A global luxury brand best known for lavish beach escapes and glamorous resorts in destinations such as the Maldives, Mexico, Greece, and Dubai has chosen a very different backdrop for its debut in the United States: the mountains of Montana.
One&Only Moonlight Basin, which opened in Big Sky on November 18, is the brand’s first American property.
The resort sits on 240 acres at Moonlight Basin, bordered by more than 17,000 additional acres of preserved land. It’s roughly an hour from the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) and about an hour drive from the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park—close enough to enjoy wildlife safari, fly-fishing, and geothermal day trips. And, of course, Big Sky Resort, accessed via the property’s gondola, offers more than 5,800 acres of lift-served terrain, making it one of the largest ski and snowboard areas in North America.
Among the different styles of accommodations available to guests are these freestanding cabins.
Courtesy of One&Only
Unlike the stereotypical mountain lodges found across the West—with oversize timber, antler chandeliers, and cowboy-inspired decor—the design here is purposefully quiet. Architect Tom Kundig of Olson Kundig has avoided alpine kitsch and instead focused on natural materials, local artwork, and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the surrounding landscape.
Rooms, suites, cabins, and residences
The resort has 73 guest rooms and suites in its lodges, with an additional 19 freestanding cabins, and a collection of four- to six-bedroom private homes available as vacation rentals for larger groups or longer-stay visitors. Across the board, every room category includes local stone and wood finishes, a private outdoor space (either a terrace or balcony), and a generous walk-in closet for suitcases and gear, such as ski boots or fly-fishing waders.
All of the accommodations at One&Only Moonlight Basin showcase the gorgeous surrounding scenery.
Courtesy of One&Only
The entry-level rooms start at approximately 725 square feet and include a fireplace, a soaking tub, and a separate rainfall shower. Suites are 1,100 square feet and larger, offering more spacious living areas and panoramic views of Lone Peak, the ski resort’s striking summit, or of the forested surroundings. The Big Sky Suite, spread across a sprawling 3,250 square feet, also includes a 10-seat dining table, a gourmet kitchen, and a wrap-around balcony with outdoor seating and a hot tub.
Drinks and dining
The property debuted with a culinary program led by executive chef Matt Dahlkemper, who previously worked at Forbes 5 Star restaurants and helmed hotel dining programs around the world, including Four Seasons Resort in Dubai and Pendry West Hollywood. Moonlight Basin spans three restaurants and two bars. The Landing, located at the Sky Lodge near the resort gondola, serves seasonally driven American dishes for breakfast, lunch, après-ski, and dinner. Some menu items include a buffalo smash burger topped with local cheese and a bacon marmalade, and chicken schnitzel. There’s also a grab-and-go area at the Sky Lodge serving coffee and pastries.
Dear Josephine is one of the two on-site bars.
Photo by Rupert Peace/Courtesy of One&Only
Wildwood, in the Main Lodge, offers ranch-focused Montana fare, such as river trout and locally raised bison and elk. The resort also opened Akira Back, a modern Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant headed by the chef and former professional snowboarder of the same name, whose former restaurant, Dosa, in Seoul, South Korea (now closed), earned a Michelin star. Akira Back’s menu features a range of dry-aged beef and prime wagyu steaks, as well as fresh seafood and sushi.
For drinks, Dear Josephine is a sleek cocktail bar named after a historic Montana bootlegger, and Moonshack is a cigar and whiskey cabin situated in the woods.
From yoga classes to extensive spa services, One&Only Moonlight Basin offers numerous ways to both relax and reinvigorate.
Courtesy of One&Only Moonlight Basin
Wellness at One&Only
The resort’s 17,000-square-foot One&Only Spa features eight treatment rooms, steam and sauna facilities, an oxygen bar for altitude recovery, and an indoor lap pool with glass walls that open to an outdoor soaking area. Services are built around two partnerships: science-based skincare using Augustinus Bader products and nail treatments from Bastien Gonzalez’s Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio. A second-floor fitness center includes a movement room where personal training and group classes take place (at an additional cost), and the outdoor deck hosts yoga sessions in warmer months. A tennis court and outdoor cold-plunge pools round out the wellness amenities.
A heated gondola brings guests directly to Big Sky Resort’s slopes.
Courtesy of One&Only
Activities and amenities
Beyond the spa, the resort includes an on-site ski tuning center equipped with the Wintersteiger Jupiter system used for professional race preparation (for a charge of $130), plus a gear boutique for both winter and summer activities. A heated One&Only gondola connects guests directly to Big Sky Resort’s Madison Base in about five minutes.
On the property, more than 15 miles of groomed and ungroomed trails are maintained for snowshoeing, fat-tire biking, cross-country and Nordic skiing (with Nordic skiing—a mix of cross-country, telemark, and alpine skiing—your heels aren’t clipped into the skis), hiking, and mountain biking, depending on the season. The resort also features two private alpine lakes, called Lee’s Pools, for fly-casting instruction and paddleboarding, as well as a private observatory offering guided stargazing sessions. For younger travelers, the KidsOnly Club offers supervised outdoor programming tied to local wildlife and the alpine environment.
Big Sky has been evolving for years, slowly shifting from a quiet ski town for those in the know to a four-season destination. One&Only’s arrival doesn’t just confirm that—it accelerates it. And for the first time in the resort brand’s history, you won’t need a passport to see how.
Nightly rates for One&Only Moonlight Basin start at $1,169.
