Artist’s Rendering of the New Elk Club Restaurant via lacrousstreeb.com

Aspen is a great place to visit any time of year, but without a doubt the luxury ski resort’s high season is the winter months. If you’re hoping to enjoy a completely comfortable vacation in a luxury villa rental in Aspen then you’ll also want to think about booking now. As people on the restaurant scene ramp up for the start of the 2012-2013 winter and ski season so too will the options of where to stay fill up fast. One such change to the Aspen scene is the new Elk Camp restaurant being opened by the Aspen Skiing Co. (Skico) and slated to be ready by the start of the winter season. Located close to the Elk Camp gondola the new restaurant will be 14,769 square feet and has been designated as the new hub of Snowmass’ summer operations.

The Site of the Elk Club Gondola via vrbo.com

The new Elk Club, which has been in the works for the better part of two years and will replace Cafe Suzanne’s, is part of a growing trend that has seen independent ownership of mountain restaurants in Aspen dwindle to just two (Bonnie’s and High Alpine). As Scott Condon of The Aspen Times  (aspen times rentals) notes “on-mountain restaurants have become increasingly important for ski-area
operators. Just as ski areas completed replacing old chairlifts with high-speed
models over the past 25 years, they are now replacing lots of old, worn-out
restaurants with grand, new structures.”

The restaurants don’t just look newer, different, shinier, either. The food experience has also changed dramatically from down home American grub like hot dogs and fries to a much more upscale dining experience. According to Skico, the Elk Club’s menu “alludes to northern Italian cuisine” and will have food that focuses on health and freshness, two big trends in high end Aspen restaurants. The new menu will apparently include speciality sandwiches, pizzas, and rotisserie items, as well as salads, soups, fresh pasta, and gourmet desserts. The Elk Club will not just cater to skiing diners, but the size (capacity for 250 in the dining room, 25 at the bar, 150 on the deck, and 90 seats in an an area for ski school kids) will also make it ideal to host events and receptions.

Villazzo’s Luxury Villa Rental Elisa in Aspen

For those loving the new, even higher end Aspen, then a winter vacation here wouldn’t be complete without the right accommodation. While hotels are nice, the privacy and opulence of a luxury villa rental really can’t be beat. One such luxury villa rental option is the VillaHotel Elisa, located only minutes from downtown Aspen this unbelievable luxury villa includes six bedrooms, a vanishing edge pool, and outdoor seating and entertaining area complete with fireplace. The attention to detail and design on this property really has to be seen to be believed. And while Villazzo luxury villa rentals provide privacy and all the comforts of home, our VillaHotel properties really go above and beyond, combining unbelievable luxury villa rentals with the kind of service and personal touches that far surpasses a traditional five-star hotel.

If you would like to spend part of your winter break, or even Christmas and New Year’s, in an Aspen luxury villa rental then the best time to book is now. Of course, if you can’t wait for winter to enjoy the beauty that is Aspen, fall is a great time to visit too. Not only will you save yourself from the peak season hustle and bustle, but you’ll also get to enjoy the explosion of color that comes on Aspen’s mountains and surrounding areas with the advent of fall.