on December 15, 2018, to a jam-packed plaza, the excitement has only intensified.
In the two days that followed the festivities, the Aspen Times reported that nine deals closed — eight in the Limelight Hotel Snowmass and one at Lumin — amounting to $23.7 million in sales volume. Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty’s resident market research expert, broker Andrew Ernemann, attributes the spike to “the psychological influence of Base Village.”
It’s a promising start to a much-hyped project that has been decades in the making, which while officially open for business, still has to put the finishing touches on its last project. Upon completion, SBV’s residential offerings will include One Snowmass with Inspirato along with the Limelight Hotel Snowmass, Lumin and Residences at Viceroy Snowmass.
Ranging in price from below $500,000 at the ski-in/ski-out resort-style Residences at Viceroy Snowmass, up to $6,300,000 for a penthouse overlooking the Elk Camp Gondola at Lumin, an SBV address accommodates every type of mountain lover.
However luxurious each residence is on the inside (also armed with varying levels of amenities like a membership to the new, ultra-exclusive Snowmass Mountain Club), it’s what lies just steps outside each front door that is another major draw.
In the center of it all is an ice rink open daily from noon to 9 p.m. with complimentary skate rentals available to check out from a funky 1958 Airstream. Surrounded by fire pits, SBV provides a much-needed, year-round public gathering place, which will transform into an events lawn in the summer for outdoor concerts, a farmer’s market and more.
Fuel up for the day with a fresh doughnut from Sweet Coloradough’s stand or try The Crepe Shack, our beloved local chef Mawa McQueen’s third restaurant concept in the area. Limelight Hotel Snowmass is already headquarters for après ski with an extended happy hour and live music five nights a week. Also at the Limelight, you can’t miss the five-story climbing wall (one of the largest in the state!) encased in glass, making it a focal point of the SBV plaza. Dreamt up and executed to resemble sections of natural rock on Independence Pass by Boulder-based Eldorado Climbing Walls, it is available to everyone weighing 25 pounds and over. The climbing wall is $10 for 30 minutes and $5 each additional 30 minutes, with staff on hand to help you plot your way to the top. Four Mountain Sports in the Lumin building will have all of your gear and equipment rental needs covered whether you’re hitting the slopes or the Snowmass Bike Park.
And last but not least, the Collective Snowmass has immediately morphed into a community hub offering an ongoing calendar of programming and pop-ups featuring local businesses and nonprofits from a winter artisan market and yoga classes to kids camps and art workshops. A new bar and restaurant is planned to open later this year along with a new-and-improved Snowmass Discovery Center, which highlights the area's legacy where the Mastodon once roamed. Click here for the complete schedule of events through the season.
Whether you’re in search of the ski town vacation home or have yet to experience what all of the buzz is about, this winter in Aspen Snowmass is all about Snowmass Base Village — the ultimate basecamp for the entire family.
To take a tour and learn more, stop by the SBV Real Estate Experience office at the base of the Elk Camp Gondola: 110 Carriage Way (Unit #3104), 970.924.9100, allinsnowmass.com
Blog Credit to Katie Shapiro, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's Elevated Living Blog
I am proud to have put one of the Limelight Snowmass Penthouses under contract. The more I learn about Limelight Snowmass, the more I like it. Limelight Snowmass is a 99-room hotel property with 11 whole ownership two and three-bedroom condominiums for sale. Ownership at Limelight Snowmass includes: Snowmass Mountain Club Gold Membership, two annual Premier ski passes, underground secure garage parking when on property, access to the OneSnowmass gym, daily breakfast, strong rental potential when not occupying unit, discounts at other Limelight properties, and great Limelight amenities including two oversized spa pools, 5-story glass climbing wall - the largest in Colorado, front desk and concierge services, ice rink in winter, and entertainment venue in summer in front of the hotel, click-in/click-out ski access, gym and yoga studio and daily shuttle service. Here is is an FAQ document for your review. I also recommend checking out www.AllinSnowmass.com. Only six of the Limelight Snowmass condominiums remain available as of today. There are only two 3-bedroom units left at Limelight Snowmass and three 2-bedroom units. Seller has serious interest in #506, so about to be only two 2-bedroom units left. Here’s a link to the five currently active Limelight Snowmass two and three bedroom properties.
