We're Obsessed With: Gray Malin x The Little Nell

The runs on Snowmass are just as sparkling as Aspen’s après-ski cocktail dens and chichi downtown boutiques. Honestly, it’s not that hard to make this Colorado resort town look cool, but a new retro-inspired photo series by Gray Malin in collaboration with The Little Nell hotel has a few Virtuoso Life editors ready to grab a bottle of Moët and hop a lift to the top of Ajax.

The 92-room hotel – we love it for its perch next to the Silver Queen Gondola and its 25,000-bottle wine cellar – partnered with Malin on the series in honor of its 30th anniversary. You’ve probably seen Malin’s signature saturated, cheery work: aerial shots of beach umbrellas on the Italian Riviera; portraits of llamas sporting pink balloons on Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, and dreamy sailboats moored in Bermuda. (Plus, his Instagram is #VirtualVacation at its finest.) In his Gray Malin in Aspen images, skiers recline in sun loungers at Aspen Mountain’s summit, a Bernese mountain dog rides a chair lift, and a vintage Porsche loaded with classic Louis Vuitton and Goyard luggage arrives at The Little Nell. It’s a nostalgic look at Aspen’s quintessential winter glam through the decades. (Also, is it time to bring back puffy, pastel-colored snowsuit style? Asking for a friend.)

A selection of images from the shoot – which also took place at the Buckhorn Cabin warming hut, the popular Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, and Aspen’s Lift 1A – are on display in The Little Nell’s lobby and Living Room lounge for the next two weeks; prints are for sale in the hotel's boutique and at graymalin.com. Ten percent of proceeds benefit Protect Our Winters, a Colorado climate advocacy nonprofit.

Other 30th anniversary celebrations for guests at The Little Nell this winter include special cocktails and winetastings, celebratory mountaintop dinners, and more. Bonus: Travelers who book their stay through a Virtuoso travel advisor receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit.