Aspen Information - hotels, restaurants, golf, weather, maps & more

Viewed by most people, Aspen is the ultimate playground to the wealthy elite, a place movie stars and royalty come to hit the slopes and relax in five star hotels. But that doesn’t mean that Aspen is a place off limits to the rest of us! For such a small ski town, Aspen has more than its fair share of affordable accommodations, cheap eats and inexpensive things to do around town. Even if you don’t ski much, Aspen is a spot that has to be seen to be believed, not only because of the dramatic nature and amazing mountains, but also because of the sheer concentration of wealth here is as dizzying as the vertical ski slopes. Even if you only stay a night, Aspen is a town that can make all of us feel like royalty now and then, and that is worth the price every time!

What most people don’t know is that Aspen is almost as nice to visit during the summer as it is during the height of ski season. The town loses much of its snobbish attitude during the warmer months and becomes a shoppers and photographers paradise. Really, the shopping in this small mountain town is amazing. There are several high end stores that only have two shops in the world; one is Aspen and one in Hollywood, London or Paris. It’s that elite. And while you may not have items from these stores at the top of your holiday gift giving list, it is always fun to browse and see price tags for tens of thousands of dollars.

While finding affordable sleeping arrangements in Aspen can be tough, finding cheap eats can be even tougher. It seems that Aspen is in constant competition with itself when it comes to opening the most elite fine dining restaurant. A new batch open up every new ski season and it can be a real challenge finding much else. However, there are a few recognizable chains here that don’t come with a celebrity chef attached to them. There are also a few super popular lunch places that have defied the prevalent theme in Aspen and survived. If you’re seeing Aspen on a budget, it may not sound like what you had in mind, but it is doable.

As far as keeping busy, Aspen is a city that loves a good festival. Throughout the year, even during the summertime, there are festivals celebrating everything from music to movies. And there are always new festivals and events added every year, so make sure you check in to see what is happening in this beautiful town before you show up.

Finally, the most important part of visiting Aspen is to simply relax and have fun. So many people here are concerned about how they look and who is looking at them, they forget to just have fun. Aspen is, after all, a fun ski town that is popular with the world’s elite, but that doesn’t mean you have to be elite to love this fun little spot.