A designer outpost channeling Aspen’s silver-rush past.

Ski-in/ski-out: Located in the middle of town, it's a few minutes from the lifts.

Opened in the 1880s by the co-founder of Macy’s, the Victorian red-brick Hotel Jerome was built when mining, not skiing, was Aspen’s boom industry. Now run by Auberge Collection (of Napa’s Auberge du Soleil), dressing the hotel’s Victorian bones with plush, Ralph Lauren-esque details. The central Living Room mixes Navajo rugs and deer-head trophies with white-cube leather chairs and muted flannel upholstery. The 94 rooms, 15 of them suites, have vaulted ceilings, handsome textured leather desks and olive accents. Oil paintings of the surrounding landscape and vintage photographs of old Ute chiefs add a distinct sense of place—helped by the huge windows overlooking the Rockies. J-Bar, where everyone from John Wayne to Jack Nicholson has hung out—Hunter S. Thompson once set up camp here—still has a high-wattage guest list. But it’s also popular with locals, who also come for the farm-to-table food at Prospect and the après-ski scene.

You like a place with character, history and buzz, and don’t need to stay slopeside.

Perched on a leather barstool at J-Bar, squeezed between a cowboy and a ski bum, you order an Aspen Crud (vanilla ice cream spiked with Jim Beam) and toast the rapidly accumulating powder outside the window.

Prospect - A Modern American Bistro serving traditional yet contemporary cuisine with an emphasis on what is fresh and local at the moment

J-Bar - American with a hint of the Old West serving classic bar food and boasting the best burger in Aspen

The Living Room- Sophisticated upscale lounge serving small bites meant to be shared and handcrafted cocktails.

J-Bar - Aspen’s iconic J-Bar remains the town’s social hot spot, with its lively yet casual atmosphere. ski bums, socialites and cowboys.

The Living Room - American tapas & desserts complemented by creative cocktails, open, inviting and relaxing.