31 Best Stops Between Red Lodge and Idaho Falls (2024)

We stayed 3 nights at the resort just after Christmas. We had a standard room with two queen beds for our family of 4. We also had family staying in a suite in another part of the lodge. The suite was basically adjoining rooms with one room having two queen beds and the other with a sofa-sleeper and a small kitchen. It was nice having the kitchen as we prepared several meals for the entire group which was convenient and saved a ton of $$$. My main gripe about the resort is the cost of meals at the café and restaurant. I looked over the menus, but didn't order any food. We ended up going into Anaconda for a couple meals which was worth the drive. The hot pools were nice and the kids really enjoyed the slide. The changing rooms at the pool were clean and included a sauna too. The staff was very friendly and helpful when engaged. We also skied at Discovery which wasn't too far of a drive. The small hot pools really felt great after a day on the slopes. Overall we enjoyed our stay at Fairmont.

I love this resort. I have been a guest since my childhood. Still as much fun as I remember. It's a little pricey but it's worth it for a family or couple for the weekend. The front desk staff is a bit snotty, but if you consider the clientele...I'm sure you will understand.

We came here for a mom's retreat to enjoy the beautiful Montana scenery and get some R&R. Some booked massages and spa treatment and said it was great. The restaurant had good food and a nice breakfast buffet on the weekends. They were remodeling and closed one of the pools for cleaning. On the plus side, the updating seemed necessary to some extent and we were pleased that they took such care in keeping the facility clean. ALL of the staff were friendly and helpful in all departments throughout our entire stay which is what really earned the five star rating. Amanda and her front desk staff were especially helpful on more than one occasion. We look forward to another visit here in the future!

Love this place, we take ours kids every year. It has such a welcomg feeling. Not something a lot of hotels have. Hot springs pools are nice and big, with one inside and one outside you can soak in any weather. The staff is friendly and helpful. The dining is great 👍. Definitely a need to check out place if you're into swimming or soaking.

Love this place, reason I have it less stars is because the indoor pool area is always dirty. Rooms are great though. Love the outside pools and water slide. Been coming here since childhood. Took several years off though because I didn't want to deal with the uncleanness of the indoor pool area and dressing rooms. I have great childhood memories here.

Went for a nursing conference. Pretty great overall. But... rooms were to hot and u could not change thermostat as front desk said . They gave us a fan which was nice, but it was still a little hot and needed to open sliding glass door on bottom floor at night. Yikes is all I'm saying. Overall we felt safe....but still knowing this now I might ask for an upper room so we don't have to worry about anything.Overall clean. Beds comfy. Safe feeling.Thx

The service was the best. Your staff is amazing. We totally enjoyed our stay. Wish the pool was opened a little later in the summer hours. Your staff at the bar out by the pool was the best. Had so much fun with them. We absolutely loved our time there.

I went here for a convention and a great time. You're not in town so you are a captive audience, so to speak. The grounds were lovely. Amenities nice. Pools wonderful. Couldn't ask for much more. I gave 4 stars because there is always room for improvement and the second building was not ADA compliant. This older person wasn't lifting the luggage cart up the stairs.

Pros: great location, good concept, extremely family friendly. The kids in our group had a blast. Love that there's an inside pool. Food was great in both the cafe and restaurant.Cons: Front desk wasn't very inviting. I'm not a person to expect a red carpet or anything but a smile would be nice. People are paying over 200 a night to stay there. Kids under 6 I believe, aren't allowed in the hot pools. And the other pool is luke warm at best. And the chlorine is HEAVY. My skin is still recovering from it almost a week later. My hair was actually crispy when it dried from the chemicals. The deck of the inside pool was slimy. The pool bar opened when it wanted. One second it was open, 5 minutes later the bartender was gone. We had to go to the restaurant bar soaking wet to get drinks and even those bartenders were asking where the pool bartender was.Service in the restaurant was just bad. And for the price of the food I'd expect a little better. We waited about 10 minutes while the employees were standing around talking at the bar and when we heard one girl say she was going on break we just decided to get up and leave because obviously no one was coming to serve us.The water in the rooms during the shower was barely warm. One of those showers where you get in and out as quickly as you can because its uncomfortable.If you need a buggy to carry all your stuff, make sure you're staying in the building where the front desk is because the ramp to get in the other building is clear on the other side. It was windy as all get out and it was painful watching people struggle to get there stuff in because they couldn't use the door that was right outside the main lobby area.

Rooms are solid. The bed is comfortable, and you get the standard fridge and microwave. If you're on the first floor, you can park right outside your room and walk in through the patio. The shower pressure is high. It threw the shower curtain all around and got water on the floor every time I tried to shower. I didn't try roomservice, but my friend did, and she showed me her taco bowl. It was enormous portions, and the quality of food was average. The golf course was fun, as were the amenities. Chlorine in the pool is high and the water is warm.

