The St. Regis Aspen Resort

For $3,000 a night, I expected a lot more. This is Aspen's second most expensive hotel, but service felt chaotic and amateur, and other five-star resorts here offer much better service and real benefits. No one greeted us on arrival. There was no shuttle, ski perks, resort guide, or activity information. When I asked the front desk how many Jacuzzis there were, they couldn't answer. Staff seemed disoriented, asked me to repeat simple requests like eggs over medium, then still got them wrong. The Mountain Social lounge also got my orders wrong. I had to call three times to get details about the butler service because there was no information about it. The tea service kept having problems: stained, dirty cups, no milk or cream, and no hot water. When I asked to have clothes dried, they called five times with different answers and couldn't deliver them until morning. I also received unsolicited messages offering escort services during my stay.

The last day was the worst part of my stay. We had a flight to catch in bad weather, but after we requested help with our bags three times, nobody came, even though each request was acknowledged. We had to carry them down ourselves. The shuttle, which normally leaves promptly, turned back for another guest. That guest was obnoxious and disruptive, and when I asked why we were going back instead of to the airport, the driver ignored my comment. Another time, a member of our party was walking out along the sidewalk under the porte cochere. The driver saw her, then opened the door right in front of her to let a passenger out, blocking her path and forcing her onto the icy driveway. That's not how patrons should be treated at a supposed five-star St. Regis. The room had some upkeep problems too. The cove lighting didn't work, and switches sometimes failed, requiring engineering to come fix things several times. I did find the stay calming and relaxing, and the rooms were comfortable and well curated, as expected at other St. Regis properties. Most requests were handled promptly. Still, the hard product didn't feel like a St. Regis, and the soft product wasn't at the global level either. The location isn't the best; I prefer the W or the Little Nell. There are positives, but this property needs a lot of improvement to meet the standard of five-star ski resorts worldwide. That's where things stand right now.

We'd hoped for a beautiful, fun white Christmas and paid a premium, but there wasn't any snow while we were there. The location is great, but the hotel didn't feel geared toward families. We've stayed at several St. Regis properties, and this one fell short of the others. The champagne and s'mores were tucked away, with only five people enjoying them. Kids' events were either canceled or started an hour late, and there was no shuttle to Buttermilk ski resort or kids' club. Restaurant service was slow, with several dinner mistakes; I'm not sure if there was a language barrier. The tables and seats were so close that another guest pushed their chair into mine and I spilled my drink. The room didn't feel worth the money, with lots of small details below par. On our last day nobody came to clean it. We were quite disappointed for what we paid.

We visit Aspen each year and stay with friends, usually stopping at the Regis for a drink or lunch. This time I wanted to recognize Arib and Anthony at the Bar. Our usual drink wasn't on the Menu, but instead of turning us away, Arib made it a fun search and they got us our old fashioned Alexander. That's what sets a top-class bartender apart. They were elegant, great company, and clearly passionate about their work. Arib was a real sunshine and showed the hospitality industry at its best. Thank you! We finally got a fantastic photo with the st Regis Dog mascot too.