Montage Big Sky
May 22, 2023, 4:54 pm
Montage Big Sky
Montage Big Sky
Big Sky, Montana US
Montage Big Sky (7 Photos)
Montage Big Sky
Our annual western ski trip this year was to Big Sky, where we were excited to check out the new Montage property, making it our second Montage after staying in Palmetto Bluff last April. It opened December 2021 as the only luxury ski-in/ski-out option in the area (One&only Moonlight Basin to open Winter 2024/25). Our trip was four nights in mid February, booked through FHR, and we had a great time. The theme is a modern, luxury take on the American Mountain West trope; some parts feel more luxury than others. Service was good, not perfect; in my experience, it rarely is in the US. F&B was solid, with the exception of breakfast, which I'll get into.
Check In
Check-in was...not amazing. Bellman grabbed our bags and took our ski equipment to the ski valet, which was expected. Front desk offered us a warm drink (cider IIRC?) and water. The person checking us in was very slow, and apologized that it was her second day. That's obviously fine, but there was no one helping her, and the GM was standing 10 feet away and he neither introduced himself nor offered to help (we didn't realize who he was until later that day, hence not introducing ourselves either). A portent of good service comes in the form of the GM making an effort to say hello. This did not happen here, and we were disappointed to find out it was him standing nearby with not as much as smile in our direction. Anyway! FHR got us an upgrade from a Deluxe Vista King Room to a Deluxe Peak King Room, which was ready as soon as we arrived; getting into the room early is always appreciated. We drank our beverages in the beautiful "great room" (common area by the lobby), pictured below. The views of the mountains and snow are pretty breathtaking!
Room
8/10. Again, we were in the Deluxe Peak King Room, which is the highest non-suite category room. It was nice: spacious enough for our needs (sitting area/small couch), a fireplace (ended up using it every night as we got ready for bed, very cozy), a comfortable bed, heated bathroom floors, double vanity (IMHO this should be a baseline requirement at prices like this), separate shower and toilet rooms, and a big tub that we, naturally, did not use. Hard product and details were very good, not incredible but definitely not cheap. Carpeting except the entry (wood) and bathroom (slate). Room had a balcony, and I love taking my coffee first thing from a balcony if we have it, but ours wasn't really usable as it was so cold and there was no real heating outside. If you're a summer mountain-goer, certainly the balconies will be nice to have, but basically useless in the winter. The upgrade was appreciated, but at the moment, I would be wary of choosing a Peak Room-type. While views of the Spanish Peaks are amazing, there is serious construction happening at the Spanish Peaks Club. Obviously this is outside of the hotel's control, but it is in the foreground and it ruins the views a bit. My partner absolutely despises having to see construction when paying for a "room with a view," so we kind of wished we stuck with the Deluxe Vista Room, which is the same except it looks out over some of the ski trails and you can't see the mountain ranges. I don't know how long the construction will be going on, but if you do book, call the hotel and ask whether Spanish Peaks Club construction is visible from Peak Rooms/Suites.
Dining
8/10. Cortina, the main restaurant (Italian fare), is probably the best restaurant in all of Big Sky, and the prices reflect that. We ate there twice for dinner. The food was really quite good, so definitely make a point of reserving a table there (yes even guests need to make reservations). We went to a couple of other restaurants off-property that were ok: Horn & Cantle's food was decent, but a it had a great, fun vibe; Michaelangelo's was better food-wise but not great vibe-wise. Cortina is really the best for dinner. Breakfast at Cortina, however, was a let down. Not because of the quality of the food - it was fine - but the service was absolutely dreadful. Waiters, who were all different from the dinner service, forgetting orders, getting things wrong, and taking literally 30 minutes to deliver a coffee. I think after 15 months being open, some of those growing pains would have been worked out, but breakfast felt like the hotel had been open 2 weeks. I know breakfast is never the first priority for hotel restaurants, but we found ourselves wondering whether this was most of the waitstaff's first day waiting tables.
We walked downstairs to Beartooth Pub & Rec on the first night and it looked like a cafeteria with a bowling alley attached. Probably great for families or people who want a quick pizza; not our vibe, we turned right around and begged Cortina to seat us wherever they could (they did).
Alpenglow, the main bar (view from the bar pictured here), is charming and the bartenders were great. Cocktails and wine list were all reflective of a 5-star hotel. La Grande Après at Backcast (aka the après ski champagne bar) was honestly delightful and we found ourselves there every afternoon before dinner. It's a bit sceney maybe but never got too crowded and always felt fun, friendly, and upbeat.
Wildflower market is great for pre-skiing quick bites on the go, and had a pretty solid coffee, juice/smoothie, and patisserie setup. 
