In conceiving architecture and interiors for One&Only Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana, Seattle-based Olson Kundig gave primacy to its spectacular mountain setting. “Ideally, the resort becomes a platform for experiencing the landscape,” firm principal Tom Kundig says. “The buildings frame views, offer moments of shelter, and create places to pause and take in the surroundings—from the inside looking out, and from the outside looking at the building.”
That guiding philosophy is precisely why Dubai-based hospitality developer Kerzner International turned to the firm for the U.S. debut of its One&Only brand. “We look for design partners who share our belief that architecture should be deeply rooted in its environment, while creating something truly distinctive for our guests,” explains brand president Mark Kirby. “Olson Kundig stood out to us for its exceptional ability to craft spaces that are contemporary and timeless but also maintain a strong dialogue with nature and place.”
Refined furniture and expansive windows make the Landing Restaurant and Bar a perfect place to take a break from outdoor activities
The guest experience at One&Only Moonlight Basin revolves around the idea of the resort serving as a basecamp for embarking into the mountains. To that end, the landscape is an active amenity, “and guests can choose their own adventure but return to the shelter [of the hotel],” says Kundig. The material palette inside and out reflects that ethos—with architecture that is quiet amongst the landscape but also explores the tension between refinement and ruggedness. “Architecture is most meaningful when it becomes a lens for experiencing nature rather than competing with it,” he says.
For the exterior, the firm opted for exposed, blackened steel framing and dark wood siding so the buildings disappear into the trees. This, Kundig says, conveys a sense of restraint. “Even though the buildings are relatively large, the roof lines and low profiles allow them to recede into the horizon of the treetops, mountain ridges, and distant planes,” he points out. Meanwhile, the interiors are awash in warm and durable materials, including plaster or oak walls, wide oak planks or stone floors, and hemlock wood ceilings. Many of the fireplaces are hot rolled steel, with a few special ones made from Montana moss rock or bronze.
Three interconnected lodges house a multitude of restaurants and bars, as well as 73 guestrooms (there are also 19 guest cabins and 62 private homes on the property). Outfitted in rust and dark brown accents, knotty paneling, and leather headboards, the generously sized guestrooms (the smallest is approximately 700 square feet) “create a sense of shelter after a day in the mountains,” Kundig explains. Every unit features a double-sided fireplace, huge picture windows, and a private balcony, which invites in “very intentional views of the landscape,” he adds.
Each public space is designed as its own experience but made cohesive with similar textures and tones. Because every building is situated to frame views, wherever a guest is, the landscape is always present. Take the Sky Lodge, which acts as the resort’s social hub. Here, an upper living room is organized around a double-sided fireplace and mountain views.
In Dear Josephine, red velvet chairs and copper tones reference the region’s mining history, bringing warmth to the space
Meanwhile, the Landing Restaurant and Bar is an active space for après-ski and Dear Josephine in the main lodge is home to red velvets and copper details that draw on Montana’s mining and bootlegging history. Wildwood Restaurant, on the other hand, offers a brighter, more formal dining experience, where kinetic screens reveal or hide the kitchen. Rounding out the offerings is Japanese-Korean restaurant Akira Back, which is enhanced by a moody and minimalist vibe, and the Moonshack, a modest, prefabricated cabin that guests discover while skiing or snowshoeing. “It’s a bar with a more vintage character but still speaks to the idea of gathering around a warm fire after a day in the mountains,” Kundig says.
Further, a standalone spa and fitness center, meant to feel like an old stone building that has always lived onsite, is made exceptional by a gym set in a separate black steel volume above the spa.
“Our ambition with One&Only Moonlight Basin was to remain authentic to the spirit of the American West while introducing a level of design-led luxury and immersive hospitality that had not previously existed in the region,” says Kirby. “The resulting balance—between the grandeur of the setting and the warmth and intimacy of the interiors—is exactly what we hoped to achieve with the project.”
Outdoor terraces extend the experience of the Landing Restaurant and Bar toward the valley, offering sweeping views of the landscape
A double-sided fireplace divides a series of lounge areas in the Sky Lodge, complete with tactile accents of saddle leather, wool, and oak
Warm wood clads the retail space, where guests can find outerwear for their adventures
Framed by panoramic views, guestrooms evoke a warm cabin vibe with tones of sage, rust, and deep green
At the heart of the spa, a glass-enclosed pool opens through a pivoting door to an outdoor onsen and cold plunge tubs
This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2026 issue.