The Viceroy Snowmass became the first hotel addition to the Aspen slopes in many years when it opened Thanksgiving week, and to thank the supportive community, it skipped out on a private opening party for an open-invitation après-ski barbecue on January 2.
"We didn't feel in this economy that we should be throwing a lavish opening party when we might forget to invite prime people and make more enemies than friends," said Viceroy Snowmass director of sales and marketing John Egelhoff, who instead opened up the hotel's patio and heated pool to anyone who wanted to stop by for food and an open bar.
"Because it was open to anyone, we made it a word-of-mouth invite," Egelhoff said. "We handed out an informal postcard to people we know in the community, other hotels, and ski instructors and told them to pass it on."
The strategy worked well. The Viceroy is one of the few ski-in, ski-out hotels in Aspen, and around 500 guests skied into the event, planned on just over a week's notice by New York's David Beahm Design. Beahm's job was to help keep the space open for guest traffic while finding a way to make the heated pool inviting to skeptics. "The pool and the hot tubs took up so much room, we had to get people in them," Beahm said.
He hired local models to take the first dip and ordered large inflatables from tBeachballs.com and Orientaltrading.com to give the large space a shot of decor. Existing fire pits and an ice bar carved by two locals lined the perimeter. While guests sipped 901 Tequila from hand-carved ice cups, Viceroy chefs barbecued lamb chops, chicken wings, lobster tail, and shrimp.
DJ Sky Nellor, who provided music for the Viceroy Miami on New Year's Eve, had a convenient hole in her schedule, so she spun tracks for the ski-booted crowd that was eager to dance. Dancing led to swimming, which led some guests to discard their snow pants, jackets, and other more intimate items—many of which found their way into the hotel's lost and found after the party.
