Hotels
There’s not much choice.
**** Summit Central, slope-side, good rooms, outdoor hot pool, good views, and shuttle to other base areas. ‘Best property here, breakfast excellent,’ says a 2014 visitor.
*** Huntley Lodge Big Sky’s original hotel; central, part of Mountain Mall; outdoor pool, hot tubs, saunas. Our 2014 reporter was happy but beware noisy rooms. ‘Phenomenal breakfast buffet.’
*** The Lodge at Big Sky Five minutes’ walk to slopes; a shuttle at peak times. Indoor pool, indoor/outdoor hot tubs. ‘Large rooms, friendly staff, but basic food.’
Apartments
Reader tips include Stillwater, Village Center, Arrowhead, Snowcrest, Big Horn, Black Eagle and, way out of town, Powder Ridge (‘fantastic accommodation’, ‘beautiful’ said two 2013 reporters). Check location carefully.
Eating out
One visitor particularly enjoyed the ‘excellent’ Peaks restaurant in the Summit hotel – ‘delicious pheasant ragout’. The Andiamo Italian Grille is very popular and pleases most reporters. Others tip MR Hummers (‘cheerful staff, good atmosphere’; ‘good kids’ menu, really nice steak’), Whiskey Jack’s (burgers, ‘fresh and tasty’ Tex-Mex, ‘huge portions’), the Cabin (‘excellent gourmet style food – elk and bison’) and Lone Peak Brewery (‘excellent eatery’).
Mountain restaurants
The main weakness. The re-opening of the Pinnacle is welcome news. Shedhorn Grill is a yurt on the south side of Lone Mountain, doing simple meals – ‘great fun, and decent BBQ nosh’. Then there’s the Black Kettle on the front of Lone Mountain – soup and snacks – and the Burrito Shack at the top of the Swift Current chairlift.
Après
Things are generally quiet but there is live music in a couple of spots. Whiskey Jack’s is the main après bar – ‘good atmosphere’. Scissorbills Saloon is a ‘great American bar’.
Off the slopes
There’s snowmobiling, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, dog sledding, a floodlit tubing hill, ziplines, snowcat tours, treatments at the Solace Spa; the Huntley Lodge pool and spa are open to all for a fee. You can visit Yellowstone National Park (highly recommended by reporters); a reader also recommends the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Centre at West Yellowstone.
Where to Ski and Snowboard 2015
This guide is taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard, written by Dave Watts and Chris Gill.
Click here to buy a discounted copy of the book
Source : www.telegraph.co.uk/