White Elephant Resorts has expanded west with the opening of White Elephant Aspen in the Colorado town’s West End neighborhood.
The brand tapped Boston-based architectural firm EMBARC to lead the project, giving the firm latitude to inject modernity into Aspen’s prevailingly Victorian-inspired surroundings. The final project embraces an alpine-chic aesthetic that nods to the boutique sensibility of White Elephant’s other five properties while reflecting the cultural and artistic legacy of Aspen.
Inside the White Elephant Aspen
The interiors blend deep charcoal and saddle tones with tasseled leather furnishings, moody lighting, and textured stone surfaces. Destination-specific details, including vintage skis and poles, ground the design in its locale. A brass elephant head protrudes from the lobby desk, while elephant knockers adorn guestroom doors, a playful motif that ties back to the brand’s identity.
The property’s 54 rooms and suites feature porcelain tile flooring, blonde woods, and textural elements such as horsehair and rustic stone mosaics. Accents include handpainted lamp shades, embossed leather headboards, resin coffee tables, and oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures, all set against a palette of Aspen whites and cognac tones. A number of rooms include private outdoor terraces or balconies as well.
The top-tier Ajax Penthouse spans 1,560 square feet across three bedrooms, with a fireplace, chef’s kitchen, generous dining and living areas, and a mountain-view terrace outfitted with plush seating and a fire pit. The two-bedroom West End Suite offers 1,050 square feet with a fireplace, living area, and furnished terrace, while the 870-square-foot Highlands Suite pairs two king bedrooms with a lounge and three bathrooms.
Guests staying in the top suites have access to a dedicated in-suite games library by Arhaus that features chess, backgammon, and more.
Art plays a major role at the Aspen hotel
Common spaces and guestrooms showcase more than 125 original works curated by art advisor Emily Santangelo, who has worked with White Elephant since 2017. The collection includes landscapes by Alex Katz, paintings by Robert Peterson, and special commissions by Orit Fuchs and Doodle Boy. The lobby will also feature rotating photography of Maroon Bells by Bob Tabor.
Self-guided art tours allow guests to move through the full collection at their own pace. White Elephant Aspen will also partner with Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a cornerstone of Colorado’s artistic community for more than 60 years, to offer guests access to special programming.
Lola 41 also heads west
The brand’s signature restaurant, Lola 41, is featured onsite alongside a new lounge concept, 41 Below. Known for seafood and sushi specialties, the bistro draws inspiration from destinations along the 41st longitude parallel, stretching from Japan to Nantucket, where the White Elephant story began.