Service
6.5/10. Service was hit-or-miss. The young woman helping us check-in was new so we don't fault her for her slowness. We saw the GM walking around speaking with people but he never said a word to us, and while we didn't seek him out ourselves, we would have loved to chat for a minute. Service at the spa was great. Having a fleet of Cadillacs at your disposal was nice and we used them for our drives to the restaurants off property. Bartenders and waitstaff were mostly quite attentive and friendly, with the exception of one or two individuals (two young men whose names I didn't get) who could not have been less interested in doing their job. Getting a beverage delivered from Alpenglow to the great room was apparently the most confusing idea of all time and the staff were both suspicious of our request, and very slow to act on it. The biggest service issue was breakfast at Cortina, which I mentioned in Dining above. Staff at the ski concierge/valet (Compass Sports) were all fantastic, knowledgeable, and ready to help. We brought all our own gear but I injured a toe and needed a boot worked on late in the day (530pm ish), and the boot fitter got me and my boots worked on quickly with no complaint or mention of how late it was. Thank you to the staff at Compass Sports!
I also want to end with a highlight: as I mentioned, I injured myself the first day and could not ski back to the hotel from the main Big Sky village. So I called the Montage and they let me know the ski shuttle was on its way. I was the only person, and had a great conversation with the driver, who kept me distracted from the severe pain I was in. I had to drop my things off and go right back to the village to the local urgent care. The young man, whose name I unfortunately cannot remember, waited for me at the hotel despite being on call to drive right back to the village, and drove me to urgent care before picking up two other hotel guests, then picked me up AGAIN from urgent care (not part of his path!) and brought me back to the hotel. He really went out of his way to ensure I was ok and taken care of, and I remain grateful!
Location
Big Sky, Montana, is a beautiful part of the US, and the Montage does a great job of reflecting both the heritage and the wealth of the area. It is a proper ski-in/ski-out property, you can access the slopes right outside Compass Sports where they store/rent ski/snowboard equipment. If you're big into skiing/snowboarding, or being around that type of winter sport activity; or if you like mountainy summers fly-fishing, touring national parks, and hiking, this is a gorgeous area. The Montage takes full advantage. The only downside is the proximity to Spanish Peaks Club: if there's construction happening, you're probably going to see it. 
Spa, Common Areas, etc
SPA: 9/10 The spa was lovely, if small. I had a fantastic massage, which I scheduled the morning of because I skipped our middle day of skiing after a pretty gnarly case of toe-bang on the first day (the skiers will get it). Glad they were able to fit me in with such short notice. The pool at the spa is large and cool looking, with views out onto the slopes; I spent a good amount of time in the hot tub, but indoor pools never quite do it for me as they always smell of chlorine and just get a bit boring after some time. The spa is open to Spanish Peaks and Yellowstone Club members, as well as residence owners, but not the "general public," so it wasn't crowded.
COMMON AREAS: The stars of the show, besides of course the skiing and the views, were the common areas like the great room and Alpenglow, which is the main bar with views of the slopes. We are "sit at the bar" people, so we had drinks there every day, and some snacks. The lounge area, which is served by the bar, is also very nice with a huge glass fireplace that takes center stage (pictured). The great room was a very cozy place to sit and read, have a coffee/drink, or just chill and talk. Depending on the time of day there were a few people coming to just take pictures, so that was annoying, but that's not uncommon at nice properties with restaurants/bars open to the public.
HARD PRODUCT: Most of it was nice, and felt new (because it is). Very American West meets modern industrial meets ski chic. Spacious common areas, lots of dark wood, iron, leather furniture, huge glass panes to see the gorgeous views. My only real complaint here is purely personal: a dark grey wood makes appearances throughout the common spaces. It doesn't look cheap compared to that heinous new-build gray flooring you see in cheaply renoed houses/apartments, but a dark natural wood likely would have been a better fit.
View from the hot tub here: 
Lounge fireplace by the Alpenglow bar here:
Overall
Overall, I would recommend to anyone whose trip won't be ruined if service isn't absolutely perfect, and I myself would return - with the caveats described above. We fell in love with the Big Sky mountain resort and will absolutely be back to ski, but we have many other Western mountains to visit first, and if by the time we do return to Big Sky the O&O Moonlight Basin is open, we will more than likely opt for that.
May 22, 2023, 5:59 pm
Last edited by RichardInSF; May 22, 2023 at 7:23 pm Reason: Review above quoted in full, deleted for brevity
May 22, 2023, 7:01 pm
Aug 27, 2023, 5:32 pm
We ate at all of the eating venues, and the food was just fine. I had two spa treatments (one 60 min, the other 90 min massages). The 60 minute was very generic. Regarding the 90 minute, all I can say is, if you never have had cupping before, decline it if offered. I’m very discolored and sore, and didn’t reap any “benefits” from it either! The spa areas are very standard. Not surprising I guess, is the fact you have to pay to bowl in the basement four lane bowling alley. Picture kids dropping bowling balls in the worst possible ways,etc.
Location is a bit bizarre and remote! There is nothing in walking distance to the hotel, other than the Spanish Peaks club. We did the “Founders Loop trail,” which is the only walkable hike from the hotel, and it’s basically zig zagging thru the golf course, thru some SP homes,etc. Nothing to write home about! On the way to the trail, you have to walk up the road a bit, and we were “accosted” by huge, loud cement trucks, inhaling a plume of dust, lol.
