What happens when die-hard Nell fans go off-grid to try a new hotel in Aspen? In the case of The Mollie, we are here to report that we were pleasantly surprised. And as they say, you may come out for the Aspen winters, but you stay for the summers.
Atmosphere
Aspen is not known for its economical places to stay, but The Mollie is a breath of fresh air. A completely new hotel in the former Mollie Gibson location, the address and part-namesake are the only similarities between the two. The Mollie Gibson was bleak, to put it kindly. In lieu of refurbishing rooms, The Mollie wisely started from ground up. The result is a chic, elevated Scandi-Japanese design hotel, that easily makes the top three places to stay in town.
The crowd is mountain millionaire chic, but with a more a down-to-earth attitude. In lieu of dripping in diamonds and Birkins, the dress is more expensive grunge. I also wouldn’t say this is as social as The Nell, but people are also not buying into the scene of see and be seen either. I liked that people at The Mollie had nothing to prove.
Rooms
Whether you’re looking for a snug crash pad, comfortable room for two or a larger abode, The Mollie has a room for that. I stayed in a Mountain King which maximized space and felt much larger than 340 square feet.
The design is everything at The Mollie. My room had Nobu-feel to the design, carrying over the Japanese-Scandi influence of the common areas. At the entry way my room opened up into a dark slate themed Japanese-style sink area and luggage station. It is unique to open up into your bathroom, but there was a separate door for the toilet and shower.
Separate from this area as you walked through was bedroom, which had a built-in desk behind the headboard and a nice coffee and snack station. There was also ample built-in closet space for ski gear. The feeling was Zen with the light wood color palate, which was in contrast to the dark Japanese slate in the foyer. My bed was a king and there was a couch with sitting area to the side. The suite is also tricked out with all the right outlets for charging and light switches to set the mood.
Housekeeping was also impeccable. Every night there were fresh-baked cookies, tea and full carafes of water. As I said earlier, this is easily within the top three rooms of where I normally stay in Aspen. It’s also the best relative value of where I normally stay in Aspen.
Food + Beverage
For a hotel of this size, there is a good selection of daytime cafe, all day to evening restaurant and even a speakeasy hidden on the top floor. In the restaurant, what surprised me in the evening was almost every table was full. It looked like mainly locals having a grown-up dinner. The menu is solid American food that will stick to your ribs, which in the case of short ribs, is literally ribs. There’s also a solid lobster spaghetti, steak frites and chicken Milanese. The restaurant for me is a good option if you get in late and just want to have an easy meal.
Of course I had breakfast every morning, which was a simple menu to get you fueled for the day. I did like the snacks which had unique offerings from other spots I normally go in town. There was a panisse with pickle dip which was interesting and salmon mousse with bagel chips. During the day it was mainly hotel guests versus the local crowd which seems to come in during the eves.
Service
In many ways, The Mollie felt more like the sister property to The Nell, than the Limelight down the street. Besides the design and attention to detail, service was one of these areas where The Mollie shined. There was a polish from the complimentary pickup at the airport, and the professional yet warm and genuine welcome at check-in. Everyone I encountered at The Mollie was happy to be there, and happy to help out in anyway. They didn’t miss a beat with any requests. Although they don’t have the complimentary shuttles like The Jerome to Snowmass, it was easy and reasonably priced to arrange the house cars for excursions.
Extras
Also on the top floor there’s a hot tub and lounge area to chill for apres. In the lower level of the hotel, there’s a yoga room, modest gym and a few spa treatment rooms. In this respect, The Mollie isn’t trying to compete with the grand-scale spas of The St. Regis, full-service Jerome or Dior spa at The Nell. For a hotel of this size it has the small-scale amenities but all you pretty much need to elevate your stay.
Overall: 8/10
I would stay at The Mollie anytime I’m in town.
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FAQs
Q: Where is The Mollie Aspen located?
A: The Mollie Aspen is located at 111 S. Garmisch St., Aspen, Colorado 81611
Main: 970-742-1234 | Dining: 970-627-7805
Q: Is The Mollie Aspen open all year-round?
A: Yes, The Mollie Aspen is open all year-round. However it is to be determined if they will take a few weeks to close during the November time frame which is customary for hotels in Aspen.
Q: Is The Mollie Aspen good for families?
A: The Mollie Aspen isn’t ski-in, ski-out, but it is good for families. The hotel is relatively moderately priced compared to the other options. There aren’t child-specific amenities. However you will often see hip families with young children staying at The Mollie during ski season as well as during the summer.