Happy 50th Anniversary Snowmass! Twelve thousand plus $6.50 lift tickets were sold for today commemorating the original lift ticket price in 1967. Enjoy an après ski party in Base Village from 11-4 pm today, along with the Red Bull Airforce jumping out of a plane and performing tricks above Fanny Hill at Noon. Fireworks will shoot over Fanny Hill tonight at 9 pm celebrating 50 years of skiing and snowboarding in Snowmass. Check out the Snowmass 50th Anniversary video sharing some of the history of this amazing resort, https://youtu.be/2Erkgab7lD8.
I enjoyed a great tour of the new Base Village improvements this week with the Snowmass Base Village East West Team. I’ve been studying the project the past years, and have committed myself to trying to learn as much as I can about the new product and the future of Snowmass Base Village. One of the reasons I built a brand new single-family home for my family in Snowmass Village’s Melton Ranch is because I believe in the future of Snowmass and feel like it’s a great value today. Sitting in East West’s new sales office staring at the new model of Base Village’s build out in the years ahead, and looking out the window at the new Limelight Hotel Snowmass topped off, only reinforced my belief that Snowmass is only getting better and there’s an incredible opportunity at one of the best family ski areas in the world.
The new Limelight Hotel with eleven whole ownership two and three bedroom condominiums is going to be a game changer. It will be Snowmass’s new living room. My kids are going to be spending a lot of time on the new five story glass climbing wall. Lumin’s three three and four-bedroom luxury units will be spectacular with floor to ceiling windows at ground zero. The new plaza with an ice skating rink, and a summer concert venue will create a much needed central gathering place for Base Village. I’m excited to see what comes of the Discovery Center Building Six. An Aspen Brewing Company addition, and a digital arts center sounds interesting. Aspenites skiing Snowmass for the day will have reason to stick around for après and more.
Viceroy Hotel has undergone a four million dollar upgrade this fall. The hotel opens today with a new café in the lobby along with the new Robert Sandoval Toro Restaurant. The Nest Café will move outside poolside and slopeside creating an Ajax Tavern like ambiance. The new pool will be redone next summer with a cascading waterfall hot tub. The workout room dungeon has moved into the former Nest space with brand new equipment and Peloton bikes and a great view. There were no special assessments to the current Viceroy owners for the four million dollar improvements. There are about forty-nine developer studio, one, two, three and four bedroom whole ownership condominiums available for sale today. This is Snowmass’s only four-star property. While the HOA’s are about $27 a sq. ft., the owner return statement as provided by East West is by far the strongest in Snowmass and competitive with condo hotel properties in Aspen like The Gant and Aspen Square Condominium Hotel.
I’m impressed with what I saw from East West and partners. They’re long on Snowmass Village. Single-family homes and condos in Snowmass Village are still trading on average at about half of where they were at the peak of the market in 2007. Furthermore they are about half of average sold price and price per sq. ft of that in Aspen today. I anticipate Capital Peak and Hayden properties as well as Crestwood and Stonebridge seeing more activity as well this winter. Snowmass has a rich history and a very bright future! Congratulations Snowmass on fifty great years! I hope to see you out there celebrating!
Chris Klug
John Calhoun, Director of Sales for East West Partners, presented to our Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty Snowmass Team on Wednesday, February 1 in Snowmass. John said that we should see shovels on the ground starting this May, and cranes in the air more towards the fall. Four projects are slated to begin this year:
All four projects must be completed no later than November 2018. The partners in this development are East/West, Aspen Ski Co, and KSL. Work on buildings 7 and 8 (Arrival area) are in the design phase. There will be condos, pool top decks and patios. East/West is planning a Vision Center in the Base Village area soon with models, blue prints, etc.
Viceroy Snowmass will release twenty developer units of existing one, two, and three-bedroom inventory on Feb 15. They will not be in the MLS and will not be available after April 1. A variety of floor plans in all areas of the building will be available from $200,000 - $1 million. I should have set pricing and unit numbers next week. Phase 2 will not be started for at least 3 to 4 years; there are no set plans at this point. I think the twenty Viceroy units will be a great opportunity to get into Base Village and Viceroy at a very competitive price.
East West, KSL and ASC are going to spend around $200 million in Snowmass Village in the next decade. It will be exciting to see Base Village finally moving forward. Exciting times ahead for Snowmass Village.
Chris Klug
