America's most expensive ski home lists for $100 million

Entryway of Aspen ski lodge — (Image credit: Shawn O'Connor)

Aspen may have had a modest start – as a mining camp founded during the Colorado Silver boom of the 1880s – but its status as an elite ski destination, after it was reinvented as a resort town in the 1950s, has been reaffirmed, as the most expensive ski home in America has gone on the market in Aspen for an astonishing $100 million.

We couldn't resist taking a tour of what is, undeniably, one of the world's best homes.

Aspen has long been famous in the US long before it became known worldwide as a ski resort. Journalist Hunter S. Thompson lived there for a long time; singer songwriter John Denver penned two songs about the town, Aspenglow and Starwood in Aspen; and some of today's biggest stars, from Mariah Carey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elton John, Katy Perry, to the Kardashian/Jenner clan, have been spotted in town.

Land is limited in Aspen, which is why real estate prices there are so high. In fact, the town has an average home price of $9.5 million, making it the most expensive ski resort in the world, and amongst the most expensive real estate markets worldwide.

One of only five homes on the mountain itself, this extraordinary 10-bedroom mansion is set to break all records if it achieves the asking price of $100 million. Perched at the top of Little Nell Ski Run on Aspen Mountain, it has an enviable location and amazing views.

The mansion was built in 1979 and then carefully remodeled in 2015. The exterior of this three-story home is in distinctive dark wood and stonework, while the expansive outdoor decks are design to maximize the gorgeous vistas.

The house is made for family gatherings: this 14,000-square-foot residence sits on a massive 1.4-acre lot filled with aspen trees. Dreamy in summer; heavenly in winter.

Let's hope it's bought by ski-lovers who will really appreciate the ski-in/ski-out access, the ski room, which features lockers for everyone’s gear, and the fact that it is only a few hundred yards from the Aspen Mountain Gondola.

The ski home is built into the side of the scenic mountain, which means it is unobtrusive in the landscape. However, the home’s two-story foyer, reached via an elevated bridge, is truly stately, with gold accents and a magnificent, vast chandelier.

The home has been built with a sociable, open-plan floorplan, with huge windows, and multiple skylights to make the most of the views and the crisp daylight enjoyed in Aspen. There is even an eye-catching stained glass ceiling in the great room. The decor is pared back: creamy walls and dark hardwoods provide sleek, contemporary aesthetics that let the views do the talking.

However, pared-back does not mean cold: the real wood-burning fireplace in the living room makes for a cozy social space, while the game room gives the occupants plenty of options for evening entertainment.

Living room and kitchen of Aspen ski lodge

The house has two kitchens (one open with a sociable home bar type peninsula, a home gym, a home office (below), a formal dining room, and comes fully furnished, including the contemporary art works.

The listing is held by Steven Shane of Compass.

Images and story: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property and gardens since 1990, working her way around the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-nineties. She was Associate Editor on Ideal Home, and Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4.com/4homes. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she also took on the editorship of the magazine. Today, Lucy works as Content Director across Homes & Gardens, Woman & Home, Ideal Home and Real Homes.