Built in 1914, Many Glacier Hotel is situated on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and rests at the base of Mt. Grinnell inside Glacier National Park. The hotel has 214 rooms and offers a fine dining restaurant, lounge, gift shop, and snack shop. Red Bus tours, boat cruises, and other activities, including horseback riding, are available at this Swiss-style lodge. All guestrooms at Many Glacier Hotel are rustic, yet comfortable. In keeping with the era in which the hotel was built, the rooms offer guests modest amenities and old-world style accommodations resulting in a one-of-a kind, National Park lodging experience.
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HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
1147 Rte 3, Babb, MT 59417
Many Glacier Hotel
1,500 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled amidst breathtaking scenery, Many Glacier Hotel captivates guests with its historic charm and picturesque location, ideal for exploring nature's splendor. Reviewers are drawn to the hotel's cleanliness and the inviting atmosphere amplified by a cozy lobby fireplace.
However, some travelers feel the room quality and amenities don't match the premium pricing, pointing out basic, sometimes outdated accommodations and sporadic Wi-Fi. While opinions on service vary, with instances of both commendable and lackluster interactions, the overall experience is often seen as a blend of rustic allure and modern challenges.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Basic
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Limited
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We had a five nights stay at the Many Glacier Hotel. A magnificent setting in a chalet style building with an over 100-year history. There are great views of the lake from the main lobby area. If you get a room on the lake side, it is wonderful to wake and retreat to your room with a view of the lake. Several hiking options are within steps of the hotel. Additional recreation activities including boat rides and kayaking. Our bed was more comfortable than I anticipated, so that was good. Perhaps the biggest down side, is the food (options and quality) and access to alternatives for dining. There is one restaurant at the hotel, that at least in June 2021, is take out only. The food variety (especially for pescatarians) is limited, and the quality isn’t anything that will wow you. It is basic food. The snack shop in the hotel provides a few more limited options, but we’re talking donuts, wine/beer, and assorted snacks. You have to drive into Saint Mary or other nearby places for alternatives, but even there, the options are very limited. We arrived with some food with us, so we recommend being prepared for the food situation, especially if you will be here for several days. Even the concierge upon learning how many nights we would before strongly suggested that we embellish our dining options with places outside of the hotel. The setting in the hotel is historic, and is particularly well suited for enjoying Swiftcurrent Lake. You will likely not have any cell phone reception while staying here. Wifi provided by the hotel is available, but is a very light connection and we got disconnected often. Cleaning crews could be ramped up, especially in the common areas. While dirt will be tracked in due to the location, it seemed carpeting stayed untouched from a vacuum during most of our almost week long stay. Make reservations early (e.g., up to 13 months) before your planned stay.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Splurge for a room that overlooks the lake
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, the bar is lower this year as hotels, restaurants and other service providers struggle with working with various and changing government COVID related orders and recommendations and hiring and retaining staff. Many Glacier is no different and in my view has adjusted as well as practical. Several have noted that the rooms can be small, I think that is true with the "value" rooms. We opted for the much more expensive deluxe lake view rooms with shared balcony. The price was very high, but for what may have been a one time visit for 3 nights, was worth it. The rooms were large, and the 4 of us shared with was a private balcony overlooking the lake. Interestingly, though our rooms were right next to one another, one of the bathrooms was quite small but functional, with the shower particularly small, but the other bathroom and shower were much larger. As for the food, the lines varied from 2 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the meal, but the quality was just fine. I can particularly recommend the bison burger for dinner, and there is a decent selection of beers but a bit less inspiring on the wine and cocktail side of things. We brought liquor and mixers and made our own, and at least our experience was that the ice machine worked just fine. The view and location speaks for itself, we did have the advertised 40 minute construction delay coming in, but we left at 630am Monday and were lucky that there was no delay as the work for the week had not begun. We were warned that delays can be in the hour or longer range in the evenings, but that did not impact us. We hiked Grinnell glacier (saw mountain goats and big horned sheep) and Iceberg lake, both recommended and easy access. Bears and moose can easily be seen within walking distance of the hotel. We also opted for the boat ride (reserve in advance!!!!) to shorten the Grinnell glacier hike. All in all, a great experience.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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While we were pleasantly surprised by Lake McDonald, we were essentially blown away by Many Glacier! Our room was very large (we had a Deluxe Parkside with a king bed) and clean and well-organized. While our bathroom was large, the shower (like at Lake McDonald) was updated but TINY. Again like Lake McDonald, there was no AC, which is fine as you don’t normally need it, but it was very hot during our stay. A fan in the window after the sun went down was helpful, but those hours until the sun sets (even on a Parkside room) were warm! We loved the “vibe” of this hotel overall, as it is much larger than Lake McDonald and has the feel of one of those old summer camps where families would go for the whole summer (as they in fact used to do)! There are many seating areas inside and out, and plenty of places to take in the incredible views. The food was the exact same as at Lake McDonald, with the similar to-go set up. (They bring your food to you at a table, there just isn’t enough staff for the full restaurant/dining experience) Honestly this was more than fine with us as no one comes to the National Parks for the food, so efficiency (and having a few options) is key. We enjoyed the ranger program in the evening during our stay and learned about the history of the property. We also watched a moose swim across Swiftcurrent Lake - what an experience! This hotel is also perfect for the many trailheads in the area. Grinnell Glacier was closed so we did Iceberg Lake and weren’t disappointed. If you get lucky enough to snag a reservation, definitely stay here and enjoy!!!
