Lone Mountain Ranch — Hotel in Big Sky

Our group of seven came for the Sleigh Ride and wow... I'm not really sure what to say. I'll start with the bright spot... The restaurant and bar area is very nice, especially the bartenders. They took the time to describe the specials and for the price, made quite stupendous drinks. Very creative in what they offered. Otherwise, that rest of the night was... disappointing. Apparently communication is not a strong note for this place. Getting a confirmation of our reservation was like pulling teeth. We arrived prior to the start time, but had to wait well over a half hour before moving to another building to wait more before walking outside and finding the horses and sleighs. I never saw nor was told by an employee where and what was going on, until the sleigh drivers came out, greeted us, and explained the ride to the cabin. We had a nice driver and she was very chatty and friendly to all of us, controlled the horses as well as one could (despite our horses veering off the path and a few of us getting hit by a branch or two). Very surprised that there were not a plethora of blankets available. I strongly suggest that each sleigh have at least ONE blanket PER person. Seemed a bit odd this wasn't the case, at least on our sleigh. The whole ride is pretty short (maybe 20 minutes?) at a walking pace with several stops for the horses to prevent sweat becoming ice on them. During the ride, was surprised when our driver said she was also going to be our server, then to not expect much in terms of service because she wasn't a very good server (probably to just be humorous, but.... still...). We arrived at the cabin and were greeted with some not so great whisky shots to "warm" up. Once in the cabin, it's cozy. You're seated family style with tables up to 14 or so per table. All candlelit, which is neat. The cabin warmed up quick fortunately and we were treated to some lovely stories about the area and songs of the cowboys of old to start. Guitarist was great! We first received puff rolls, these were good, but I don't think there was any butter to add. Then we were served potato soup, which was quite delicious. The rest of the dinner was pretty basic. A mixed vegetable dish of carrots, brussel sprouts, and a few others, plus mashed potatoes that were quite creamy. However, the sides were served WELL before the prime rib was even ready/cut. So after we had scoped out our sides, we waited... and waited... and waited some more, finally eating the sides, cold, before the prime rib even made it to our table. Although we were next to the stove where it was cooked, we were the last table to receive any meat, after other tables had already received seconds/thirds. When we finally got our first serving, the meat was pretty rare, like borderline acceptable as rare even, and cold... The second round (once we get it served) was better cooked. Dessert was a fruit crisp, with, I think whip cream? (I received maybe a teaspoon's worth on my serving) Some people in my group didn't receive any of the crisp, just the filling and were disappointed in this. The cowboy coffee was good, incredibly hot though! We then had some more songs sung while the staff cleaned the dishes. Once we were ready to go, I went to the outhouse and while it was nicely done, holy cow, gentlemen... learn to not pee on the seat.. It was incredibly disgusting to say the least. (not knocking the ranch for this) We got back on the sleighs and rode back, uneventfully, and left.

So in summary, the cost per person ($120!!) for the experience was pretty excessive for what we got in return. The food was ok (soup/sides/rolls good; meat was rare, not that great tasting, and cold), with the main dish being served at least 10 minutes after the sides were already eaten. Despite being right next to the stove, we received our meat last, after other tables had 2nds/3rds. Staff communication was pretty poor as well throughout the night and in the lead-up to the night. Very...

