In less than a decade, Bozeman, Montana has morphed from a you-know-if-you-know small town set amidst jaw-dropping scenery to a luxe tourist destination and residential market.

Credit goes, in part, to the global success of Paramount streamer “Yellowstone,” which is filmed in the area, as well as to the odyssey of remote workers who relocated there during the pandemic. In fact, according to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, the state’s population grew by 5.2 percent from 2020 to 2024, translating to an additional 56,000 people.

The response: After nearly $200 million in investments, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport welcomed a record-breaking 2.8 million passengers in 2025, continuing its streak of adding about 200,000 passengers each year since 2021. “We now have nonstop service from nine domestic airlines,” says Daryl Schliem, CEO of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, Schliem says, Bozeman and its environs have some 1,500 rooms in the pipeline, pegged to bring the region’s room count to 5,700 by 2030.

Expansive windows and floor-to-ceiling fireplaces frame the lobby at Montage Big Sky

While in the past those rooms have been value-conscious or mid-level brands from major chains, design-forward properties are now emerging. The movement began in summer 2020 when the Kimpton Armory opened in an Art Deco building downtown, with interiors for its 122 guestrooms by Colorado-based Studio R. A year later, in 2021, the $400 million Montage Big Sky introduced true luxury as a posh resort about 50 miles south of Bozeman, with 139 guestrooms and residences, ski-in/ ski-out access, and a 10,000-square-foot spa. Architecture by Hart Howerton and interiors by BraytonHughes (now part of DLR Group), aim for a modern-meets-alpine-charm aesthetic via native materials and an art program featuring local creators.

A vintage canoe suspends from a ceiling of the Field & Stream great room

Back in Bozeman, Field & Stream, the first hotel from the iconic outdoor brand, also opened last spring. A collaboration between AJ Capital Partners and Starwood Hotels with architecture from DLR Group, the design leans into a lodge-like feel that blends vintage-inspired interiors with touches like pegboard storage, taxidermy, and wool camp blankets.

Public areas comprise the great room with a fieldstone fireplace, the backyard gathering space, plus an indoor pool, supply shop for fishing and camping gear, and two bars. The 179 guestrooms further lean into the outdoorsy vibe with plaid carpeting, wood-paneled walls, and camp chairs. As a celebration of the original publication, Field & Stream magazines were scanned and handlaid to create a custom wallcovering used throughout the property.

Further down the pipeline, two more properties are poised to enter Bozeman’s bustling downtown. A 190-room Canopy by Hilton, with architecture by locally based Intrinsic and interiors from DLR Group, will also be home to a rooftop restaurant with striking views. Meanwhile, Hotel Bozeman, an Autograph Collection property by Chicago-based GREC Architects, promises a mixed-use development offering 130 guestrooms, 34 branded condominiums, an aqua thermal spa, restaurant, and rooftop lounge.

Here, we explore four more properties redefining Big Sky country for the next wave of travelers.

Wandering Buffalo

A lodge-like feel extends to the public spaces of Wandering Buffalo, where white oak flooring combines with vintage furniture and taxidermy

A more recent boom started last spring when downtown Bozeman welcomed the 38-key Wandering Buffalo from Boundary Development. London-based firm Craft Space Studios found a strong foundation after stripping back the layers of an old Main Street hotel. The team decided to “embrace the funk,” says cofounder Tom Chalmers. Public spaces combine tile, white oak flooring, and vintage furniture with taxidermy welcoming guests to the lobby.

In the guestrooms, meanwhile, oversized headboards upholstered with a signature Pendleton Woolen Mills fabric pair with modish furniture and Asian-informed custom light fixtures. A favorite touch, says Chalmers, is the guestroom carpeting, which is “inspired by old Western prints with the addition of striations typical in contemporary design.”

Gravity Haus

Gravity Haus Big Sky, located in the former River Rock Lodge, debuted in July 2025

Opened last summer, Gravity Haus is the latest outlet from the Colorado-based adventure-lifestyle hotel and membership club designed for the modern, eco-conscious outdoor enthusiasts. With properties spanning destinations like Colorado, California, Wyoming, and Utah, Big Sky felt like a natural next step for the growing brand.

The in-house transformation of a traditional mountain lodge has resulted in a 29-room “modern, design-forward hub for adventure travelers and the local community,” says cofounder and CEO Jim Deters. His favorite touches include large-scale nature imagery and public spaces that, he says, “create constant visual and social movement. The hotel feels alive, not static.”

One&Only Moonlight Basin

Spanning three low-slung lodges and 19 cabins, One&Only Moonlight Basin marries ruggedness with refinement

The end of the year brought One&Only Moonlight Basin. Spread over three low-slung lodges and 19 cabins, plus private residences, the 73-room resort is another entry point into the luxury sector. In the first American offering from the Dubai-based brand, architecture and interiors come courtesy of Seattle’s Olson Kundig, which sought to explore the “tension between refinement and ruggedness,” says principal Tom Kundig.

Exterior materials include exposed, blackened steel framing and dark wood siding, while interiors rely on warm and durable materials like plaster or oak walls, wide oak plank or stone floors, hemlock wood ceilings, and leather and copper. In the bedrooms, custom platform beds and casework are accented by colors drawn directly from “Montana’s seasonal shifts, like sage, rust, tan, and deep green,” says Kundig.

Larch House

In Whitefish, Larch House boasts a cozy setting, where fireplaces warm cabins

Olson Kundig was also behind another Montana project, Larch House from Shop Development, this one further-afield in Whitefish. Spanning 10 buildings, complete with a heated rooftop pool and deck, courtyard, and curated art collection, the property offers 39 guestrooms, some in a lodge and others in cabins, that are, says Kundig, “wood clad and organized around reinterpreted gable forms, which is part of Whitefish’s logging history and craft tradition.”

Interiors, he adds, “balance the idea of traditional cabins with a more residential feel, focusing on materials that feel warm, comfortable, and built to last [such as] blackened steel fireplaces, oak floors, custom plaid rugs, and wood casework. Details like antique brass mesh and leather wraps are references to Montana’s culture and will age well over time.”

The bar at Larch House’s Enga restaurant nods to its location with a chandelier that mimics antlers

Photos by Andrew Chad Media, Christian Horan, David Mitchell, and courtesy of One&Only and Wandering Buffalo

This article originally appeared in HD’s February/March 2026 issue.