Really good experience. The hot spirngs seem taken care of and maintained decently. The pools are also clean. Both places to eat and drink are fairly priced and the water slide is a MUST. This place is an amazing place to visit.4 stars because the bathroom doesn't have a fan so if you go #2 it lingers. Also some of the food and prices are a bit much but it's doable if you budget.

The staff was friendly and the rooms are nice. I have been going to Fairmont hot springs my entire life, however, I was extremely disappointed that the pools were cold for 5 out of the 7 days of our stay.On the flip side, the water slide was a lot of fun (even for adults)!

This year we stayed in the house. It was adorable, cozy and quiet.Staff is super friendly and helpful.We don't eat at the restaurant, I bring our own groceries and we cook for ourselves.We stayed during the local school's last day of school, hoards of kids came and swam all day in the pool, but it was fun to watch them having a blast. This is their town, after all.

Pools and slide were great, and the kiddos loved our stay.There was no bedding for pull-out in our suite, though we reserved it for 6 with two beds and pull-out couch. Start brought it over when notified.Also, found a furry friend scurrying about in the cupboards when getting dishes to use to make dinner. Unfortunately, there was no space to move us to, but staff placed traps in the room to try and help. We kept food where we thought it out of reach, and it was fine. Resort gave us slight refund.

Well it’s our favourite place to visit in the Mountains and the pools are nice. Not impressed that if you stay more than a night there is no room cleaning service. When I called the front desk they didn’t seem customer service oriented. Stated they simply don’t make beds or refresh the items used. Guests just have to call for more items. For the price we paid (no special deals for more than one night) it was mediocre at best.

Staff was very friendly. My only disappointment was that there is only one small hot spring, which is so crowded, because the other “pools” are luke warm at best. One pool was completely drained. We had a great time and the room was nice. When I read the description for the room it said we would have a balcony and jacuzzi. When I asked about it, I was told those were special suits. However, most of the rooms have balcony’s except for like 4 when facing the outside. I can’t imagine those are all special suits. So, just make sure you know what room your actually getting when booking. Other than that, I think it’s a great place and the staff was amazing. I would love to go back !

Beautiful update! Customer service was fast and friendly. The food was tasty. I really enjoyed the hot springs and the farm animals in the location..... Maybe horseback riding will be offered here .

Relaxed in the hot tub outside for 2 hours and both mine and my mom’s swim suits came out BLEACHED. Not sure what kind of chemicals are in there but it’s not worth it. My family has been coming here for years and this has ruined my perception of this place. Completely ruined my $150 suit so would recommend wearing something of little value if you come here. I would recommend other Montana hot springs over fairmont that don’t have all these chemicals.

Had a very enjoyable time minus check-in.Check-in is 4pm which is a hour later than most hotels which is fine but we were unable to check in until 5:30pm. It's nice that you can swim right away but to have a room to get set up in after a drive would have been better. The pools are clean and temps were great. The restaurant is reasonably priced with plenty of selections and food overall was very good. The pool staff, hotel staff, and restaurant staff are friendly (although a bit overwhelmed) and overall experience was great.

We had the same check in experience many others have mentioned. Although check in isn’t until 4:00, don’t be surprised if your room isn’t ready. The rooms are fine but no where near luxury. Seem to be able to hear any time someone turns on a shower and everything in the hallway. The mattress was comfortable but soft. The website says complimentary pool access for guests there is still a resort fee. Upon exiting our afternoon at the pools there was no hot water throughout the whole resort which meant no shower prior to dinner and even the next day hot water in the shower was hard to come by. Don’t bother eating at the restaurant. We ate at the “fine dining” side and was very disappointed wishing we had saved the money and ate at the other. We went after a holiday so there were few people there which meant that it was quiet in the pools with great views from the outside ones.

Went on an overnight business trip with my significant other. Staff was friendly and helpful. Room was ready but did not seem entirely cleaned. Bed was made but carpets did not looked vacuumed. The third floor was very warm and we had to keep opening the balcony window. The beds are not comfortable and make it difficult to sleep on. You can hear conversations from the hallway clearly from the room even when door is shut with a towel at the bottom. When using the outdoor pool, the chlorine was too much. For about two weeks now after the trip, I have this horrible bacteria infection on my skin and just got antibiotics from the walk in clinic. I would not go back even if invited and would not recommend to anyone to visit.

