Our Reviews

There are hotels in Aspen that lean heavily into the expected mountain-lodge aesthetic. MOLLIE Aspen takes a different route. Here, you get very little of the antler-and-fireplace idea of what an Aspen hotel should look like. Instead, the design is restrained, tactile and quietly confident, with Japanese and Scandinavian influences, Bauhaus principles and references to the town’s mining history woven into almost every detail.
Named after the historic Mollie Gibson Mine, Aspen’s most successful silver mine of the 19th century, MOLLIE feels like a thoughtful conversation between old Aspen and new Aspen. The hotel opened with 68 rooms and was designed by CCY Architects with interiors by Post Company. The inspiration came partly from Aspen’s unusual connection to the Bauhaus movement, which arrived in the 1940s through Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke and their vision of creating a community centered around art, culture and ideas.
The result is one of those hotels that gets the details right without constantly asking you to notice them.

Why Book MOLLIE Aspen?

MOLLIE is for people who like their mountain hotels to have a strong design point of view but still feel comfortable. It is stylish without being showy, social without being noisy, and close enough to downtown Aspen that you can walk almost everywhere.

What I particularly liked was how quickly the hotel made us feel at home. We were greeted at the airport by our designated driver, who took us directly to the hotel. On arrival, the welcome continued with genuinely friendly staff, helpful suggestions and a complimentary glass of champagne.

Then came one of those small MOLLIE touches that says a lot about the hotel. Guests are given wooden coins that can be exchanged for a complimentary cocktail on the rooftop or at the wine bar and coffee shop. It is simple, slightly playful and much more memorable than another generic welcome drink.

A Hotel Shaped by Aspen’s History

MOLLIE’s story begins with the Mollie Gibson Mine, but the hotel is equally interested in another chapter of Aspen’s past.

In the 1940s, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke helped introduce the town to the ideas of modernism and the Bauhaus. Their belief that Aspen could become a place where art, culture, education and the outdoors came together helped shape the character of the town we know today. MOLLIE takes that history and translates it into a contemporary hotel rather than trying to recreate it literally.

CCY Architects describes the building as a response to both Aspen’s historic West End and its commercial center. Brick references the commercial core, while wood siding responds to the residential neighborhood and Victorian homes nearby. The building’s proportions and facade also echo the rhythm of Aspen’s historic lots.

Inside, Post Company went even further, creating what has been described as a pared-back interpretation of Arts and Crafts. The effect is wonderfully understated.

The Location

MOLLIE is on South Garmisch Street, just across from Paepcke Park and within a short walk of downtown Aspen. That gives you an interesting position between the historic residential West End and the more commercial heart of town.

Restaurants, shops, galleries and cultural institutions are all close by. The Aspen Art Museum, Aspen Institute and Wheeler Opera House are within easy reach, and all four of Aspen's ski areas can be accessed from the hotel.

The location also makes MOLLIE feel less like a resort where you disappear into the property and more like a place from which you can actually experience Aspen.

First Impressions

The lobby sets the tone immediately.

There is a black-marble fireplace, a beautifully curved burl-wood reception desk and vintage Mario Marenco cognac-leather armchairs. A Paavo Tynell ceiling sconce hangs above the space, while Mario Bellini sofas add another layer of mid-century design.

But it never feels like a museum of famous furniture.

The materials keep everything grounded. Polished concrete flooring incorporates local Colorado aggregate, with little flecks of rust and earthen tones running through it. Gridded wood ceilings are an understated nod to the Arts and Crafts movement. Natural woods, leather, textiles and ceramics soften the harder architectural elements.

The overall feeling is chic, but not precious.

That distinction matters in a mountain town. MOLLIE feels designed for people who are actually going to spend the day outside, come back with cold hands and tired legs, have a drink, eat well and fall into bed.

There is also substance behind the sustainability story. The building incorporates heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and other energy-conscious strategies rather than simply using “natural” materials as a decorative theme. CCY has described sustainability as a key driver of the project, with the architecture designed around Aspen’s demanding climate as well as its landscape.

The Rooms: Quiet, Comfortable and Very Considered

There are 68 rooms and suites at MOLLIE, all following the same philosophy of reduction. The interiors combine Scandinavian and Japanese influences with warm, natural materials and earthen tones. The idea is not to fill every available surface. It is to give the things that are there room to breathe.

We stayed in a Corner Smuggler King, which sits in the heart of the building overlooking Main Street. The floor-to-ceiling windows made a real difference, filling the room with natural light and giving us views across downtown and toward the mountains.

It was exactly the kind of room where you notice the quality rather than the quantity.

There was a TV with Chromecast, a Bluetooth speaker, rainfall shower, tea kettle, humidifier and minibar, along with complimentary glass-bottled water. Coyuchi organic bathrobes and slippers made the room feel particularly comfortable after a day outside, while the organic bath products were another nice touch.

