Missoula hotels

When the warm weather hits, the rooftop of the AC Hotel is the place to be in Missoula city centre. I love sipping a cocktail and soaking up the marvellous mountain views with a cocktail in hand – the drinks here are some of the best in the city. When the weather is cooler, the AC Hotel also has a classy lounge to relax in.

This is also one of the best hotels in Missoula if you want to be close to great restaurants and bars. I love grabbing a sandwich and a salad next to the hotel at catalyst2GO and taking it down to the Clark Fork River for lunch.

After that, I’ll walk off my meal with a wander along the Riverfront Trail. Inside the hotel, everything is sleek and modern, while the rooms are chic and minimally styled.

FINN Restaurant at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Missoula - Edgewater is another great place to enjoy a sunny day in beautiful Missoula. The patio overlooks the Clark Fork River and the sun-kissed hills that surround the city. The cocktails here are something else – you can’t go wrong with a blackberry bourbon smash or a pineapple mezcal.

This is also one of the best hotels in Missoula for stellar views. Being able to admire the river, the Madison Street Bridge and Missoula’s mountains from your window is an unforgettable way to start the day. You’ll also have the opportunity to look up at the mountains from the hotel pool – another major bonus.

Close to the hotel, go for a lovely walk along the Riverfront Trail across the Van Buren Street Foot Bridge to the University of Montana campus.

If you appreciate being able to experience both culture and nature on trips, then you’ll love staying at The Wren. The hotel’s hip and stylish décor extends from the lobby to the guestrooms.

I love the Smokey the Bear picture in the lobby, while when it comes to the rooms, my favourite has to be the one with illustrations of fish found around Montana. Drawing on local references, the style of the hotel definitely makes it feel like you’re in Missoula, which I think is an important factor when choosing a hotel.

This is also one of the best hotels in Missoula for location. It’s situated in the heart of the city’s historic core, close to plenty of cool bars, restaurants and attractions. Continue your Missoula art exploration with a visit to the Missoula Art Museum before stopping off at Plonk for happy hour wine and a cheese board.

You can’t help but love the name of this Missoula hotel. As welcoming as its name suggests, this hotel north of Missoula feels like a giant log cabin. Guestrooms all centre around a grand hall that includes a hot tub and a rock waterfall with a mountain goat perched on top.

But the real highlight at the C’mon Inn Missoula has to be the beautiful wooden stairs that climb up to the rooms. This is one of the best hotels in Missoula for families, as it has an indoor pool and kids will surely love running around those stairs – safely, of course.

This is also a terrific place to stay if you love hiking, as the hotel is close to the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, which has pine and fir tree-lined trails and views over the city.

Gibson Mansion Bed and Breakfast is one of the best hotels in Missoula for history buffs. The hotel is located in a restored mansion, and many of its original period features remain.

I particularly love the common areas, where you’ll find chandeliers, a piano and vintage wooden furniture. The architectural accents over the windows and fireplace are beautiful as well. The vintage décor also extends into the rooms, which are decked out with unique furniture like wooden bedframes and antique mirrors.

Outside, there’s a lovely flower garden and patio with intricate wrought iron tables and chairs. The hotel is located south of Missoula, close to plenty of trails, attractions and breweries. Cambie Taphouse and Coffee is one of my favourite places in Missoula for food, pastries, coffee and beers.

Staybridge Suites Missoula is one of the best hotels in Missoula if you’re booking a ski holiday with your family. The hotel is located north of the city, close to the Snow Bowl Ski Resort, and guestrooms come with full kitchens.

You don’t have to worry about breakfast, as a complimentary morning buffet is included with every booking. Afternoon snacks are taken care of too, as every stay comes with access to free happy hour appetizers and drinks from 5:30 pm to 7 pm.

While this hotel provides a great base for exploring the mountains, there’s plenty to do on-site too. On the grounds you’ll find basketball and tennis courts, a pool table room, an indoor swimming pool and plenty of comfy chairs outside to relax. There are also outdoor fire pits for when the weather turns cooler.

Located 4.8 km north of the city centre in Grant Creek, this is one of the best hotels in Missoula for exploring outdoor activities around the city. Above the hotel sits the Snow Bowl Ski Resort, and you’ll find plenty of hiking trails around the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area. It’s also a good base if you want to take a trip north to Glacier National Park.

The rooms at this Best Western are supremely comfortable, with beautiful décor – think patterned wallpaper, plush headboards and comfy chairs for lounging in – and convenient home comforts like microwaves, fridges and HBO access on the TVs.

Elsewhere in the hotel, you’ll find an indoor pool in an amazing A-frame room with beautiful views out the window. The property also offers a fantastic free breakfast with waffles, organic coffee and American biscuits (similar to savoury scones) with gravy.

This is one of the best hotels in Missoula for travellers on a budget, with delightfully affordable rooms. The property might look a little old-fashioned from the outside, but enter and you’ll find that everything has been renovated to modern standards. With that said, I actually love the classic motel style, especially the vintage neon sign.

Despite looking like a highway motel, this hotel is located in the heart of Missoula city centre. While in the centre, you can’t miss Charlie B’s, a classic dive bar with portraits of locals on the walls. Since this is a motel, I love that you can go straight from your car to your room, which is ideal after a busy day of exploring.

This is one of the best hotels in Missoula for business travellers. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, with amazing views of the hills surrounding the city. There are plenty of places around the hotel to sit and have a meeting, or get some work done on your laptop. There are also excellent conference rooms, including one that’s perfect for groups hosting speakers.

The architecture of this hotel is extraordinary. One half is red brick to fit in with the historic city centre area, while the other half is modern black and white tile. The hotel’s different decors meet at reception, where you’ll see the red bricks behind the desk held up behind a cage.

Another thing I love about this hotel is the cornhole court outside on its chic rooftop, perfect for a game or two with friends. Other amenities include a fitness centre and an indoor pool.

This is the best hotel in Missoula if you love a good story. Built in 1911, it was once the University of Montana’s president’s house. Later, it served as a fraternity, among other uses at the school.

Then, in the 1980s, the building was slated for demolition due to the expansion of a university parking lot. In swooped in the Goldsmith family, who paid to split the 372-square-metre house in two and drive it on the backs of two trucks to the north shore of the Clark Fork River, where it’s located today.

Now a six-room rental property, this is a lovely, historic inn. All guests have their own kitchen and laundry and the hotel is a great place to base yourself for visiting the university, as it’s within walking distance of campus. Don’t forget: hiking up to the ‘M’ on Mount Sentinel is a must.