Hiring Household Staff in Aspen: A Guide for Mountain Homeowners

Aspen is a town of twelve weeks: the ski season compresses a year of entertaining into a few intense months, and the households that glide through it share one trait — their staff was hired in autumn, not December.

The Aspen staffing calendar

• September–October: secure seasonal chefs, housekeepers and nannies
• November: orientation, provisioning, trial weekends
• December–March: season — your team should be unsolvable by then
• April: reviews, and rebooking the great ones for next year

The housing question decides everything

Aspen's housing market is the binding constraint on staffing. Offers that include private staff accommodation attract the strongest candidates by a wide margin; offers without it compete for whoever remains. If your property on Red Mountain or Starwood has staff quarters, they are a recruiting asset — use them.

What seasonal staff cost

Seasonal private chefs run $800–$1,500 per day in peak season, housekeepers $40–$55 per hour, and experienced nannies $40–$60 — with premiums over the holidays. Multi-year return arrangements are the norm among the best.

Elite Swiss staffs Aspen residences for the season and year-round — discreetly, and early enough to matter. Tell us your dates, and we secure the team before the snow does.