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 lodge for the world in almost twenty years. Although the resort did sturdy enterprise lately (given its ski-in, ski-out location and the rising want for spending time outside), Jaycock helps to orchestrate a contemporary begin for the property.
It’s virtually like a second grand opening with revitalized meals and beverage packages, 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 Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia (a member of The Leading Hotels of the World) amongst others. W Aspen, initially modeled after the well-known W Verbier in Switzerland, is among the smaller motels within the model portfolio and the one W in Colorado, but it surely definitely 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 prior to now few years. People are on the lookout for outside journey alternatives, and so they need approachable experiences the place they are often themselves. Aspen, like different outside locations, ramped again up a lot sooner than different components of the world, and now we have been lucky to have extra time with vacationers following the pandemic to be taught what they need.
This is sort of like a second grand opening for us. We can begin from scratch to ship the experiences individuals need. One of the key focal factors in the meanwhile is relaunching our meals and beverage experiences. We are ditching the thought 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 are embracing the happy-hour, late-night vibe. Here, you’ll be able to nonetheless get meals all the way in which as much as midnight.
An completely 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 government chef involves us from W Dubai – The Palm. While many new objects will likely be on the menu, we’re bringing again some tried-and-true favorites. We heard from so many previous company 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 is just not what it was a decade in the past. It’s not the house of millionaires, however now of billionaires. We fill a void on the town as a result of we’re not the normal Aspen lodge. There is nothing else like us on the town. W Aspen is each approachable and enjoyable whereas becoming into W’s framework of trend, trendsetting design, music and epic journey experiences.
We have a symbiotic relationship with the opposite motels on the town. Visitors 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 completely different. For instance, we’re the one lodge on the town to have bunk mattress rooms, that are very talked-about with mates 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, individuals can really feel snug being themselves. The inside design is each playful and intentional, and now we have many areas that encourage gathering with mates. We wish to be a vacation spot for locals to come back and hang around in addition to for vacationers on the lookout for the perfect resort expertise. Building that reference to the city is essential.
Coming quickly is a brand new cocktail program for The Grotto, our soundproof lounge simply off the foyer. Originally designed to be a nightclub, the house is now common with personal occasions and pop-up boutiques. This winter, the house will change into the “it spot” for individuals to get pleasure from drinks, nice music and a speakeasy-type ambiance that befits the W model.
There isn’t any pretense right here, and other people can really feel snug having an area beer whereas sitting subsequent to somebody ordering an costly bottle of Champagne. Anything goes. We’re all about experiential hospitality, and now we have numerous plans within the works to make that occur.
W Aspen has quite a few model partnerships, inform us about that.
Building partnerships with notable manufacturers helps construct our status as a spot for everybody to come back and be themselves. Already, company can take part within the BMW partnership now we have the place company can borrow our home automobiles to drive across the mountain. Each 12 months, the automotive model provides newer automobiles for company to expertise.
Coming quickly is Aspen’s first-ever agave occasion, which can embrace mezcal, tequila and different related agave spirits. This is among the hottest drinks within the space. Informally, we see that the three high 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. Eventually, we wish to have the largest single barrel assortment within the Rockies throughout tequila, bourbon and rye.
On the rooftop, now we have partnerships with completely different beverage manufacturers for bottle service and drink specials. Earlier this 12 months, we labored with Select Aperitivo to supply a preferred apres-ski expertise that proved to be successful with guests and locals. The roof terrace, bar and lounge is open to the general public. We have a heated pool, whirlpool and loads of lounge house to work, loosen up or play. During the hotter months, it’s fairly the celebration scene.
Is Marriott Bonvoy a giant driver of enterprise?
Yes, we see lots of people staying with us to redeem their factors on a household or romantic trip. In truth, through the summer time and winter months, we’re virtually all the time offered out on weekends. With such an immense lodge portfolio, individuals actually recognize the breadth of selection they’ve, and we wish to ship the high-end expertise they count on after they redeem their factors right here. Guests also can earn factors when paying an eligible charge, which helps them get towards their subsequent trip sooner.
Where do you wish to see the W Aspen in ten years?
I hope it has secured its place as a melting pot for locals and company, each the visiting the ski bums and the billionaire personal jet set. This ought to be the place the place you’ll be able to have essentially the most enjoyable within the Rockies. We have extra exterior house than most motels on the town. We envision this changing into an much more common vacation spot than it already is.