Snowmass blue over club closure

The Blue Door is no more.An exclusive, members-only club will replace the Snowmass Village nightclub. The Roaring Fork Mountain Lodge, which is associated with the Roaring Fork Club in Basalt, will open Monday, Dec. 18.

Membership to the Roaring Fork Mountain Lodge is $15,000 for the public and $10,000 for Roaring Fork Club members. Only 200 memberships are available, and each membership includes four years of services in winter and summer only. The club’s location, overlooking the Snowmass Mall with an entrance near the Silvertree Hotel, is temporary, however. Lodge operators are planning to move to a site slopeside above the Silvertree in four years. In just 90 days, the former Blue Door has been completely remodeled as a ritzy little bar and lounge. The floors are now hardwood, boot warmers have been installed and flat-screen televisions are on the way.

“It’s the real high-end of furniture and furnishings,” said operating manager Jim Horn.Not everyone in Snowmass Village is happy to have another private club in the valley. Others lament the loss of a local nightspot. “I think it’s a shame,” said Town Councilman Arnie Mordkin. “It’s an amenity that gets lost. When people come here there’s less to do.”

Horn said the club will feature valet parking, meals and a full-service bar. “It boils down to convenience and a private-club atmosphere,” said Horn. “It’s what people want these days, the private feel of this type of operation.” Joel Stonington’s e-mail address is jstonington@aspentimes.comThe Aspen Times, Aspen, Colo.