What? do you have money burning a hole in your back pocket? Come ski Big Sky Montana this winter. It’s not a new ski resort theme, although it could be – nowhere in the North American Rockies does it stand out in the high stakes like Big Sky.
That is not to suggest from time to time the skiers are turned away from the mountain. I’m just saying: if you’ve got the moolah, Big Sky has a suit for you. Truth be told: I don’t recognize the place. When I visited a month before COVID-19 shut down world travel, in the late winter of 2019-2020, luxury digs weren’t an option — aside from the private Yellowstone Club, whose residents include Bill Gates (good luck getting in there).
Now two of America’s most prestigious alpine hotels have opened here, on the slopes. One&Only Moonlight Valley is one of the most anticipated snow lodge opportunities in North America in the past decade. It is the One & Only Hotel in the United States and the first anywhere in the world on a mountain.
Famous for overnight stays in the world’s best destinations, it’s easy to see why the company chose this location. I’m balancing on the slopes, in a golf cart, cruising past the pine-lined lodges on the northern perimeter of the 2400-hectare Big Sky Resort ski area. Below me – beyond the valley – is the protected land of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. If I look long enough, I might see a grizzly bear down there.
There will be six restaurants and bars on site, but for now, I’m working with one. I arrive at The Landing Restaurant expecting a rowdy country club atmosphere, but the vibe is as chill as the dress code (casual resort). Locals – open to everyone – sit at the long bar, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the top of the place while a guitarist plays with Neil Young’s old faithful. Food is available right on the farm – and when the sun comes out, I sit on the sky deck, watching the herds of elk below.
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That’s one side of the “new” Big Sky Resort. The other is home to the $US400 million ($620 million) Montage Resort, one of the most exclusive luxury resort brands in North America. The ski area is so large that it takes me 40 minutes to drive from One&Only to Montage Resort, which is built along the southern edge of the resort. But the new gondola connects guests to all four Big Sky resorts.
Montage Big Sky still feels more down-to-earth – despite the fact that there is caviar on the nibbles menu at the apres bar Alpenglow. But I don’t see fur coats. And skiing is still what should bring you here. There are no lift ways – even during the holidays, and that’s worth it. And while there are slopes here that will scare you, half the mountain is designated as a beginner or intermediate area.
A new luxury product is creeping up on Big Sky. Even at the oldest residence – Lone Mountain Ranch, built in 1915 – I discovered a new members-only supper club. There are only 180 members, although tonight, as their guest, I share the hall with only 15 others. I sit in a booth covered with cowhide, under velvet curtains and a tin ceiling. Lone Mountain Ranch also has plans to build a four-bedroom cabin in its prime location — looking out over the Rockies — with a hot tub on its deck, and its own private chef and butler service.
I have a room at Rainbow Ranch Lodge, a 30-minute drive from the resort. It starts at $US295 ($425) a night and comes with breakfast and a lazy stream off my back porch, where I can catch trout and look for grizzlies in the woods. Big Sky still works for all budgets.
EXPLANATION
STAY
At One&Only Moonlight Valley, options include rooms, cabins or private houses, starting at $US1169 ($1815) per night. Take a look oneandonlyresorts.com/moonlight-basin
Rooms at Montage Big Sky start from $US670 per night. Take a look montage.com/bigsky
Rainbow Ranch Lodge rooms start at $295 per night. Take a look rainbowranchbigsky.com
THE BIRD
Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines fly directly to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport via hubs such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Big Sky is an hour away by rental car or road transport.
MORE
visitbigsky.com
bigskyresort.com
The author traveled courtesy of Visit Big Sky and Brand USA.
Craig Tansley is a Gold Coast-based freelance travel writer and adventurer, originally from the South Pacific.
