Celebrity owners of the Planet Hollywood chain were all smiles at the star-studded opening here of their newest restaurant/bar on a snowy January day.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and other not-so-musclebound entertainers who have invested in the venture seemed to be sharing some secret, inside joke.Most likely, it was that the stars know Aspen truly IS Planet Hollywood, an unreal world that is home-away-from-home for the rich and famous. Their Lear jets are their spaceships, and from their Hollywood homes celebs and movie moguls can escape to Planet Aspen at a moment's notice.
Problems in the real Hollywood - poverty, homelessness and earthquakes - do not exist in this peaceful 8,000-foot-high Colorado town, where a private home sold a few years back for more than $20 million.
Rush-hour traffic jams, a common occurrence on the highway leaving Aspen to the west, are the city's only lifestyle import from Los Angeles. City police monitor the clogged traffic from their new Saabs, a reminder that you are not in Kansas anymore.
But the rich and famous are not the only people who occasionally need an escape.
If you can afford it, Aspen is a charming, friendly planet that features some of the best skiing available in the Milky Way.
And fortunately, as the ski season on the four mountains of Aspen heads to a close on April 10, there are bargain package trips available that make an normally out-of-reach trip seem possible for those who may be looking for a quick way to spend their income-tax refund.
At the Snowmass Lodge and Club from March 27 to April 11, guests can get a room for two and two lift tickets for $144 a day. For more information, call (800) 598-2004.
And the Aspen Meadows, a lovely 40-acre retreat in the city's historic West End, is offering a special April 1-9, the final week of ski season.
Lodging and lift tickets for two are included in Aspen Meadows' $115-a-day package. For more information call (800) 452-4240.
While in downtown Aspen, be sure to stroll through the lobbies and sip a drink at the bars of the city's three premier hotels: The Little Nell, The Ritz-Carlton and The Hotel Jerome. All are within a few blocks in the city's center.
After a quick tour of these pricey palaces, you'll know where to stay when you finally win the lottery.
THE LITTLE NELL: Aspen's only ski-in hotel combines the charm of a quaint country inn with the personalized service and spectacular food of the grand hotels of Europe.
With 92 rooms, the 5-year-old hotel's intimate flavor has garnered a worldwide following. Among celebrities staying there in early January was mega-rich athlete Michael Jordan, who could probably buy the hotel if he so desired.
Daily rate for a standard room in March is $350 a night based on double occupancy.
Even if you are not a skier, take the $13 a person, 14-minute ride to the top of Aspen Mountain aboard the Silver Queen Gondola for lunch at the mountaintop Sundeck.
Featuring spectacular views and a cozy fireplace, the Sundeck is a great place to eat and eavesdrop on celebrities. The gondola departs just outside the back door of the Little Nell.
Of course, not everything in Aspen is expensive.
For example, seek out Benjamin's Deli at 315 E. Hyman. A hearty breakfast runs about $6 and while there, ask the laid-back staff to prepare a pastrami on rye ($6.50) to eat later on the slopes.
The restaurant's bagels are shipped in twice a week from the world's premier bagel maker - H&H Bagel Co. in New York City.
The bagels are out of this world. But after all, this is Planet Aspen.
For information and reservations, call Aspen Central Reservations at (800) 290-1325.