Aspen Club and Spa

We are all the future of The Aspen Club & Spa and we are all the future of Aspen.

That’s because as we look beyond tourism, real estate and construction, we look toward a future of sustain­ability and healthy living — an opportunity to combine local vitality with economic survival.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to get a sense of this Aspen institution known as The Aspen Club & Spa.

Flashback circa 1978, The Aspen Club: The Aspen Club is the tennis club extraordinaire, hosting pro-celebrity charity events that bring excitement and energy to our quiet mountain town with the big-time ski hill.

Visitors and locals flock to the club to play, watch, workout and gather.

Flashback circa 1997, The Aspen Club & Spa: Evolving to meet emerging trends in health and fitness, new Aspen Club owner Michael Fox relocates to Aspen and spends $8 million to renovate and upgrade the 77,000-square-foot club. And when it re-opens in December 1997, it isn’t just another pretty-face spa. Rather, it is a one­stop health club, sports medicine facility, and spa and salon with an inclusive approach that fur­thers the Aspen idea of mind, body and spirit.

Housing local non-profits, hosting hundreds of non­profit events as well as employing hundreds of local employees, The Aspen Club builds its reputation as a vital community asset.

Flash forward 2012, Aspen Club Living —The Future of The Aspen Club & Spa: In support of Mayor Mick Ireland’s view that Aspen is a “town that reach­es for the best” and is known for its environmental stewardship, Aspen Club Living is recognized as the first project in the country to combine sus­tainable green development with a holistic wellness focus to create a healthy living community.

Environmentally conscious, frac­tional residences replace 30-year-old tennis courts, allowing families, visi­tors and community members to spend quality time together relaxing by the outdoor pool or learning about healthy living in a retreat setting.

Innovative healthy living classes and programs bring the community and visitors together to refresh, recharge and even reinvent.

Aspen Club employees live and breathe the Aspen idea while living on-site in desirable affordable hous­ing. With the opportunity to grow professionally, they choose to stay in town rather than move downvalley or to a big city. Guests, members and employees join forces to utilize alter­native modes of transportation. Bikes, electric cars and other forms of ener­gy efficient transportation replace cars.

Major upgrades and renovations to The Aspen Club & Spa’s facilities pro­vide members and guests access to a state-of-the-art health and wellness centers.

The Aspen community had a choice in 2008, and they chose local vitality and healthy, sustainable living.

The Business Lounge is a feature of Inside Business, published Tuesdays in The Aspen Times.

Kim Moore is the Aspen Life Director at The Aspen Club & Spa, where she oversees healthy living pro­grams and retreats. A 15-year valley resident, Moore serves as a big buddy with The Buddy Program and is the membership chair of the Aspen Young Professionals Association. For more information, e-mail her at kmoore@aspenclub.com.

Aspen Times Article in the Business Lounge