I Was Intimidated by Planning My First Chilly-weather Trip — however This Montana Lodge Exceeded All My Expectations

If you consider Montana, you might consider rustic ski lodges, not an intimate chalet of luxurious lodging with a workers that is aware of you and your loved ones by identify. Whereas I used to be at first intimidated by planning my first cold-weather vacation spot trip, waking as much as beautiful views and having our whole journey itinerary deliberate from begin to end took away all reservations.

Our keep at Sage Lodge utterly remodeled our journey to the American West. It was an unforgettable and unparalleled expertise, together with plush lodging, the very best meals we have ever had, and a luxurious chauffeured safari tour with black-car service all through Yellowstone Nationwide Park.

Sage Lodge opened simply earlier than the pandemic began in 2020,however has since grow to be the last word Montana luxurious ranch resort, a one-stop vacation spot for vacationers who need the benefit of an all-inclusive journey within the American West and nothing missing in between.

After we reached Paradise Valley, I instantly understood the identify. If you arrive, you possibly can inform you might be about to expertise one thing particular as quickly as the long-lasting view of the Emigrant Mountains greets you from the lodge’s two-story atrium, the place you possibly can examine in, dine, or calm down.

This resort challenges you to discover and revel in. Encouragement is in every single place, from the s’mores kits for the fireplace pits to the lengthy listing of included resort facilities and rental gear. We by no means felt like we needed to be backcountry consultants as a result of the workers was prepared to assist at each flip. With simply 50 visitor rooms, it was clear that our expertise could be completely different and extra intimate than another luxurious resort we have ever stayed in.

I’m satisfied that that is Montana’s best-kept secret. Right here is my full overview of Sage Lodge.

The Rooms

Sage Lodge is a boutique resort with 50 visitor rooms in the principle lodge, in addition to free-standing ranch homes ultimate for bigger household gatherings and group journeys. The rooms are plush and comfy, which is strictly what one would count on from a Western lodge getaway.

Visitor rooms vary from 400 to just about 700 sq. toes, sleeping round 4 company comfortably. Loos are spacious and spa-like, with walk-in showers and a soaking tub good for soaking or stress-free after a day of journey. Every room presents a fuel hearth, ultimate for retaining heat on chilly Montana nights, and walk-out patios or home windows with beautiful views of the encompassing mountains. There’s no unsuitable reply, no matter which room type you select.

The free-standing ranch homes make this property the proper multi-generational getaway or group journey paradise. They supply all of the comforts and luxuries of the principle lodge visitor rooms with more room and facilities, equivalent to non-public rooms and loos for as much as 16 company. As well as, they’ve a completely geared up kitchen and customary areas for household leisure.

Meals and Drink

Eating at Sage Lodge is a part of the expertise. Two on-site eating places provide rustic Montana fare, in addition to in-room and on-the-go eating providers.

Components are sourced domestically the place doable, and I had the very best steak I’ve ever had at The Grill, an off-the-cuff steakhouse. The meats are house-aged and arrive from native ranches, the veggies are grown within the backyard, and native beers are served on faucet.

The hearth room is positioned proper in the principle lodge atrium. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, and the chef has designed a menu that provides consolation meals for any style bud or desire.

Actions and Experiences

Actions and experiences at Sage Lodge are the true promoting factors for first-time Montana vacationers. The resort has an unimaginable tour coordination workforce that gives company with a printed calendar of each day on-site actions.

On-site actions differ primarily based on the season and vary from fly fishing lessons to wine tastings and on-site guided mountaineering trails to luxurious guided safari excursions of close by Yellowstone Nationwide Park in a non-public SUV black automobile service with a private tour information. First-time guests to Montana could really feel overwhelmed by the expertise of visiting a chilly climate vacation spot for trip and need assistance deciding what actions are proper for them, particularly when touring with kids. Nevertheless, the Sage Lodge workforce considers your pursuits when planning your journey itinerary. Many iconic Montana outside actions are provided proper on the property, which leaves company feeling immersed within the mountain life-style with out leaving the consolation of their resort.

For a relaxed day on the property, there are various “at your leisure” actions, equivalent to board video games, nighttime stargazing, crafts, and extra.

The Spa

Regardless of outside exercise being such a big a part of what makes the Montana expertise, rest and rejuvenation is among the prime priorities at Sage Lodge. The spa at Sage Lodge is positioned on the principle ranch property, with trendy facilities and iconic mountain views. The pure setting invitations calm and peace, supplying you with a very transformational expertise no matter your spa package deal or service. The identical “native” mentality is carried all through the resort, with spa packages just like the Yellowstone River rock therapeutic massage remedy utilizing domestically sourced stones throughout the remedy.

They provide distinctive spa packages you can’t obtain anyplace else, together with wellness providers tailor-made to your particular wants, from whole-day experiences for thoughts, physique, and soul to vitality wellness packages. Property company also can make the most of the spa at a reduced price by reserving a spa go to entry the lounge, saunas, and soaking areas.

Household-friendly Choices

Not solely are kids welcome at Sage Lodge, however they’re additionally celebrated with choices tailor-made to their pursuits.

Along with a lot of the 30-plus on-site expertise choices being appropriate for all ages, the Sage Lodge Junior Rangers program encourages kids to discover and take a look at new issues. Complimentary guidebooks and challenges permit kids to earn Junior Ranger badges for the actions they full. The journey calendar printed each day may have the dates and instances for scheduled actions, permitting you to plan your schedule to take part with your loved ones prematurely.

Top-of-the-line on-site actions that we took benefit of as a household was the portray class. For a further price, households can use the inspiration of the mountain views to be taught portray strategies from a neighborhood artist.

Household-friendly actions included in your resort price are: snowshoeing, mountain trivia, crafting, biking, and extra.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Sage Lodge presents a number of ADA-compliant rooms that adjust in dimension and configuration. All accessible rooms embody roll-in showers, accessible bogs, seize bars, sinks, and extra. All public areas and rooms provide braille and tactile signage, and customary areas accommodate wheelchair accessibility. The intimacy of this resort lends to the take care of vacationers with accessibility wants. The workers could be very accommodating and blissful to satisfy any wants or requests talked about when reserving or at check-in.

Location

The lodge is positioned in Paradise Valley, Montana, a rural location roughly an hour from Bozeman Worldwide Airport. Renting a car is critical for the one-hour drive, however with scenic views of lovely Montana, this fast drive will make you immediately fall in love with the state. If driving within the snow makes you anxious, reserving a shuttle with one of many lodge’s most popular companions could also be a greater choice. Reserving this service prematurely is so simple as calling the concierge.

Whereas there aren’t any native actions inside strolling distance of the ranch apart from the choices on the property, venturing to native Yellowstone Nationwide Park can also be straightforward. Reserving your non-public or group safari tour with the Sage Lodge workforce or renting a automobile and paying for a Nationwide Park go are nice choices.

The best way to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Presents and offers at this resort are ever-changing, however package deal offers usually embody spa reductions or Champagne breakfasts. Additionally, should you’re a spontaneous traveler, your flexibility is rewarded with reductions of as much as 20 p.c off.

American Specific cardholders additionally get pleasure from unique charges and advantages. As members of the American Specific Nice Inns + Resorts assortment, the resort presents Platinum cardholders a $100 on-site credit score for experiences, eating, or the spa, in addition to a free room improve upon arrival.

Lastly, you’ll want to seize the recollections. This lodge is iconic, and your keep deserves to be documented. For a price, on-site pictures is obtainable to seize your expertise on the property. Reap the benefits of this service as a souvenir to protect the reminiscence of your expertise for years to return.