Lovely place for a little get away. Pools were very clean. Decided to do a mid week stay thinking kids would be limited but I was very wrong. I get that it's a family friendly spot and kids are going to be around but, being woken up at 6-7am to multiple screaming kids in adjacent rooms really spoiled the relaxing environment. Perhaps finding a way to section of family rooms from solo travelers could resolve that issue. Restraunts are nice, food was good, although overpriced, but that's resort restaurants everywhere. Great bartender! Had a massage with Pam which was absolutely wonderful. I'll definitely return, but will likely do more research as to what groups are staying at the same time to try to avoid the big groups of families. Also, next time, I'll request not to be roomed next to rooms with kids. You live. You learn.

The service was absolutely amazing! Every single person working at the resort was friendly and welcoming. From house keeping, front desk, gift shop, bar and restaurant to the life gaurds. Just blown away at how nice and friendly the staff is 100% 5 start service.While the service was so great, the fine dining restaurant food was not good at all or worth what you are charged- do not recommend.The cafe and bar service was also awesome, and the food was good, just regular bar cafe food no complaints.The rooms are nice BUT there is no temperature control in the rooms. So you are either boiling hot or freezing cold.And for the price it seems ridiculous that you can't control the temperature in the room for comfort.The pools inside and outside were so great. Plenty of room, not over crowded, temperature was just right and we thoroughly enjoyed soaking and swimming.While it would be nice for the resort to upgrade some of the amenities we overall had a very pleasant time.And again I cannot express how friendly the staff in every area is.

Have been coming here my whole life. Love it! Pool closing at 10 is a joke. 10-12 should be adult time! (Addad) Thank you for the feedback, that is too bad. I can't express how much the early closing was a disappointment and heard lots of complaints all week from others. Best of luck, staffing is a problem everywhere.

One of the scariest public interactions I have ever had was at Fairmont Hot Springs Pool with (Mike, the pool membership employee)? He freaked out on me yesterday. I have seen him come unglued on people multiple times through the years. I’ve even had a couple negative but brief experiences with him. I watched him yell at a lady in line in front of me. All she asked is if she could pay for a membership for her and her children to swim. He told her he was too busy and it would take four days, so go home and do it online. At this point, I was apprehensive and nervous. So I stepped to the window and gave him my Badge. With that, I nervously asked him if my kids were in the system yet I had purchased a membership a couple days ago. He came back out, yelling and lecturing me and screaming about not having enough time to do his job and that he just had two weeks off and I needed to just wait. I even said if it’s not in the system yet that’s fine, I just wanted to check. Then he started yelling at me because I put her in as a new member and not a returning member. He started to slam his fist on the desk and scream at me. He was screaming “that’s enough and clenching his fists, I ran out of there crying Friday, he scared me so badly. Straight up to the front desk shaking and crying. The General Manager left me standing in the lobby crying and shaking for 15 minutes in front of hotel, guest and employees while he called Mike and got his story first. When I spoke to The General Manager about what happened and I was so upset, they told me if I didn’t like the service and wanted my money back I could go somewhere else. I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life. I still can’t believe it even happened!!! I just wondered if anyone else had had a bad or negative experience with this Mike the pool membership guy. It seems everywhere I turn, somebody has a story about him and I think something needs to be done. The distinct impression I got from management is that they don’t make their money from pool memberships, so any problems that arise from that, are of no concern. it’s sad because a lot of us locals have supported that business for many many years. Fairmont used to be my safe space.

Booked a four night stay for my wife and I’s special trip of the year. Perhaps a lack of research lead us to believe that this resort is affiliated with the Fairmont brand we all know - it is not. The online photos are great, but an inaccurate representation of the resort’s true condition.We arrived late around 11:30pm. First room we got was one side of a suite, with a shared door to another room, which in 99.9% of hotels in the world has a lock on it. This door did not, with only a chair casually propped against it. Curiously, I opened the door and realized the other side was unlocked as well. No idea if there was another guest in that room. We requested a room change immediately as this is clearly unsafe, not secure, and frankly very uncomfortable.The second room we got was not cleaned. Every usable towel was on the ground in the bathroom (if I could attach a photo I would). The counters were visibly dirty, the sink with dirty dishes in them.The third room we got was acceptable, since by this point it was nearly 1am and we needed sleep. Bed was uncomfortable, etc. At this point we had already decided to check out in the morning and find something else.The spa services are fine, but not an experience you will remember. The ambiance is nearly non-existent.Overall, the resort rooms are outdated, uncomfortable, and seemingly neglected. The staff was accommodating when we needed to keep changing room, but I would describe them as unfazed to our issues. I have heard the pools and conference rooms are great, though we did not experience them.We checked out after 1 night, and spent the rest of our trip at a different hotel.

