In researching the places where my future novels take place, my wife (who’s also one of my editors) and I generally try to stay at a hotel that feels like we’re in a home, something that’s easy to want but difficult to find. Therefore, we tend to stay at historic places rather than those which, although luxurious and offering excellent service, are sterile in appearance or have robotic efficiency. Fortunately, Ricardo Bonilla, the Guest Experience Manager whose photo is above, and the staff at the Hotel Jerome not only made us feel like we were staying at their house by treating us as if we were a member of their family, they also went out of their way to make our experience perfect because they clearly like people and view accommodating guests as something they want to do rather than what has to be done. The hotel, dating back to the town’s silver boom in 1889, has maintained its period luxuriousness that rivals many of the five-star hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe, yet maintains the integrity of its past with original period pieces.  

One of the reasons I came to Aspen is to research an upcoming novel where part of the action takes place in and around the town, using the hotel as my focal point for part of the storyline. Therefore, expect it to be included in one of the novels following The Puppeteer, which should be in print in late December or early January.

Thank you to Ricardo and the entire staff for their hospitality. Very few hotels put a smile on your face when you reflect on staying there, and the Hotel Jerome would be at the top of that list.