The staff of the Hoffman Hotel pose for a picture. Courtesy photo

The Hoffmann Hotel, a 122-room property between Basalt and Carbondale, opened its doors for a soft-opening on Feb. 22.
The brand-new hotel offers a fitness center, a fully-staffed restaurant with Italian cuisine (plus a small-bites menu for the lounge area), a full bar, pet-friendly and connecting rooms and the Mount Sopris Conference Room — which is slated to host Basalt High School’s prom.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we’re happy to start selling guest rooms. I think it turned out fantastic,” said owner Jeff Blackman. “It was a labor of love, and we love our spot in the Valley. I think it will be an interesting mix of corporate business and leisure. The hotel certainly is set up to support both needs.”
Blackman lives part time in Carbondale and has 28 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He is the founder and president of Bedford Lodging — a Dallas-based hotel development company which oversaw the construction of the Hoffmann Hotel. He is also the founder of Five Senses Hospitality — a Denver-based hospitality management company that manages the new hotel along with other properties in Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and other parts of Colorado.
Blackman stated that the staff is mainly local.
“Most of the folks we’ve hired live down Valley and had been driving up to Aspen or Snowmass … [and] did not want to make that commute anymore,” he shared. “We certainly hadn’t planned that, but it was a wonderful surprise.”
In this regard, he gave credit to the general manager of the hotel, Douglas Hayes, who has spent time building up the staff and leadership team since June 2023.
“The team that Doug has assembled is fantastic,” Blackman stated. “It makes me sleep a lot better at night knowing that we’ve got such a great team there.”
Hayes is a longtime Valley local and previously worked as the director of operations for The St. Regis Aspen Resort and as the general manager for three Hyatt locations in Snowmass Village, including Top of the Village.
“I’m excited because we have mostly local staff,” Hayes echoed. “Being located [farther] down Valley plays a part in that. But I also think there’s an excellent leadership team that helps foster a good place to work.”
Their intention is to provide tourists as well as Valley residents with an experience that feels both luxurious and local.
“We’re looking to bring the locals to the restaurant and [to] stay at the hotel when they have friends and family in town,” said Hayes. “When people stay in Aspen or Snowmass, they’re tied to that area, but this location allows you to access the entire Valley.”
Blackman added that community buy-in is essential to him, noting that the common space of the Hoffman was envisioned as a community space from the beginning.
“We want it to be a place that locals can come and have a beer after work, have an impromptu meeting and bring their families for dinner. It’s more important to be part of the neighborhood, part of the community and have a true connection with the people that live here in addition to those visiting,” Blackman concluded.