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Date of stay: July 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked here solely for the location: on the eastern shore of Swiftwater Lake which provides fabulous views of the mountains and easy access to many trails. I knew it was an old hotel and the rooms would not have good sound insulation, and I was right. We could hear our neighbors adjacent to us talking in normal voices. The rooms and particularly the bathrooms have been nicely updated however. The lobby is filled with a constant flow of people many of whom think they're in their own homes and can yell and scream indiscriminately. Unfortunately management has chosen to leave a grand piano in the lobby and everyone who has ever had even a single piano lesson believes everyone else wants to hear them play. Not! There was one man who could play and performed American the Beautiful and our National Anthem to the great applause of the crowd. If you're staying here don't expect any peace and tranquility: people hang around the lobby and outside the hotel facing the lake to 9 to 10 PM. Given the rates they charge, management should require all non-hotel guests to leave by 7 PM if not earlier. While the youthful hotel staff seemed eager to please the hotel management had an attitude of "I could care less about you" as a customer. Disappointing especially given how expensive the rooms are. So you come here for its outstanding location which is s second to none in the World, (we have traveled to the Alps, Italian Dolomites and Banff) and accept that the hotel experience will be poor. But if you want loud and boisterous crowds, you'll be happy. Yes, we did see grizzlies and fortunately, at a distance.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel is an excellent choice if you’re interested in views and close proximity to hiking but don’t actually need any rest. Beautiful historical hotel and grounds; however the walls are paper thin so you’ll get to know your neighbors through their coughs, sneezes, loud conversations and slamming doors. If you’re (un)lucky enough to get room 273 you’ll be right over the kitchen and will get know the staff’s musical tastes as the tunes they are blasting waft right through your closed windows and into your bedroom until midnight. But don’t think you’ll be sleeping in as housekeeping will unlock your door and walk right in at 8 am without bothering to knock. The rooms are way overpriced for the value received but this hotel is always sold out due to its location and the operator Xanterra doesn’t really care.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Avoid room 273 (but you don’t have any choice) - bring ear plugs and sleep aids.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For $600 a night you would think the hotel would reserve spots for people actually staying here. You will literally need to circle around for an hour just to find a place to park your car when you arrive. By 6 PM the parking lot is nearly empty because all the Day trippers are gone. Why they do not reserve spots for the gas is beyond me. Most annoying they did not allow guests to make dinner reservations. Instead you have to start queuing up an hour ahead of dinner service if you want a table at all....why no reservations???? Location is prime and lots of beautiful sites to see, amazing trails but for $600 a night I would not expect to find RAT POOP on my patio, Finally, the rooms are situated to where the doors face the lobby below and the older people like to wake up at 5 AM and talk really loud. Don't plan on sleeping in past 6am if you stay here Will not be staying here again.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A year ago today, my husband and I set our alarms in the middle of the night so we could secure a room at the Many Glacier hotel for September 2021...our only option...a $490 a night room with a lake view. We were thrilled. We visited Glacier NP last year, but could only experience the west side due to the east side being closed due to Covid.
We arrived today, having to sit in the anticipated road construction traffic. A half hour delay. As we drove in, the views were stunning. Our room, with a view, is beautiful, but that is where the experience ends.
We arrived on a Wednesday, just before the busy Labor Day weekend. We arrived an hour before check in. We could not even connect to Wifi as we waited, as it is tied to your room number (yet they knew our room number when we arrived).
We planned to eat dinner at their restaurant - with dinner entree service starting at 5 p.m. We were in line right at 5 p.m. We waited in line for a half hour, only to be told that they were out of two of their three dinner entrees. How is that even possible?! Dinner service literally just started! The cashier told us that the food truck didn't arrive that day (same story we heard at St. Mary Village earlier in the week). When we tried to talk to the dinner service manager, his story was that they started dinner service a bit early that day and just ran out. We now have no confidence that they will have dinner service the next two nights we are staying here or even breakfast before heading out on a full-day's hike to Grinnell Glacier/Iceberg Lake/Cracker Lake.
A simple solution to the problem would to post a sign at the entrance of the dining order area, or be told upon check in, that menu items were limited.
There are no mini fridges, microwaves, etc. in the rooms to make do on your own. You could drive into Babb, which will put you in the road construction delays up to 1/2 hr. each way, not including the normal driving distance.
