The Little Nell is a hotel destination wedding venue in Aspen, United States, hosting 20 to 250 guests in the $$$$ price range, reached from Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), ~10 minutes by car. Best months: June, July, August, September.
The LittleNell
The Little Nell opened in 1989 at the foot of Aspen Mountain, the only hotel in town you can ski straight back into, and it has 51 rooms and a wine cellar of about 20,000 bottles behind Element 47.
The Little Nell in Aspen, open June – September.
The Little Nell opened in 1989 at the foot of Aspen Mountain, the only hotel in town you can ski straight back into, and it has 51 rooms and a wine cellar of about 20,000 bottles behind Element 47.
What makes it a wedding venue rather than a good hotel is the mountain above it.
The Silver Queen gondola runs from the door to the Sundeck at 11,212 feet, where a room with a rock fireplace, thirty-foot ceilings and glass on three sides seats 250 and holds 500 standing.
The Aspen Mountain Club, one level below, takes 250 for a reception.
4 notes of our own.
Opened 1989 at the base of Aspen Mountain, 51 rooms
Silver Queen gondola from the door to the summit venues
The Sundeck at 11,212 feet seats 250, holds 500 standing
Element 47 and a cellar of roughly 20,000 bottles
Best held in June, July, August.
The months the weather, and the local rhythm, is kindest to a stay at The Little Nell.
Ask about a date.
Choose a day from the calendar.
Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A first note comes back within two business days.
How the weekend usually runs.
Yours will be different, nothing below is required. Every planning begins with the three meals you most want to eat, and builds outward.
- 16:00Guests arrive and settle in; drinks at Ajax Tavern at the gondola base
- 19:30Welcome dinner at Element 47
- 10:00Morning hike or bike on Smuggler Mountain to help with the altitude
- 15:30Gondola up; ceremony on the Wedding Deck near the summit
- 17:00Drinks on the Sundeck terrace above the Elk Range
- 19:00Dinner and dancing in the Sundeck, last gondola down after midnight
- 11:00Farewell brunch in town before flights out of Aspen
Things worth knowing.
ASE · ~10 minutes by car
Guests fly into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Our team arranges every transfer.
$100,000
The Little Nell publishes no wedding price list. Site fees, food and drink minimums and the weekend total are planner-reported figures; the per-head and room rate are our estimates from the hotel tier. None of these is a quote.
See the full figure+
$100,000 to $300,000 for a full wedding weekend (planner-reported)
$5,000
A one-time licence and setup fee, paid to the venue.
See the full figure+
Mountaintop ceremony site fees from around $5,000 (planner-reported)
$250 / head
A seated dinner with wine and service, by headcount.
See the full figure+
$250 to $400 per guest for dinner and drinks (estimated)
$1,000 / night
A standard room in the wedding window. Group rates on request.
See the full figure+
Rooms from about $1,000 per night in summer season (estimated)
June – September
The 4 months the weather is kindest. Shoulder dates soften the light and the rates.
Figures are estimates, modeled from regional rates and public sources, not a quote from the venue. Once the venue claims this page, their own rates take precedence.
Asked along the way.
How many guests can The Little Nell host for a wedding?+
Up to 250 seated. The Sundeck at the top of the gondola seats 250 and holds 500 for a standing reception, and the Aspen Mountain Club takes 250 for a reception. Smaller parties use the hotel spaces at the base.
What does a wedding at The Little Nell cost?+
Reported figures put mountaintop ceremony site fees from around $5,000 and food and drink minimums between $20,000 and $50,000 depending on space and date. Planners commonly quote $100,000 to $300,000 for a full Aspen wedding weekend once rooms are counted.
How do guests get up the mountain?+
By the Silver Queen gondola, which leaves from beside the hotel and takes about 14 minutes to the summit. It is the only practical route to the Sundeck and the Aspen Mountain Club, so your timings are set by its running hours.
Is altitude a problem for guests?+
It can be. Aspen sits at 7,900 feet and the Sundeck is at 11,212. Ask guests to arrive a day early, drink more water than feels sensible, and go easy on the first night. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should talk to their doctor first.
Which airport should guests fly into for Aspen?+
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is four miles from town, about ten minutes by car, with connections through Denver, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles. Winter weather diverts flights, so Denver plus a four-hour drive is the reliable fallback.
What is the best season for an Aspen wedding?+
Late June to September for wildflowers, hiking and dependable flights, with the last week of September holding the aspens turning gold. Winter weddings are possible and beautiful, but flight cancellations into Aspen are a real risk in January and February.
Others to weigh.
Ask about dates at The Little Nell.
A note to us with a rough season and guest count. Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A reply comes within two business days, from a person by name.