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 Featured Destination - Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
The thought that more than 14,000 people
once gathered on the grounds that are now Fairmont Hot
Springs Resort for the Butte Miners annual picnic is
inconceivable to me. The date was August 12th, 1912.
Butte’s population was more than 110,000 and the city was
one of the most prosperous in America. The Hot Springs were
then known as Gregson Hot Springs, after the brothers George
and Eli, who originally bought the property in 1869 for the
hefty price of sixty dollars. The Gregsons had built a
beautiful two story hotel, a plunge pool and five large
bathing rooms at the site of the twelve mineral hot springs
that were found on the property. Today the population of
Butte is 34,000 and Fairmont hosts only a few hundred guests
at a time.
Gregson was a popular destination for the busy mining
community. I can imagine the draw of the hot springs for
people wanting just a little break from their hard work at
the mines. Today we are faced with a similar desire to get
away from our everyday world and escape and the options are
plentiful. Flights from Missoula can take a traveler to Las
Vegas, Mexico, Disneyland, Hawaii, or around the world. All
of which sound tempting if one has the right combination of
time and money. The beauty of Fairmont is that we can truly
get away without having to leave the Three Rivers Region.
My family and I recently had the opportunity to visit
Fairmont for a couple of days. Our goal was to relax just a
little before traveling on to our older daughters’ soccer
and volleyball tournaments on the weekend. In hindsight, it
was a much needed break from our regular schedules and once
the kids got into the pools they barely got out long enough
to grab a snack.
The best part about staying at Fairmont is that the pools
are available for guests to use 24 hours a day. You can swim
as often or as little as you like. The second best part is
the spaciousness of the pools. If you have ever looked at
the crowded six person hot tub at a motel and thought, “I
want to soak‑but not in there”, you will appreciate the room
to stretch out and relax. There are two pools located
indoors and two pools outside. The large, indoor pool had a
temperature of 94 degrees while the small pool was a hot 104
degrees. These pools were perfect on our first evening as we
didn’t have to brave the frigid air outside to get in and
swim. Our youngest daughters, Emma and Gretta, brought their
swim noodles and spent the next two hours jumping in and
climbing out of the pool. Anyone with children will
appreciate that the pools have an extensive shallow end. Our
kids could easily walk around a large area of the pool
without the worry of being in over their heads.
 The
outdoor pools are also separated into a large warm pool and
a smaller hot one. The large pool wraps around the smaller
hot pool which is slightly larger than the indoor one. My
daughters and I decided to brave the cold and check them
out. The walk from inside to outside is roughly ten feet but
we had to walk through a puddle of icy water to get there.
After the comfort of the hot water the shock was
breathtaking. We did it, though, and quickly sought refuge
in the hot pool.
There is something special about a steamy nighttime soak.
Only our faces were above the surface in the cool mountain
night air. Everyone was talking in hushed voices and staying
low, trying not to expose too much skin to the cool breeze.
This, of course, is contrary to what our three and five year
old girls think a pool is for. Quietly soaking was not on
their agenda, so we scurried back inside for more splashing
and jumping.
One thing to note for the late night soakers; the
restaurants at Fairmont will be closed when you get out. If
you are planning on a late night snack, then be sure to
bring your own.
The next morning dawned and I met with Judi Henrich who is
the director of marketing for the resort. Judi and her
husband Ed, who is the general manager, have been with the
resort for 18 years. While giving me a tour of the
facilities Judi explains, “Fairmont employs between 125 and
175 people and one thing that sets us apart from other
vacation destinations is the genuine warmth and friendliness
of our staff.” As Judi and I stood in the lobby we were
interrupted by a gentleman who had organized a conference
that was in progress. He raved about the quality of service
and the number of positive comments he was receiving from
the conference attendees. The timing of those positive
comments from a happy guest and event planner couldn’t have
been better.
 Fairmont
has a 5000 square foot conference facility and seven
additional smaller rooms. Of course, the pools are a huge
attraction that brings people to Fairmont but it is also
centrally located to draw groups statewide from Kalispell to
Billings. “We like to promote the fact that we are
accessible”, says Judi. “We are literally just minutes from
the interstate.”
While I was visiting with Judi my daughters took the
opportunity to feed the animals at the wild life zoo with
bags of feed available at the gift shop. There are birds,
goats, and llamas which were a big hit and a good
distraction from the pools. Emma ran up to me after feeding
the animals and exclaimed, “The llama stole the whole bag,
Dad, not just the food but the whole bag!”
After a lazy morning in our room, friends met us at the
pools and the kids were back in the swim. When I say they
got in and just didn’t bother to get out, I mean just that.
The kids spent six hours in the pool that day. They took a
spin on the waterslide - 350 feet of winding tube that drops
from a height of five stories into the outdoor pool. They
swam inside and out while I took pictures. When we were
finally able to pry their pruned pinkies from the pools it
was well beyond supper time. We had to prop the little ones
up at the table. All that swimming had them sleeping on
their feet. We finally just asked for our food to go. We had
chosen to eat at the Springwater Café which has a casual
dining selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads and features
a nice kids’ menu. If you are looking for a more formal
dining experience, the Mile High Restaurant has views of the
outdoor pools and a gourmet menu. Items here include halibut
parmesan, sesame encrusted loin of pork and a selection of
choice cut steaks.
Though the hot pools are the obvious attraction for a visit
to Fairmont, they are definitely not the only reason to come
and stay. Fairmont also boasts a multitude of other onsite
activities. There is an 18 hole golf course with a USGTF
certified golf instructor available for lessons. The golf
course hosts several tournaments every year including the
Turkey Tourney, which is one of the largest fundraisers for
the Butte area food bank. In addition to golf, guests can
play volleyball, basketball, croquet, badminton, horseshoes,
and bocce ball. There is room outside to host family
reunions with full catering available from the resort; all
of which makes for a wonderful weekend getaway for the local
traveler.
Other nearby activities include skiing at Discovery Ski
Area, fishing at Georgetown Lake or the Big Hole River, a
visit to historic Butte and the Montana Mining Museum, and
finally a drive on the Pintler Scenic Route which takes you
up to the unique town of Philipsburg.
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort meets a wide variety of needs
for the traveler in the Three Rivers Region. We were looking
for a relaxing day or two away from our routine and Fairmont
easily exceeded all our expectations. More information about
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort can be found by visiting their
website at www.fairmontmontana.com or by calling
406-797-3241 or 800-332-3272. |