This is a location where you need a rental car, or use of the nice courtesy Escalades to get anywhere. We used the Escalades for three days to go to the trail heads. Beehive basin, Lava lake, and to the Big Sky ski resort. All great hikes, and the scenery is amazing. But compared to Jackson Hole, Telluride, and Whistler, the location of the Montage is a bit too remote, as there is nothing else next to the hotel, other than the private Spanish Peaks club. The “town” of Big Sky (about 3 miles away) is essentially a new town, and just doesn’t have the panache of other ski towns like Telluride. Also, while we were there, eighty percent of the town was closed (we were there mid-week.) Don’t plan to buy your Moncler or Cartier bracelet at Big Sky, if you get my drift. FYI, it $380.00 one way for private transfers to / from the airport, which takes a bit over an hour to Bozeman.
I would go back to Montage, Big Sky. For me it’s a beautiful location, but rates a bit below the Tetons, as that Mtn range really pops. I will go back when the construction is done
(probably nothing going on in the peak winter, unless those big construction trucks can still traverse the winter roads??). My reserved Deluxe Peak View room was $1495./nite, with dining, spa, transfers and all the taxes/fees, made for a five star bill. The coming One & Only will not be close to the Montage, but would offer some change of scenery/dining IMO.
Last edited by Livetotell; Aug 28, 2023 at 11:38 am
Aug 28, 2023, 8:27 am
We ate at all of the eating venues, and the food was just fine. I had two spa treatments (one 60 min, the other 90 min massages). The 60 minute was very generic. Regarding the 90 minute, all I can say is, if you never have had cupping before, decline it if offered. I’m very discolored and sore, and didn’t reap any “benefits” from it either! The spa areas are very standard. Not surprising I guess, is the fact you have to pay to bowl in the basement four lane bowling alley. Picture kids dropping bowling balls in the worst possible ways,etc.
Location is a bit bizarre and remote! There is nothing in walking distance to the hotel, other than the Spanish Peaks club. We did the “Founders Loop trail,” which is the only walkable hike from the hotel, and it’s basically zig zagging thru the golf course, thru some SP homes,etc. Nothing to write home about! On the way to the trail, you have to walk up the road a bit, and we were “accosted” by huge, loud cement trucks, inhaling a plume of dust, lol.
This is a location where you need a rental car, or use of the nice courtesy Escalades to get anywhere. We used the Escalades for three days to go to the trail heads. Beehive basin, Lava lake, and to the Big Sky ski resort. All great hikes, and the scenery is amazing. But compared to Jackson Hole, Telluride, and Whistler, the location of the Montage is a bit too remote, as there is nothing else next to the hotel, other than the private Spanish Peaks club. The “town” of Big Sky (about 3 miles away) is essentially a new town, and just doesn’t have the panache of other ski towns like Telluride. Also, while we were there, eighty percent of the town was closed (we were there mid-week.) Don’t plan to buy your Moncler or Cartier bracelet at Big Sky, if you get my drift. FYI, it $380.00 one way for private transfers to / from the airport, which takes a bit over an hour to Bozeman.
I would go back to Montage, Big Sky. For me it’s a beautiful location, but rates a bit below the Tetons, as that Mtn range really pops. I will go back when the construction is done
(probably nothing going on in the peak winter, unless those big construction trucks can still traverse the winter roads??). My reserved Deluxe Peak View room was $1495./nite, with dining, spa, transfers and all the taxes/fees, made for a five star bill. The coming One & Only will not be close to the Montage, but would offer some change of scenery/dining IMO.
Aug 28, 2023, 11:17 am
I really like the Four Seasons Jackson Hole. The location is in Alpine ski village, the main ski area of Jackson Hole, so you have some shops and restaurants there to entertain you within walking distance of the FS. There is a large tram that takes you to ten thousand feet + where you can walk around and enjoy the views(even paraglide like I did.) There are several trails that are just outside the hotel. We did a grueling, but beautiful 13 mile hike right from the hotel. The hotel is located at the main peaks of the Tetons. Along the main road that leads to the FS is a nice wide sidewalk that bikers & walkers use, that is fairly flat and goes for miles.
Dining, the hotel has the main restaurant, a lobby lounge (sushi,etc), and a casual pub type restaurant. Plus, restaurants in the Alpine ski village. A decent pool, with some jacuzzi’s (food and drinks available pool side.) Spa, fitness center and a sports oriented store. The hotel underwent a soft refurb last year, as it was going almost twenty years from inception.
To counter. The Aman has better views, and is more private. The FS is tucked at the base of the mountain, whereas Amangani is up on a bluff affording spectacular views. I’ve only had a meal at Amangani, but it seems like to do more than putz around the property you have to be driven/drive to a destination. The rooms at Amangani appear to be original and seem quite dated IMO. If you want seclusion, privacy, and best locale for views go Amangani. If you want a bit more social interaction, and easier access to nature, more amenities go FS Jackson Hole.