SkiCo Closes on Limelight

The Aspen Skiing Co. closed on the purchase of the Limelight Lodge from the Paas family on Tuesday and announced the hiring of a new general manager to run the 126-room hotel.  Public documents disclosing the purchase price of the hotel had not been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.

SkiCo has tapped Richard Stettner to be the new GM. Stettner is currently the resort manager with Exclusive Resorts in Denver, where he manages operations for 103 vacation residences in warm-weather destinations including South Carolina, Georgia, Costa Rica and Mexico. He previously worked for Four Seasons Hotels in management roles in Boston, Las Vegas and Palm Beach, Fla. He is a New Hampshire native.

The Limelight is closing for two weeks while SkiCo installs new front office software and does some maintenance work. The property will reopen on April 26 with Stettner at the helm.  SkiCo is bringing back 25 current Limelight employees, Cherrett said, representing about 97 percent of the folks who wanted to stay on. He added that members of the younger generation of the Paas family will stay on in their management roles.

The Limelight represents SkiCo's only moderately priced hotel property. The company also owns the Little Nell and the Snowmass Club and manages the Residences at Little Nell.  Cherrett said that the company never intended to buy the hotel, but when the opportunity arose, the company took it, recognizing the need in the market for midpriced lodging.

Cherrett had high praise on Tuesday for the Paas family and the business they have built and run in Aspen. The current staff exemplifies "innkeeping," Cherrett said.  "The Paas family did a beautiful job designing the hotel," Cherrett said, calling the Limelight the culmination of all their years in the hotel business. He praised such aspects as the complimentary breakfast and on-site laundry facilities for guests. "It's a smart design. It's a great little property."

Cherrett said the closing was emotional and respectful.  "This wasn't just a business transaction. This was their dream," he said of the Paas family. "We've been very sensitive to the importance of this hotel emotionally ... . I told Dale [Paas] today that it was always going to be his hotel, no matter who owns it."