Tuesday, January 13, 2026
37.0°F

Three-story hotel proposed for Bigfork

MATT BALDWIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 9 months AGO
by MATT BALDWIN
Matt Baldwin is regional editor for Hagadone Media Montana. He is a graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism. He can be reached at 406-758-4447 or [email protected]. | April 18, 2024 12:00 AM

A 64-room hotel is planned for a new subdivision on the north side of Bigfork.

Bigfork Hotel Group is seeking approval of a conditional use permit to build the hotel on about 2 acres in The Fort subdivision off Montana 83.

The Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee will review the application at its April 25 meeting. The advisory committee meets at 4 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork.

The property is located within the Bigfork Zoning District and is zoned B-3 Community Business.

The three-story hotel would be a Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, with 14 guest rooms on the main level and 27 rooms each on the second and third levels. Plans show the main entrance on the north side of the building. The ground floor would include a front desk, lobby and breakfast area.

Parking is proposed on all sides of the building, with 86 total spaces. The lot would include a 24-foot drive aisle to accommodate two-way traffic.

According to the permit application, the site would be accessed by Cala Way. The hotel is anticipated to produce 531 vehicle trips a day at full capacity.

The developers said the subdivision would be served by the Bigfork Water and Sewer District.

However, Bigfork Water and Sewer District Manager Julie Spencer noted in her review of the project that the site has a 1-inch water line and 1.25-inch pressure sewer service. She said that may not be adequate for a 65-room hotel.

"The Montana Department of Environmental Quality now requires additional capacity to be authorized by an engineer with knowledge of the District's transmission, collection and treatment capacity," she wrote in an initial review.

The application drew no scrutiny from other county agencies.

Following the committee's recommendation, the proposal goes to the Flathead County Board of Adjustment.

ARTICLES BY MATT BALDWIN

Flathead skiers win freeride event on home terrain
January 12, 2026 11:05 p.m.

Flathead skiers win freeride event on home terrain

Skiing on their home mountain, Flathead Freeride team members Liam Byrd and Hana Fassnacht landed at the top of the podium in the IFSA Junior Freeride competition at Whitefish Mountain Resort last weekend.

Montana’s snowpack above normal after December storms
January 12, 2026 11 a.m.

Montana’s snowpack above normal after December storms

The relentless atmospheric river that drenched Montana in December helped ease drought conditions while also delivering robust snowfall to the state’s highest terrain.

Whitefish Mountain Resort evacuates skiers after lift breakdown
January 9, 2026 2 p.m.

Whitefish Mountain Resort evacuates skiers after lift breakdown

Skiers were evacuated from the Chair 1 Big Mountain Express lift at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Friday morning following a mechanical failure, according to resort officials.