What People Are Saying About Snow Bear Chalets
When asked what he thought about the uniqueness of Snow Bear, the world’s first ski-in/ski-out treehouses, Sir Richard said, “The best entrepreneurial ideas always start with crazy!”
Malmquist Construction has worked on a huge array of structures in our business over the past 22 years in Whitefish. Never has a structure captured our attention like Snow Bear Chalets. Every day on the job we step back, take a deep breath and smile when we look at the beauty, elegance and whimsical design of these treehouses. Building 25’ in the air, with pillars for support, in the middle of winter, right next to a ski slope has been a challenge that we have embraced and enjoyed. We are thrilled to be part of this project. Anyone who stays at these treehouse chalets will have their expectations exceeded at the unique experience that is Snow Bear. Nothing comes close to the well thought out design, quality of construction and amazing feel of these chalets!
Some people dream their lives. Gail and Darryl live their dreams, and best of all, they pour every ounce of creativity and magic into each project they touch. Snow Bear Chalets are enchanting, elevated chalets, caressed by the woods… with just a touch of whimsical. I love how each treehouse chalet offers imaginative living at its finest. Truly a most rewarding experience in a spectacular setting along the chair lifts and ski runs of Whitefish Mountain with views across the Valley. As a real estate broker, I can hardly wait to set up my clients up in these chalets… for two reasons: one, to exceed their Montana expectations in a way that will be everlasting, and two, to have the opportunity to revisit the chalets myself! Walking through Snow Bear Chalets makes me feel halfway to heaven!
As a realtor with Glacier Sotheby’s International Realty, I’ve learned that luxury is not defined by one’s income…it is about quality, uniqueness, and ultimately achieving a certain lifestyle. Buyers in this ski resort market are not just purchasing a property, they are purchasing the lifestyle. I believe the same to be true for those that vacation here and for anyone seeking not just a luxury vacation but a luxury experience. I cannot imagine locating accommodations more unique than what Snow Bear Chalets has to offer at Whitefish Mountain Resort!
Mountains, nature, trees and treehouses… in my mind and heart it doesn’t get more profound than that. Through Nature we can connect and see the world and our connection to it in a simple way. What better place than in these treehouse chalets to feel our connection to Mother Earth. I have not experienced anything quite as peaceful and luxurious as my time here. Thank you Gail for bringing this into our lives.
Over my 32 years as a local community banker, the Snow Bear project is my all-time favorite. When I think of Snow Bear, I think of one word: “FUN”. Gail’s vision is a storybook tale which one can experience in one of the greatest places in the world. Where else can a person experience the grandeur of Glacier National Park, boat on our many lakes and streams, hike through our vast forests, catch trout in our pristine rivers, ski on some of the best snow and now stay in a luxury world class ski-in/ski-out treehouse! Whatever one chooses to do in Northwest Montana’s outdoor paradise, including a stay at Snow Bear will be an experience of a lifetime!
Snow Bear Chalets are a uniquely beautiful addition to Whitefish Mountain Resort. These treehouse chalets remind me of my childlike wonderment of what it would be like to live in the trees.
What Guests of Other Montana Bear Properties Had To Say
The Best Place to Stay in Glacier National Park
We had an absolutely amazing time at Glacier Bear Retreat. Glacier National Park is incredibly beautiful, and this house is the perfect place to stay for visiting the park. How often can you have your own, private, luxurious house inside a national park?
The location is phenomenal – easily accessible inside the West Glacier gate and just a few minutes walk from Lake McDonald, but also hidden in the trees and away from any park traffic.
The house itself has everything you would want for a vacation in the woods – fireplace, hot tub, outdoor fire pit, fully equipped gourmet kitchen, screened-in porch, beds that feel better than a 5-star hotel, bikes for exploring the paved paths, trail guidebooks for hiking around the park, bear mace (very important!), and such helpful, accommodating hosts! They have truly thought of every detail and made this place extraordinary. We couldn’t have felt more lucky to have spent a week at Glacier Bear Retreat. This place is magical – I hope we’ll be back!
Beautiful, comfortable and welcoming! This was an ideal place for our Glacier Park family vacation.
From the moment we walked in the front door and met our fabulous hostess Gail and saw all that this property had to offer we knew we had found something special. This house has so many special touches as well as a great fire pit and brand new hot tub. It was the home base for our Glacier adventure where we enjoyed boating, white water rafting and lots of hiking. We viewed awesome mountain scenery, glacial lakes and even saw a grizzly bear (from a distance). So thrilling!
The rooms were spacious and very well appointed. Everything was clean and well organized. Gail and Darryl have paid attention to every detail to make us feel right at home.
We would highly recommend this property to family and friends and hope to visit Glacier Bear Retreat again.
Can’t wait to return!
Nothing can compare to renting a house inside the park, and this house is a dream. A lovely gift basket was waiting for us upon our arrival, and Gail, the owner, greeted us with hugs, and patiently showed us around the house. She took the time to show us where the entrance to the secluded beach was located, which we visited often. The house had everything one could hope for and more, including comfortable beds, hiking books and maps, a very well stocked kitchen and pantry, bear spray, binoculars, and plenty of space to relax both inside and outside.
Amazing surprises awaited us inside the garage… two kayaks, six mountain bikes with helmets, and even two life jackets that Gail and her husband had purchased for our eight year old twins.