We just ended our 7 day honeymoon here at Lone Mountain Ranch, and I’m not sure where to even begin to describe how amazing our stay was. When I was researching different places to stay on our honeymoon I came across LMR and began to read the reviews. Every once in a while I would read a less than 5 star review..... after being there for 7 FULL days, I honestly don’t know how you could describe this place as being anything less than spectacular. There is literally NOTHING that we could even think to complain about. This trip was worth every cent and more when you start to realize the quality of this experience. The pictures on the website are excellent, and they don’t do LMR justice. For anyone thinking of staying here for their honeymoon, do yourself a favor and BOOK THIS TRIP! I highly recommend staying at the Ouzel Cabin. Which had a full size tub and shower, with an amazing wood burning stove that was stocked with fire wood and was lit upon our arrival. While we were there it snowed at least 5-6 inches and turned everything into a beautiful snow covered paradise. The views from the front porch alone are worth taking pictures of. If you decided to only stay at the ranch, you can see some of the most scenic views and hiking trails around. One thing we were NOT expecting, was for the food to be as good as it was. The horn and Cantle restaurant was delicious. We live in New Orleans and are lucky enough to have some incredible food at our fingertips. So when we booked a trip to LMR we were not expecting the most savory restaurant experience. We were BLOWN AWAY at how good it was. The Bison and Elk in particular, were unlike any other game we’ve ever tasted. And the variety on the menu was truly amazing. We were also surprised at how excellent the cocktails were and the wine selection left nothing to be desired. The drinks were just as good as the food and that’s saying a lot. Besides the incredible scenery, the authentic cabins and the quality trails and services offered, it was the staff and hospitality that really made this trip so special. From the very beginning the entire staff made us feel so welcome and at home. We got to know many of the staff their and hope one day they can come to New Orleans so that we can repay them the generous hospitality that we experienced here at LMR. First we would like to thank the drivers. Hamlet was the first driver to pick us up and was very nice and gave us a tour while we were on our way up to the ranch. Myles was our driver the second day, who brought us all the way to West Yellowstone for our snowmobiling trip. It was a long ride but with Myles there wasn’t a moment of silence and the trip felt like no time at all. Truman picked us up from Yellowstone and he can probably make a killing as an Uber driver with the awesome playlist that he had. Last but not least we had Mr. Danny for the remainder of our trip. We really bonded with Mr Danny and enjoyed his company. We shared stories about each other’s families and you could tell he was dedicated to us having a great experience. Several times he would stop to show us the abundant wildlife and he did everything in his power to make sure we were comfortable and having a good time. Probably the most punctual driver in all of Montana I’m sure. We spent every night at the restaurant and got to know and love the crew. Our breakfast and lunch waitress was Ellen who was incredibly sweet and one day we asked her for some bottled water and forgot and she walked all the way to our cabin to hand deliver them!Madeline was our first bartenders and she would always check on us at the right time, and was fun to be around. Michael Duke waited on us several nights and I feel like we truly became friends. Incredible service from him. Out of space now so just wanted to mention the others: Craig ( funny) Luke, (thoughtful), Josh - GM who spent a lot of time with us as well. Chuck who rode us up for the sleigh ride dinner. Tom with his...

My husband and I decided to book a last minute Christmas getaway to the Lone Mountain Ranch in 2018. We were drawn to the ranch due to it’s location and because it is a National Geographic Unique Lodge. We spent more money than we usually would, expecting a near perfect trip! The cabin itself was decorated beautifully and the bed was very comfortable. We were right on the ski trails and they were simply amazing. The service, bar staff, food, and drinks at the Horn and Cantle were exceptional. With that said, the remainder of the experience left much more to be desired. It’s was super unfortunate since, in general, this place appears to have positive reviews. For only two nights there, we had several issues. We did not receive a concierge call though we were promised one upon booking. So we didn’t know of/weren’t offered any group activities which we could have enjoyed. When we arrived we were told the fireplace was ready to be lit, however our room was totally smoked out when we later ignited it; apparently the flue wasn’t fully open. There wasn’t much urgency from the staff to fix it. They came about 15-20 minutes after we reached out and didn’t have any suggestions to improve it; it was suggested we add wood to make the fire larger and open the windows so it would possibly create a better draft to clear out the chimney (which made it worse). We reached out again and we were told maintenance would have someone take a look at it in an hour or so. They were also sure to let us know they never had any other complaints. We were told to go drink at the bar (no offer for a free drink). Finally, late in the evening, after we sat in the office, a kind worker (not the maintenance we were waiting for) came by and thought he could fix the issue. He was able to open the flue with pliers and said it is often closed by housekeeping. It had been hours before it was fixed so our bed and all clothes (including ski gear) smelled like smoke. Though we left the windows open several hours after that, it still was difficult to sleep in the room that night. This could have also been a safety issue in my opinion; if someone lit it and fell asleep, it could cause serious health issues due to smoke inhalation. The only full day we were there, room service arrived right as we were showering/dressing in the morning. Through the door we asked if we could have a few minutes to dress and leave, but housekeeping said that they couldn’t wait or come back shortly - that we would just have to wait until the evening service; then evening service never came. We expected two services as indicated in our package. In general, I would say the cabin was ‘ok’ clean - it was clear the floors hadn’t been vacuumed; in fact we found sugar packets and other small pieces of plastic/paper trash on the floor. The website stated that “on demand transportation is always included” in the advertisement for downhill skiing, but when we asked for transportation to Big Sky we were told it would be $40 each way because we didn’t have the Discovery Package, only the Bed & Breakfast Package. When we shared the details from the website with the staff, we were told that “included” only meant the option to request transportation is included, but it does not mean the cost is included. I understand that interpretation (now), but it is very misleading and should be clarified on the website, especially when you are paying premium prices. Upon checkout, we were not even asked how our stay was to share any of our issues.

Overall, we do not believe the ranch is worth the money. All our favorite parts of the trip (ski trails and restaurant/bar), we could have had without staying at the ranch paying premium prices. We felt like we were an inconvenience to the staff after the fire incident on our first evening. This is not a place we would stay at again, nor would we recommend. Very...