The Little Nell's Green Initiatives

The Little Nell is proud to be the flagship hotel of the Aspen Skiing Company’s Hospitality Division; and as such, we take our commitment to the environment seriously.   From our farm-to-table culinary operation to our Eco-Luxe program, The Little Nell is an industry leader when it comes to environmental responsibility.   Here are some examples of The Little Nell’s green initiatives:

• Eco-Luxe program - For additional information and booking details click here 
• Energy efficient lighting throughout the hotel
• Installation of a 5,000-watt solar panel system to provide electricity for the 2,500-square-foot Paepcke Suite.
• Executive Chef Ryan Hardy’s purchase and operation of Rendezvous Farm for organic “Farm to Table” food preparations throughout the hotel: Montagna restaurant serves only local, Milagro Ranch grass-fed beef and Niman Ranch pork, a leading purveyor of sustainable meats. Chef cures pork products in house: ham, salumi, pancetta, etc. with organic pork and as few nitrates as possible.During the summer, at least 50% of the produce served at the hotel comes from local farms and in winter, 15% is locally sourced.
• The parking garage uses t-8 linear fluorescent lighting in lieu of the standard metal halide fixtures, preventing the release of 300,000 lbs of carbon dioxide annually.
• Implementation of lighting retrofits throughout the property to reduce energy consumption.
• Installation of an energy management system and high efficiency chillers to reduce energy use.
• Spray-on foam product is used to increase insulating properties on the existing roof, further conserving energy. 
• Incorporating a comprehensive hotel-wide recycling program.
• Use of environmentally friendly cleaning products.
• Carafes have replaced bottled water at turn down in each guest room.

Extensive garage and back-of-house lighting retrofits: The Little Nell’s two story garage switched to state-of-the-art T8 lighting, which saves an estimated 300,000 lbs of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas, annually, and eight thousand dollars in utility bills. The Little Nell switched to the same efficient lights in all back-of-house locations, keeping another 200,000 lbs of CO2 out of the air annually.

The Little Nell has a unique partnership with the Aspen Valley Land Trust whereby guests are given the opportunity to contribute to local open space preservation. The Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) is an organization that exists to preserve open lands for agriculture, wildlife, scenic enjoyment, and recreation in the Roaring Fork Valley. The program raises approximately $30,000 annually for open space through an addition of $2 to every guest’s bill. The Little Nell's Eco-Luxe program includes the following with a $2 nightly donation to Aspen Valley Land Trust:

• An organic amenity from Chef Ryan Hardy's Rendezvous Farm.
• Use of the hotel's complimentary bikes to cruise around town or nearby scenic pathways during spring, summer and fall.
• Bed linens and towels are laundered every three days.
• Fresh Aspen water in a handmade artisan water pitcher is provided at turndown.
• Guests are given complimentary reusable water bottle for hikes or strolls around the town of Aspen.
• Recycling receptacles are placed in each guestroom closet for discarded plastic, paper, aluminum and glass

As a thank you and recognition of participation and support of the Eco-Luxe program, The Little Nell supplements each $2 nightly guest donation to AVLT with an additional $3 nightly donation from the hotel.

The Little Nell is also a leader in the sustainable management of global foodstocks. The property led the movement in banning endangered fish species like Swordfish and Chilean Seabass, and has switched to American farm-raised caviar from the endangered Caspian Sea Caviar. The Little Nell later expanded the list of banned seafoods in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch protocol to determine seafood choices.  Executive Chef Ryan Hardy is a proponent of the “slow food” movement which incorporates local produce into menus seasonally. 
 
The Little Nell’s 2009 Room Renovation – Sustainable Highlights
The $18 million renovation of The Little Nell’s rooms incorporated a number of sustainable building methods. The new rooms incorporate LED lighting, low VOC paints, water-based stains, dual flush toilets, low flow showerheads, carpet that is Green Label certified, SFI-certified wood in casegoods, and leather that is dyed with a water-based product and organic flame retardants.

Thousands of pieces of furniture and décor from 86 rooms in the hotel were donated to the ReStore — an outlet that sells goods to the general public at a fraction of the retail price to help Habitat For Humanity Roaring Fork Valley fund the construction of homes within the community. Each room was literally stripped bare and everything — including toilets, carpet, doors, sconces, crown molding, casings, trim, as well as mattresses, headboards, dressers, lamps, art, couches, chairs, end tables, coffee tables, mini refrigerators, pillows, bed spreads and more — was donated.

The executive director of Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley estimated that The Little Nell’s donation amounted to about $75,000 in revenue for the ReStore. That revenue was put toward Habitat for Humanity's goal of building seven homes in Rifle and Silt over the next two and a half years.