Inside Aspen’s St. Regis Snow Polo Weekend

Prince Harry scored four goals. Fans, which included Colman Domingo, Goldie Hawn, and Mariah Carey, cheered him from a heated V.I.P.  tents, while nibbling on king crab and jumbo shrimp.  Between periods, some got IV infusions from a wellness tent, while others danced to a DJ who spun pop hits, accompanied by a trumpet player.

This was the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, an annual charity event that brings the rich and famous to Aspen for two days of fierce competition from the best snow polo players in the world. Unlike traditional polo, teams consist of three, not four players. And it is played on snow, rather than grass.

Snow polo, which began at St. Moritz, was introduced to Aspen about 15 years ago and now serves as an unofficial kickoff for the winter season, bringing with it a whirlwind of cocktail receptions, dinners, celebrities and luxury brands.

Festivities began with a Dec. 16 welcoie party at the Paradis Suite, a $10,000-a-night room located on the fifth floor of St. Regis, which hosts the competition. The suite was designed in collaboration with Hennessy and is named after one of its most prestigious cognac blends, Paradis.

Shaun White, the gold medal snowboarder, gave a toast, while Kitty Jacob Astor II, the St. Regis’ Bernese Mountain dog, roamed around the palatial suite, which was tastefully furnished with wood paneling, a marble bathtub, and a Steinway piano. Guests staying in the suite can also book a $450-a-person dinner, where each course — think caviar, duck, foie gras, and wagyu — is paired with Paradis.

Other events took place at the Snow Lodge, a seasonal pop-up at the St. Regis that is operated by Jayma Cardoso, who founded the Surf Lodge in Montauk. The lodge hosts après ski with bottle service and big-name DJs including Carlita and BLOND:Ish (Diplo kicked off the inaugural party that weekend with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tinx in the crowd.)

The lodge also includes the Jade Room, where Zachary Weiss, the New York City-based influencer and socialite, hosted a “polo disco” on Day 1 of the competition.  Guests — who included Domingo, the Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison, and the polo player (and Ralph Lauren model) Nacho Figueras—sampled caviar supplied by the Parisian restaurant Caviar Kaspia.

At the other end of the courtyard, STAUD, the fashion brand from Los Angeles, hosted a reception inside a luxury yurt, where a capsule collection is available through the end of January. White sabered a bottle of champagne inside the yurt, which earned him cheers from the crowd.

The wildest shenanigans were reserved for Day 2, after the St. Regis polo team, captained by Figueras and including his twin sons, Hilario and Artemio Figueras, beat Prince Harry and his Aspen Valley team.

Hennessy hosted a four-course dinner in the Paradis Suite, where pianist Max Hammond serenaded the crowd. As the night wore on, some migrated to Casa Tua, the members club, which held a late-night karaoke party, while others went to the W Hotel, where a few polo players were searching for shotskis.

The unofficial after-party took place at the Caribou Club, the members-only club in Aspen, where polo players and their fans danced until the small hours of the night. At least one person remarked it didn’t matter how late they stayed out, since only half of the mountain was open because of the season’s early lack of snow.