Grand Hotel in Big Timber, Montana, undergoes facelift to glory days

Mother-daughter team Kim and Jessica Germain are working with Kim's
husband and Jessica's dad, Steve, to recreate the Grand Hotel's grandeur.

MONTANA'S GRAND HOTEL  WILL

RECLAIM ITS FORMER GRANDEUR

Fine art decorates the Grand Hotel -- western scenes and
other paintings, Navajo rugs and fine jewelry from a Big Timber gallery.

 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER


A LONGTIME FRIEND of Montana, her husband and her daughter are giving new life to Big Timber's historic Grand Hotel, with hopes to make it truly grand again.
Kim Germain, husband Steve and daughter Jessica have begun a grand plan to renovate and restore the 1890 hotel, beginning with cosmetic touches on the ground floor and working upstairs to the guest rooms, 

Taking on the challenge of restoring a beloved town landmark is no easy task, but the Germains are up to it.

The colorful bar is the backdrop as Kim Germain
and daughter Jessica take a break from work.

'WE REALIZE that people don't particularly like change," says Kim, "and we also know how much fondness people have for the place." The family gatherings,  wedding receptions, wakes, special brunches and dinners, anniversaries and birthdays -- everyone here has a memory featuring the Grand Hotel."

Germain sees the Grand as "the grand dame of the town.  She deserves to be loved and cared for and that's what we're doing."

Germain has lived in several states including Michigan, Arizona and Ohio, with multiple visits to Montana where she has an aunt in Billings.  Her family roots are anchored in the land -- dairy farming and ranching on both sides--  and her affection for Montana is deep and sincere. She has farming cousins and a close relative who excels in competition penning.  She loves rodeos and plans live music around those and other special events in Big Timber and nearby.

 After purchasing the place nearly five years ago, the Germains set to work.

A relaxed, western theme greets visitors to the
Grand Hotel, here the recently remodeled lobby.

KIM SAYS with a laugh, that the purchase came about "because we needed a place to stay while we were looking for property on the Yellowstone."

Behind funding the two Yellowstone properties and buying the hotel is the family's successful, multi-state car dealership. "We're a fourth generation business," says Jessica proudly.  Diving into the hospitality industry has been a good experience for the family, she says. "It's a learning curve but we have the enthusiasm to do it, and we're always listening to the people."

 The family originally bought undeveloped riverfront property intending to build a ranch style home on the Yellowstone, That plan changed when a developed property came up for sale. "It looked perfect -- it already had a ranch house and looked beautiful from the ads," Kim says.  She sent her agent to have a look and bought the place on her recommendation. "I asked her if it was as pretty as it looked on line and she said it was. I'm given to impulse sometimes."

Steaks and chops are on the menu at the Grand
Hotel, along with pastas, seafood and homemade
desserts. Buffalo and burgers are also featured.

 That purchase allowed more time for the hotel project, which began with a redo of the ground floor's popular dining room, the bar area and the welcoming lobby. The second-floor suite the family uses were also completed.  A comfortable, ranch style motif enhances the design which the Germains developed with the guidance of a decorator from Phoenix base.  

A warm, western feel pervades the Grand Hotel dining room,
where guests can relax with western art in a casual, yet elegant
atmosphere. Both lunch and dinner are served Tuesday-Saturday. 

Challenges to renovating an 1890 building in a small town include dealing with old plumbing and wiring issues and securing and retaining reliable help. "We have a great manager now, and other hard working staff," says Kim. We dealt with two excellent employees: the gracious hotel manager Stacey and cheerful front desk manager Rio, who came in on his day off to welcome us.

"We've had to enlist Billings people for some of the repairs."  

The menu was also kicked up a notch, with Montana beef featured for lunch and dinner and a variety of enticing soups, salads, pastas, lamb and buffalo. Reservations are needed for the formal dining room but not for sandwiches and appetizers in the bar which offers a range of spirits and many beer options. The restaurant will soon be open 7 days instead of the present five, Kim hopes.

Recent guests at The Grand include this group
of actors from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks,
and five fishermen from five states who stage
an annual fishing trip and reunion at the Grand. Foreign guests are also frequent visitors.

VISITORS TODAY enjoy the pleasantly decorated lobby downstairs and an inviting sitting and visiting area upstairs.  A tidy small kitchen boasts a refrigerator and freezer, coffee maker and microwave. 

Rooms include both those with in-suite bathrooms and those with shared bath.  A complex of showers, tubs and basins is meticulously maintained in the central area upstairs, which also offers a sauna. Rates range from $129 for room with shared bath, to $189 for a king-size bed, bath and daybed, to $369 for the suite. Pets may accompany owners with prior notice and $20 fee. The hotel also has a low-allergy room accessible by stairs in which no animals are allowed.

Rooms are comfy now, and are being redone in
 the relaxed western theme which marks the lobby.
 Kim plans to name rooms after western personalities.

On our recent visit we met a group of five lively men, senior citizens who have been coming to the Grand Hotel for years to fish the Yellowstone and Boulder rivers. "We love the place," said John. "It's got character, history and nice people."

We also met a half-dozen of the actors from Montana Shakespeare in the Park, which was performing that night in the nearby park. "We love it because it's convenient and comfortable," said the company's artistic director. "Great place with a fun, historic vibe." 

To book a room or meal or find out more, click here

 

A koala is in a contemplative mood.
We visit two of Australia's nature preserves. 

ON TAP: From the lobby of the Grand Hotel to the koala forests of Australia, and New York's Central Park, we're there. In the next few weeks, we explore nature preserves in several countries.   First: koalas, kangaroos and other magical critters and birds welcome us to the wild side of Australia. We visit two internationally acclaimed sanctuaries in this vast continent, where we feed the kangaroos and hold the sleepy koalas. While we're in the neighborhood, we visit the Australian Museum of Sydney, a world class venue exploring cultures across the globe. There's a stop in store at Montana's historic C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls and we offer tips on packing light and avoiding the pitfalls of heavy cumbersome baggage and extra airplane charges.  We're  a nature and travel driven blog, and appreciate suggestions and ideas from our readers. Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, performance, family and the arts: