Many Glacier Hotel - Inside the Park

Think of it as a big three-story cabin, with a fire in the middle of the lobby. There’s no TV anywhere, though the Wi-Fi is nice to have. Nights can get chilly, in the 50s or 60s, so bring a sweater if you’re visiting during the June-to-October season. The lobby has a grand piano that some guests play, plus an untuned one down the hall where you can mess around if you’re not very skilled. Being right in the heart of the park saves about a half hour of driving from outside, and trails start right near the hotel, so you can just get up and head out. It is relatively pricey. There are two restaurants, one regular and one a fancier version, with meals around $25 or more and $35 or much more. The food was enjoyable, though I wouldn’t call it amazing for the price. There are two refillable water stations by the main lobby. Staff includes locals and immigrants, which I appreciated. A small store in the basement has snacks, but it closes in the early evening, before 9 p.m. Guest rooms are on the first, second, and third floors.

It was a splurge, but we felt the stay was worth every penny. From our balcony we watched the sunset, then got to see the sunrise in the morning. This was the one part of the park where we didn’t feel surrounded by a million people and cars. We could all sit back, relax, and enjoy nature.

The boat ride to Lake Josephine is well worth doing, and I also recommend getting out for a hike and trying the good restaurants in nearby Babb. The location itself is beautiful and hard to beat. The rooms, though, are very dated and small, with walls so thin you can hear a neighbor’s quarrel or nightmare as if you were there. Dinner in the Ptarmigan Dining Room involved shooing houseflies for most of the meal. I also found flies crawling over the pastries at breakfast. If they can’t keep the flies away, they should at least cover the pastries.

The rooms are really old, but ours was clean and comfortable. Wi-Fi worked better than they said it would, and we got a table in the dining room right away. The food was good, and the coffee and snack shop had plenty to choose from. The boat ride was pleasant and informative. The downside was the price, and having to book a year ahead didn’t make that feel any better. It’s a great base for this part of Glacier National Park: the views are lovely, and you can head out on hikes right from the hotel.