The Little Nell is a hotel destination wedding venue in Aspen, United States, hosting 500 standing, where a wedding for 80 guests costs about US$66,000 (our estimate), reached from Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), ~10 minutes by car.
The Little Nell
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.
About The Little Nell
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.
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Capacity, rooms and facilities
Capacity
- Standing reception
- 500 guests
Staying over
- Rooms
- 92 rooms
Money
- A wedding for 80 guests
- About US$66,000, rooms extraAisle estimate
- Price
- US$250 to US$450 per headAisle estimate
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- ASE, 12 min by carAisle estimate
The spaces
- Indoors or out
- Both
- Setting
- Mountain, modern, elegant
Food and drink
- In-house catering
- Yes
Venue highlights
- 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
A sample wedding weekend
See the day-by-day outline+
Use this as a starting point and adapt it to your bookings and guests.
- 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
Costs and booking details
- Getting there
- ASE · about 12 min by carAisle estimate
Guests fly into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
Questions about the venue
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.
Could this be your venue?
Ask about pricing and availability for the month you have in mind. You do not need a fixed date.
Still deciding? Elena is Aisle’s AI wedding planner. Give her a month and a guest count and she will forecast the budget, work out how your guests would travel, and put a first plan on paper. No account needed.
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Sources and booking notes
Confirm your dates, guest numbers, room arrangements and inclusions with the venue before booking. An enquiry does not reserve a date. Figures labelled Aisle estimate are modelled from regional rates and public sources; they are not venue quotes.
Sources for individual venue facts
Standing reception: 500 guests
“– 20 – 250 Seated Capacity. 20 – 500 Standing Capacity”
Read the source for standing receptionRooms: 92 rooms
“– 92 guest rooms and suites”
Read the source for roomsIn-house catering: Yes
“No matter which venue you choose, The Little Nell team will customize a menu to remember, perfectly paired by our award-winning team of sommeliers.”
Read the source for in-house cateringIndoors or out: Both
“Entertain guests while enjoying the naturally stunning views of Aspen from our outdoor and indoor wedding venues.”
Read the source for indoors or outSetting: Mountain, modern, elegant
“The Little Nell is nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Aspen and has a naturally stunning background of the Elk Mountain Range perfect for the most intimate or grand mountain weddings.”
Read the source for setting