This house easily accommodated our family group, which included five adults and four children. The first floor bedroom with a walk in shower was perfect for my mother in law, who is disabled. We loved this house so much, we’ve booked it again for next June! Thank you, Gail, for everything.
Perfect place for a family vacation
This house is arranged perfectly for families. There is a lower level that is ideal for a family with small children to stay where baby cries will not disturb the rest of the house; or for young adults who like to stay up later than the older family members. There is a multi-bed room upstairs which is perfect for children ready to sleep in bunk beds!
There is a creek by the house that you can hear running at all times.
Gail, the owner, is always available if you have any questions or needs.
Our family loved every minute of our time there.
High maintenance family says, Glacier Bear Retreat = THE Premier Rental Property at GNP!
Last week was our second vacation trip to Glacier National Park and second time staying at Glacier Bear Retreat. Each time we come, we stay for a week, and – we can tell you from experience – this amazing place has everything you will need. We are a type-A family of six, and we rent homes for most of our vacations. Not only is this property very well apportioned, the owner’s are the kind that you hope to find – where the home is very clean, all the details and accommodations you are hoping for are included, and several that you wouldn’t have thought of or expected are, as well! From welcome basket, to fully functional kitchen, to late model updates and furniture, to all the toys and accessories you would need in the garage, to private setting around the home, to walking distance to Apgar Village, to fire pit, to hot tub, to fully stocked bar, to pool table and dart board, to… the list goes on and on.
For discerning renters who are looking for that especially classy location at Glacier National Park – this is it!!
Amazing Home…..Amazing National Park!!!!!!
I love to hike and I love nature but being from a busy city I want to escape from the crowds, and the hustle and bustle of big city life. So for me a great vacation is to go to a grand and beautiful destination and then find a great sanctuary to stay at while I am there. Well, if you want a truly great, peaceful, lovely home to stay at while visiting Glacier Park and Montana. This is it!!! Look no further.
I knew I had something special waiting for me the moment I first had contact with my gracious host Gail. Wow! From the very beginning she was there to help and was extremely enthusiastic to make sure that my trip would be special. Before my arrival she sent me all sorts of wonderful ideas and information about the whole area and a wealth of knowledge of everything imaginable I would need or want to consider on my trip. Like great recommended hikes, other cool activities, like white water rafting, as well as all the local resources, stores, restaurants etc. etc. Then she also informed me of things that you might not expect. Like, if I sent her a shopping list she would make sure it would all be in the house on my arrival and it was!! Like, she also had personal chef’s that could come in and cook a special meal for us. Not to mention, that after my long days of hiking, if needed she had a massage therapist who was available to come to the house. Seriously, I am not making any of this up.
So onto the home and beautiful “Glacier Bear Retreat”. Well, it is a like a private home with all the amenities of a 5 star resort. Spacious and ohh so cozy. Beautiful bedrooms, wonderful fire place with all the wood easily accessible, comfortable screened in porches, and an outside area complete with a fire pit to sit around during the cool Montana evenings. Not to mention the tranquility of Max’s Island with the babbling brook and interesting waterfall, complete with picnic table for a nice peaceful lunch. Of course “Jim’s Hot Tub” is just so wonderful to immerse yourself in after a day of exploring the beautiful nature of the park. Lastly, can sure not forget the wonderful recreation room complete with pool table, darts, music, and a fully stocked bar with tasty local spirits.
So, needless to say Gail set out to do something special when she built Glacier Bear Retreat and she certainly did it!!! So plan your trip early, because as the word starts getting out about this place it is going to become a tough reservation to get.
Girls trip to Glacier!
We had a wonderful time staying at Glacier Bear Retreat! It was all we could have wanted and more!! Beautiful home in a beautiful location! It was a wonderful home base while exploring Glacier National Park! The beds have heated mattresses and are the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in! We would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend this special retreat!
Beautiful Home with Great Amenities!
My husband and I loved our stay here last year! It’s away from the hustle and bustle of Whitefish, but close enough to get there quickly whenever we needed a coffee from Red Caboose or a beer from Bonzai Brewing! We loved the beautiful views from all the windows and especially enjoyed using the hot tub late at night to look at the stars. The great room was perfect for curling up with a book when we wanted a technology sabbatical while the theatre made the “screen time” we chose to indulge in amazing. We would definitely recommend this rental to anyone coming to Montana!
Amazing property in gorgeous location. 5 stars!!
When we saw the photos of this property, they almost looked too good to be true, but this place is a real gem. We traveled to this property as a family plus grandparents in tow, and loved our time here. The home is spacious, has amazing natural light, great kitchen, tons of outside porch space and a hot tub. The dining room is big enough for a large group and there are areas to read and relax and even do puzzles. We loved the theater and waking up to the gorgeous views from every room.
We travel several months throughout the year, staying at luxury rentals and hotels. This is truly a 5 star property, with high end linens, kitchen tools, and the owners ensured this house was incredibly well appointed with a welcome basket which made us feel right at home. We felt like we were at a luxury resort but had the freedom and space of a luxury rental- the best of both worlds.
We loved the natural surroundings and the adorable town of Whitefish, too! Glacier National Park isn’t far away either. Looking forward to returning to this place.