There was also much more closet space than you might expect in a boutique hotel. There was storage in the entrance as well as generous space in the dresser, which is especially useful in Aspen when winter clothes, boots and layers can quickly take over a room.

MOLLIE's official room collection ranges from the compact Snug and Cozy rooms to larger Smuggler rooms, Park View rooms, Aspen Mountain rooms and suites. The common thread is the same residential feeling and deliberate lack of clutter.

And then there was the nightly turndown.

Every evening, staff brought fresh water and, best of all, homemade chocolate chip cookies.

That might sound like a small thing. It isn't. After a long day in Aspen, finding a still-warm-feeling cookie waiting for you in your room is exactly the sort of detail you remember.

Petit Trois: Paris in the Rockies

One of the biggest reasons to stay at MOLLIE right now is Petit Trois, Chef Ludo Lefebvre's acclaimed Parisian bistro.

The Aspen outpost opened in December 2025, marking the third Petit Trois and the first location outside Los Angeles. Lefebvre, who grew up in Burgundy and trained with some of France's most respected culinary figures, brings the original bistro's spirit to Aspen rather than trying to turn it into a conventional hotel restaurant.

The restaurant occupies an intimate space just off the lobby, with two year-round heated outdoor terraces. It feels romantic and intimate in the best sense, making it as suitable for a long dinner as it is for breakfast before heading into the mountains.

The menu is French, of course, with dishes such as steak frites, Burgundy escargots and the famous Big Mec, alongside breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch.

I particularly appreciated the vegetarian options. Sometimes a French bistro can be a little challenging if you are not eating meat, but that wasn't the case here. There were genuinely enjoyable choices, which made the whole experience much more relaxed.

The wine list is another reason to linger. Master Sommeliers Dustin Wilson and Sabato Sagaria oversee a selection with a strong French and California focus, while the cocktail list includes the Petit Trois Martini with vodka or gin, Lillet Blanc and quince, as well as the Fleur du Mal Spritz and French Negroni.

And if you don't want a full restaurant meal, MOLLIE's lobby café and wine bar makes things much more casual. It serves coffee and breakfast in the morning, lunch during the day, then shifts into a wine bar in the afternoon and evening.

Petit Familia: Aspen Gets a Little Mexican

Upstairs, the mood changes completely.

Petit Familia occupies the third-floor rooftop and feels like a playful counterpoint to the French bistro downstairs. The interiors have a Mexican influence, and the atmosphere is wonderfully vibey without becoming overly polished.

The views are the star. From the rooftop, Aspen Mountain stretches out in front of you with remarkably few visual interruptions. It is the kind of setting that makes an afternoon cocktail turn into dinner almost by accident.

The drinks lean heavily into agave, with tequila and mezcal at the center of the cocktail program. The food follows the same playful French-Mexican idea, with Chef Ludo Lefebvre's bar snacks bringing some of the precision of Petit Trois into a much more relaxed setting.

It is a completely different personality from Petit Trois, and that is what makes having both under one roof so much fun.

The Rooftop

The rooftop became one of my favorite places at MOLLIE.

There is a spa pool, comfortable seating and those wonderful mountain views. The official hotel description calls the outlook a 180-degree view of Aspen Mountain, and when you are up there, you understand why it is such a focal point of the property.

We also did a sound-healing session on the rooftop, which was such a lovely way to experience the space. The hotel regularly offers complimentary programming for guests, including wellness classes, yoga and creative activities, alongside special events and live music.

It is a nice reflection of Aspen itself. You can ski, hike and explore all day, but there is also room for a slower pace.

And you don't have to leave the hotel to find it.

A Hotel That Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously

One of the things I liked most about MOLLIE is that the design never felt excessive.

There are plenty of beautiful objects, but they are not fighting for attention. The furniture is special. The materials are considered. The lighting is beautiful. Yet the rooms and public spaces still feel easy to use.

That reduction of excess is central to the hotel's design philosophy. MOLLIE uses natural woods, earthen ceramics, textiles, brass and other materials connected to Aspen and the American West, while large windows bring the landscape into the rooms.

It feels very chic and understated.

In a place like Aspen, where there is certainly no shortage of extravagance, that restraint feels refreshing.

What Sets MOLLIE Aspen Apart?

For me, it is the combination of things that don't initially seem to belong together.

A silver mine.

The Bauhaus.

Japanese and Scandinavian interiors.

A Parisian bistro.

A Mexican-inspired rooftop.

Sound healing.

Mountain views.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies at turndown.

And a wooden coin that gets you a cocktail.

It shouldn't necessarily all make sense, but somehow it does.

MOLLIE has taken different pieces of Aspen's identity and brought them together without making the result feel forced. The hotel is modern, but it understands where it is. It is design-focused, but it remains comfortable. And while the food and drink program is sophisticated, there is still a sense of fun.