For a room that cost $209 per night, Fairmont Hot Springs was a severely frustrating disappointment. “Hot Spring” pools were lukewarm, chlorinated, and filled with screaming, splashing kids playing with pool toys. It felt like a dirty local YMCA, not a relaxing hot spring.Fairmont hot springs closed all of the outdoor pools which was a huge disappointment. A “genuine Montana experience” would have kept the outdoor pools open regardless of any cold temps. The springs are hot! They warm their patrons.It is also absurd that we’re required to wear a wristband to use the pools, despite the pools already having keycard-only access doors. Choose one or the other. The wristbands were annoying and you have to sleep with it on if you want to use the pool the next day.We were directed to a “sauna” which was a small, moldy, stone and metal room full of steam from the spring water running under a bench. Notably, it was the ONLY place in the whole resort that had natural spring water.The poolside refreshments were overpriced and all the drinking fountains for filling water bottles were broken, except the one at the far end of the resort. The poolside snack bar staff was unaccommodating and declined our request to fill our water bottle behind the desk.Finally, for a room price of $209, breakfast should be included, rather than expecting us to go to an on-site cafe and pay more money for breakfast.In our room, the hair dryer rattled, broke, and started smoking after turning it on. We unplugged it and called the front desk. The shower water never heated up, lukewarm at BEST. The bed near the door was dirty (hair and black particles under sheet), and the mattress had a weird lump in it. Balcony door had a cold draft.Overall a bad stay. Will not be returning.

Swimming was awesome, rooms were kinda blah for the price and hype. We could hear all the doors opening and closing near us, we could hear the people above us walk because the floors creaked really bad. We had one remote from two tvs. We ate at the cafe service wasn't the best and the price of the food, for what the food was, was ridiculous.

The staff was friendly and helpful; however, the main pool was drained prior to our arrival. We had purchased a package so they said they couldn’t offer us some of our money back. Our room didn’t have hot water for the shower and the only forced air into the room was hot air. The only way to cool the room down was to leave the door open to the balcony. We had breakfast included in our package and it was abysmal. I can’t say that I have a desire to go back there or to recommend it to anyone. We had too many bad experiences in just one night of staying there.

The pool area is not clean. In the women's dressing room the floor was so gritty on my bare feet felt like it wasn't pressure washed in years. The bathrooms in the dressing area seemed liked they hadn't been cleaned in years. How long has the rug been in the pool area - since it was opened? I can imagine how much mold is under it. Better to take it up to concrete and use mats. They would be better off getting rid of some lifeguards and using that money to pay someone to clean the dressing rooms, showers and bathrooms. The shower room only one shower head worked. Use some money to clean the place it's filthy.

Summary: dated facility with mediocre service. I would not recommend this place to family and friends. More details are below...PROS:- best thing about this place is the beautiful views 🌄, amazing!- the conference space.- looks like a nice place if you like to golf- might be enough things to do to keep a family busy for a weekend (maybe).- they do have some vegitarian and vegan options for dining.CONS:- most of the staff seems to not care about anything... some were good!- facility has had a recent(ish) face-lift but the general feel throughout is 1980's- room setup is such that people will go outside their room to smoke, so if you have the door open for some fresh air you will get a room full of cigarette smoke 🚬 😶‍🌫️- I went to leave and my door would not lock, I called the front desk and they were non-chalant, like well get to it. I put my things in my vehicle because I had to leave, when I got back the door still would not lock... they sent another few people down to work on it and they did fix it.- same day of the door issue, there was a shady looking character walking around outside my room (on my patio). I tried to lock the screen door, and glass slider before I left, but only the slider would lock. When I got back, the screen was wide open... 🤔😟😲😳😐😐😐- food was super expensive (probably normal for a resort)... hard to pay over $20 for an average impossible burger...- this place is in the middle of nowhere... that might be fine if you are sticking around for golf, but if you need to run to the store, or get some reasonably priced food, it's 20 miles away...- depending on where your room is, parking can be a bit tight.- walls are paper thin... you can hear a normal conversation through them, so if you are a light sleeper, plan accordingly.- Noisy air conditioner, and poor ventilation, I took a normal shower in the morning and then left, when I came back at lunch the room was a bit musty until I opened the patio door.- super small closetsOverall, this place is super expensive for what you get. If you have a family of 4, and you stay here (and eat here) expect to spend $400-$600 a day! That might change with some of their packages but that seems crazy to me because of how dated and isolated this place is.

The hotel is moderately run down, but the real issue is the "resort" aspect is not very usable. For example, we chose this as a stop on our road trip but found out that the water slide is only open after 4 pm, making it minimally useful. Also, I can't leave the kids in the pool for long as the life guard coverage is very intermittent - often the life guards would leave for 10 minutes at a time without coverage or alert.