St Mary's Lodge & Resort
- June 30, 2009
- Rated 2 of 5 by
pegletone from calgary, Alberta
It was a special day for us on our travels and St. Mary's Lodge and Resort sounded (by their brochure) as the spot to celebrate. The architecture (lovely log construction) of the resort is grand and alluring but unfortunately that is where it stops! Trying to make a reservation, should have been my first indicator; the experience was more like trying to be ‘upsold’ than finding out what my accommodation requirements were and my needs. I was a little shocked, no a LOT shocked at the room rates and it was not easy obtaining them, as of course they started at the top rate and after continually asking if there was a room that more met my needs, I was finally advised of the ‘lodge rooms’ ...for $135.00US a night.
When we arrived we were a half hour early for check in so we were advised to sit in the lobby (upscale lounge with log and leather comfy chairs and couches facing a stone fireplace with plenty of windows facing the mountains) as the hotel could not accommodate a 1/2 hour early arrival.
Check in was an experience on its own ..and I wont go there ... not pleasant and very confusing. When we finally got our room assignment it can only be described as a 'storage cupboard" or 'broom closet' at best... and that is not exaggerating not even a place to hang clothes, no window in the room, no ventilation, no air; it was inhumane and what I would see as a definite fire escape hazard; entry door only. When we tried to discuss our concerns with the front desk, there was a 'this is how it is folks' attitude and no interest in our concerns ..(from a fire hazard perspective) we were told they pass fire inspection yearly (when the fire chief comes, they must have buckets and brooms in the room, not a bed). We were also told that there was no quarantee of ‘heat’ or ‘air’ for these rooms as they are hikers rooms??? ... no one told us this at the time of the 'reservation making stage". On the upside, despite small, and minimal furniture....the chairs were bent willow, and a lodgepole headboard; the room was decorated quite quaint and charming ... and of course if we wanted to pay twice this room rate and more we could be accommodated in the ‘Great Bear Lodge’.
The dining room was way over priced, especially for a cafeteria-style booth restaurant with no ambiance so we chose to eat in the bar. (We paid half the price for similiar meals in the West Glacier ...much better bang for your dollar and better food) ... Breakfast was okay, but we waited over an hour for our food with just one other couple in the dining room (so not busy).... and then due to poor ventilation in the kitchen, we were 'smoked out' of the dining room which by the way, happened the night before as well. When we asked to speak to someone about our disappointing stay and our concerns (customer feed back can be a good thing) there was no one available. Apparently there are new owners (a year ago) and we were told they were still working out the kinks … on my dollar!!. We weren’t looking for a discount, we honestly felt we had some good feedback to offer them..
I have to say, despite all our woes, most of the staff was the best part of our stay as they tried to do the best they could with the circumstances...they certainly didn’t disagree with our concerns.
I think the resort is taking advantage of being the only player (advertised) in the area but in the future I will drive the short distance on to Many Glacier (same price and much more value) or depending on my route, the Canadian border or go to East Glacier and stay at one of the many accommodations there ... something to be said for having a little competition around.
St. Mary Lodge and Resort is no where worth the price it charges.
Think you had better start 'hearing' your customers comments ... as I saw many at the front desk trying to voice them.
Editor Pick
The Lodge at St. Mary
- March 18, 2006
- Rated 2 of 5 by
bathtubjake from chicago, Illinois
The "Resort at Glacier" (as the website names it), or "The Lodge at St. Mary" as the sign says, is literally a stone's throw from the St. Mary entrance. Aside from the sign discrepancy, the architecture of the resort is lovely log construction that looks very much at home with the mountain backdrop. On the first try, the hotel lobby was difficult to find. After asking a couple of employees, we found it in the center of the building, between the gift shop and the restaurant entrance.
The lobby features an upscale lounge with log and leather comfy chairs and couches facing a stone fireplace with plenty of windows facing the mountains. They often offer speakers and entertainment in this area during the evenings, and we heard an interesting speaker on the Blackfoot heritage in the region.
We chose to stay in the more moderate section of the resort, although we could have paid twice the price to stay in the main lodge across the road. Our room in the West Lodge appeared to be an old motel from the 1950s, or earlier, that had been renovated. The door key was still an actual metal key and the lock was difficult. It really needs to be updated to a card system. The room was small and the furniture barely fit. The chairs were bent willow, and the storage furniture was a blond pine. The walls were paneled, and the plumbing pipes were left exposed. The fabrics and lamps were all in a charming cabin style. The double bed and the TV armoire didn't leave much room for movement. There was no place to put the luggage except on the desktop (moving the phone and lamp to the floor), or on the floor itself. However, the bathroom was spacious and separated from the vanity and sink. Although we did not hear our neighbors, but we did have a sense of the traffic from the street.
Ice and soda had to be obtained in the main lodge. The Snowgoose Grill served all meals, however breakfast was not included in the lodging rate. Given that we were paying resort prices for a small motel room, I thought a free breakfast would have been a small compensation, but it was not to be. The restaurant was high priced and we never tried it. There was a diner on the property, and the food was reasonably priced, but nothing to brag about.
The resort is literally the only game in town. I found it preferable to the rustic in-park accommodations, but not quite worthy of the price we had to pay.
From journal Montana Mountain Majesty