We tried to talk to the hotel manager, but apparently that person's work hours are 8-5. Utterly useless when the busiest times of the day are when people are checking in and dinner service. We'll see what happens tomorrow. We're not holding out much hope.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Lake side rooms for stunning views.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We paid $550 a night for a mid week stay. It was a high of 88 degrees! When we checked in there were people spread out napping all over the lobby, no where to sit at all. Most people did not seem like they were stay here, just loafing about the area. When we got to our very stuffy hot room the fan did not work at all. I finally climbed up and found an outlet it worked in. After a long hot day, I took a shower only to find that the shampoo, conditioner and body wash were ALL empty in the shower. My husband stood in line for an hour to get a take out (only take out available) cheeseburger for dinner and was informed that the fryers are broken (no fries, chicken strips, etc). Also, the espresso machine in the cafe is down too. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind roughing it in a National Park. But, this park went to reservation only system and this was the only room available 3 months in advance. It’s the fact that we paid $550 a night and not even shampoo in the shower!!! I called the front desk and informed the manager on Duty and he said we would make a note. That’s all.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The last time I had stayed at Many Glacier was 2014, and had been there many times. I knew Xanterra had taken over the park so I was unsure what I would find as I knew the high level experience I had before for years under Glacier Park Inc. Unfortunately the only good experience I had was the park itself, something Xanterra has nothing to do with.
First of all, we arrived there for our 4 o clock check in time and our rooms were not ready. Checkout for guests leaving is 11, so a five hour turnaround should have been more than enough time. When we finally got to our room, there was no balcony as was said during reservations when we got our lakeside rooms. I am not sure if there was some confusion or something, but they told us it's "not a guarantee you get a balcony". How is that a thing? I was under the impression, having been in business management, that a specific room will be tied to your reservation to ensure no double booking occurs. This should have told us whether or not a balcony would be with our room.
Second, I am not sure if this is a precedent that has been set in previous years, but it was near "end of season" and the majority of Glacier parks services that Xanterra controls were closed. Having had issues making my reservation because of availability, I can't imagine it was because a lack of business. The poor staff at places that were still open were so overwhelmed I felt bad for them. And with COVID precautions still in place, it was impossible to maintain proper social distancing while ordering food. That's besides the fact that getting food took 45 minutes to an hour to even order. This is pretty hard when you have a hungry 3 year old.
Last of all, and probably the saddest for me, was the disrepair of the Many Glacier Hotel. One of rooms did not have a working phone, and was never fixed while we were there, even though they said they would fix it. The new heaters that had been installed did not provide adequate heat for a September night in the mountains. It had been old radiators before, which were outdated, but at least worked. One of our rooms had a mouse, which we had managed to trap in a bag and throw out in the hallway in the middle of the night. Front desk was informed of this, which they didn't seem to care about. Maybe because it was end of season I don't know. The main balcony of the hotel had caution tape blocking off part of it, as well as bat guano all over from nesting bats on the underside of the roof. I can understand the draw of having the bats, but to not clean up the mess is just unacceptable and unsanitary.
Unfortunately, as long as Xanterra manages the services of our great historic parks, I will not be spending my money there again. I understand they basically hold a monopoly on our national parks and that this probably won't do anything, but I cannot bring myself to spend my hard earned money for such a poor experience. I cannot put into words how sad I was to have to write a bad review about one of my favorite places on earth. I just want our history and park to be they way it always was, fun and memorable.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was so happy to secure a reservation at this historic hotel.. I booked a year before we went and all that was available was a room with 2 twin beds.. when we checked in though I was able to get a room that had a little balcony !! The views are amazing! The best is to sit on the deck of the hotel in the early morning and watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee! We have stayed at other national park lodges so we were prepared for no tv or air conditioning. The WiFi was better then I expected. We were on the second floor and there are no elevators for that floor so be prepared to carry your luggage .. we did use the bellhop and he was very accommodating. The hotel itself is very charming with beautiful views. I will say that the common areas could have used a little more attention for cleaning… the windows needed a shine and lobby needed dusting .. our room was comfortable but small.. the sink was outside of the shower area. Beds were comfy and they provide a fan if you are warm . We had breakfast in the dining room.. only a buffet is offered .. the basics and it was 21$.. we enjoyed dinner in the dining room one night and they also have another restaurant with a bar but the menu strangely is the same as the dining room.. would have liked a little different option for that. There is a boat area where you can purchase a tour ( do it beforehand because they sell out and then you have to be on a waitlist) and also they rent kayaks and row boats. They also have a little cafe downstairs where you can grab coffees and pastry’s and other food items to go .. they have personnel pizzas too.. that’s a great place! If you can get a reservation here I feel it is worth it to stay. Truly beautiful and historic property.. there are hiking trails nearby too.. parking is a little bit of a walk .. it fills up during the day with other visitors and it’s up a hill from the hotel itself.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Babb area.
PRICE RANGE
$350 - $350 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
many glacier national park, glacier hotel, hotel many glacier
LOCATION
United StatesMontanaBabb
NUMBER OF ROOMS
214
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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