New to the resort, however not new to the world of hospitality, Christopher Jaycock is infusing new life into this buzzworthy resort. Opened in 2019, W Aspen was simply hitting its prime when the pandemic struck. It was the primary new resort for the world in practically 20 years. Though the resort did robust enterprise in recent times (given its ski-in, ski-out location and the rising need for spending time outside), Jaycock helps to orchestrate a contemporary begin for the property.
It’s nearly like a second grand opening with revitalized meals and beverage applications, partnerships with iconic manufacturers and the style and music trademark for which the model is thought.
Jaycock joined the resort in June of this 12 months, however has an illustrious profession with hospitality manufacturers like 4 Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia (a member of The Main Inns of the World) amongst others. W Aspen, initially modeled after the well-known W Verbier in Switzerland, is among the smaller inns within the model portfolio and the one W in Colorado, nevertheless it actually makes its mark in Aspen. Jaycock provides Pursuitist a behind-the-scenes peek at what the resort envisions for the approaching years.
What are your plans for the resort within the coming 12 months?
The world has modified up to now few years. Individuals are searching for out of doors journey alternatives, and so they need approachable experiences the place they are often themselves. Aspen, like different out of doors locations, ramped again up a lot sooner than different components of the world, and we’ve been lucky to have extra time with vacationers following the pandemic to study what they need.
That is form of like a second grand opening for us. We are able to begin from scratch to ship the experiences folks need. One of many main focal factors in the mean time is relaunching our meals and beverage experiences. We’re ditching the concept of formal, fancy eating in favor of artistic fare that spans quite a lot of style bud sorts. W Aspen is an apres-ski, all-hours snack and drink spot. We’re embracing the happy-hour, late-night vibe. Right here, you may nonetheless get meals all the way in which as much as midnight.
A wholly new workforce within the kitchen helps us with that so that individuals can order a chunk to eat at any hour of the day. The chief chef involves us from W Dubai – The Palm. Whereas many new objects can be on the menu, we’re bringing again some tried-and-true favorites. We heard from so many previous friends and guests that they miss our “big-ass” pretzel. That’s coming again!
How does W Aspen match into the vacation spot’s hospitality footprint?
Aspen isn’t what it was a decade in the past. It’s now not the house of millionaires, however now of billionaires. We fill a void on the town as a result of we aren’t the normal Aspen resort. There may be nothing else like us on the town. W Aspen is each approachable and enjoyable whereas becoming into W’s framework of style, trendsetting design, music and epic journey experiences.
We’ve got a symbiotic relationship with the opposite inns on the town. Guests to our mountain city have quite a lot of lodging sorts that match their type of journey. We actually like that we provide one thing so totally different. For instance, we’re the one resort on the town to have bunk mattress rooms, that are extremely popular with associates touring collectively, bachelor and bachelorette teams, and households. We even have a number of multi-bedroom residences with kitchens, eating rooms and personal entry to a rooftop terrace and whirlpool.
At W Aspen, folks can really feel comfy being themselves. The inside design is each playful and intentional, and we’ve many areas that encourage gathering with associates. We need to be a vacation spot for locals to return and hang around in addition to for vacationers searching for the perfect resort expertise. Constructing that reference to the city is vital.
Coming quickly is a brand new cocktail program for The Grotto, our soundproof lounge simply off the foyer. Initially designed to be a nightclub, the house is now common with non-public occasions and pop-up boutiques. This winter, the house will turn out to be the “it spot” for folks to get pleasure from drinks, nice music and a speakeasy-type ambiance that befits the W model.
There is no such thing as a pretense right here, and other people can really feel comfy having an area beer whereas sitting subsequent to somebody ordering an costly bottle of Champagne. Something goes. We’re all about experiential hospitality, and we’ve plenty of plans within the works to make that occur.
W Aspen has quite a few model partnerships, inform us about that.
Constructing partnerships with notable manufacturers helps construct our popularity as a spot for everybody to return and be themselves. Already, friends can take part within the BMW partnership we’ve the place friends can borrow our home vehicles to drive across the mountain. Every year, the automotive model provides newer vehicles for friends to expertise.
Coming quickly is Aspen’s first-ever agave occasion, which is able to embrace mezcal, tequila and different related agave spirits. This is among the hottest drinks within the space. Informally, we see that the three prime drinks in Aspen are in all probability champagne, tequila and vodka. At W Aspen, tequila drinks are particularly common with margaritas the primary drink ordered on the bar. Finally, we need to have the most important single barrel assortment within the Rockies throughout tequila, bourbon and rye.
On the rooftop, we’ve partnerships with totally different beverage manufacturers for bottle service and drink specials. Earlier this 12 months, we labored with Choose Aperitivo to supply a preferred apres-ski expertise that proved to be a success with guests and locals. The roof terrace, bar and lounge is open to the general public. We’ve got a heated pool, whirlpool and loads of lounge house to work, loosen up or play. In the course of the hotter months, it’s fairly the celebration scene.
Is Marriott Bonvoy an enormous driver of enterprise?
Sure, we see lots of people staying with us to redeem their factors on a household or romantic trip. In truth, in the course of the summer time and winter months, we’re nearly all the time bought out on weekends. With such an immense resort portfolio, folks actually recognize the breadth of alternative they’ve, and we need to ship the high-end expertise they count on once they redeem their factors right here. Friends may also earn factors when paying an eligible fee, which helps them get towards their subsequent trip sooner.
The place do you need to see the W Aspen in ten years?
I hope it has secured its place as a melting pot for locals and friends, each the visiting the ski bums and the billionaire non-public jet set. This must be the place the place you may have probably the most enjoyable within the Rockies. We’ve got extra exterior house than most inns on the town. We envision this changing into an much more common vacation spot than it already is.