Willits Town Center is a residential/commercial development located between Basalt and Carbondale and just west of El Jebel. In the past few years it has seen a huge growth in locally owned restaurants, breweries and distilleries, shops and a boutique hotel. It is becoming a place where you can stay down valley, walk to restaurants and then be able to easily get to both downtown Basalt and Carbondale where there are many more options to try. You can have a great experience without having to stay in Aspen or in Snowmass Village. My recommendations include:
Woody Creek Distillers: At 60 Sunset Drive in Basalt, right off of Willits Lane. Make sure to visit their stunning, contemporary tasting room. They are known for their Colorado 100% Potato Vodka from locally grown potatoes. Once one of the largest potato growing regions in the US at the turn on the 20th century, it has recently re-emerged with the the growing of the crop by Woody Creek. As a non-vodka drinker, I really liked the taste. However, the highlights for me were their very smooth and excellent Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with four grains and their Colorado Straight 100% Rye Whiskey.
At 941 E. Valley Rd., Mezzaluna from Aspen has opened a new Willits location. Open for lunch on weekends and dinner daily, they feature a large number of Italian pastas, starters and entrees.
Nearby, at 351 Market St., is the Wienerstube, located between between Westbound & Down Brewing Company and Mezzaluna. The restaurant operated in Aspen for 45 years but closed in January 2011. The building where it rented space was demolished to make way for the Aspen Art Museum.
Capitol Creek Brewery was purchased by Westbound & Down Brewing Company. Their location in Willits continues to be at 371 Market St. This is a fun, contemporary brew pub that features their own beers including ales, stouts, pilsners and IPAs plus other cocktails, beer and cider.
In the past I enjoyed eating lunch at Capitol Creek. Westbound & Down also offers a number of salads, sandwiches, burgers and tacos. They are open daily for lunch and dinner. I look forward to going back.
Opened in the summer of 2021, is the new The Arts Campus at Willits/TACAW at 400 Robinson St. This performing arts facility that features theater, film, lectures, music, dance, comedy and more. There is also after-school programming for local children. They recently opened Tabl, a new cafe, featuring Colorado ingredients for a continually changing seasonal menu. It is open for lunch from Tuesday through Friday and for Happy Hour on Fridays.
Nearby is the Movieland 7 which features current film releases.
Element Hotel: Located at 499 Market Street, this is a new hotel that is designed as an extended stay experience by Starwood Hotels. There is an attractive lobby, an outdoor pool and patio with outdoor grills, an indoor pool and fitness center, laundry facilities, evening socials, complementary breakfasts ad a branch of Four Mountain Sports. Many of the rooms have fully equipped kitchens. You can stay here, walk a block to buy your food at the nearby Whole Foods or visit the several restaurants in the complex. Off the lobby is Sundae Ice Cream. Their small-batch artisan ice cream, is made onsite. They also have a location in the Snowmass Base Village.
Opened in 2023 is The Hoffmann Hotel Basalt Aspen. Located across from Willits Town Center in Basalt, this is a boutique Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel. It overlooks a small lake and features rooms and suites plus the Hoffmann House bar and restaurant. I recommend that you choose a lake and mountain view since the rooms overlooking Hghway 82 might be noisy at night. This is a central location if you want to visit Basalt, Carbondale, Snowmass or Aspen.
