Paws Up Montana

We recently stayed at Paws Up and honestly came away feeling like it’s a 3-star resort disguised and priced as a 5-star luxury experience. The property and scenery are beautiful, but the service and operations were shockingly poor for what they charge. Some of the biggest issues: * Rooms were not serviced consistently each day * Staff seemed uninformed about activities and resort logistics * No clear schedules or communication for activities * Restaurant wait times were routinely close to 2 hours * The “cattle drive” experience was extremely underwhelming and felt completely misrepresented What stood out most was the lack of leadership and organization. Nobody seemed to know what was going on, and there was very little sense of proactive hospitality. At these prices, guests expect a polished luxury experience. Instead, the entire stay felt like a money grab built around the scenery and marketing rather than actual service quality. There are many resorts that deliver far better hospitality, organization, food service, and value for significantly less money. Unfortunately, I would not recommend staying here based on our experience.

Recently stayed at Paws Up and was truly impressed. The setting is breathtaking, and the overall experience exceeds that of many luxury resorts I’ve visited. The culinary program is particularly noteworthy — thoughtful, refined, and consistently well-executed across all outlets. Accommodations were spacious, comfortable, and very well maintained. What impressed me most was the genuine warmth of the staff. The property has a true sense of place and authenticity that many luxury destinations attempt to create but rarely succeed in. Overall, it was a truly unique experience that remains with you long after leaving Montana.

We had an amazing stay at Paws Up! The service was truly exceptional. The food was outstanding. The overall experience was relaxing, seamless and memorable. Highly recommend!

I had high expectations for Paws Up after wanting to visit for years, and while the facilities and setting are absolutely stunning, the overall experience left me disappointed. For the premium price, you expect something really special – but too often, things fell short. We visited during a slower week, so there was no excuse for the consistently underwhelming food. Not a single meal stood out, and for a property of this caliber, that was very disappointing. The international staff on hospitality visas were friendly and hardworking, but it was clear that management is where the real issues lie. At other resorts, this type of staffing model has worked beautifully under stronger direction – here, the execution just wasn’t there. That said, the cattle driving experience was fantastic and truly a highlight of our stay. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to outweigh the otherwise mediocre experience. Overall, the ranch has the potential to be a world-class destination, but until management addresses these issues, I’d suggest trying other luxury ranch resorts first. I may give it another chance in the future, but only after exploring alternatives.

Bottom line opinion, at typically $3000-$6000/night (plus resort fee, and many activities) I thought it was worth roughly half what they are charging. I'm guessing they have no realistic competition for a Ranch Experience that offers this level of luxury? The tents were true glamping tents with heated tile floors in the upscale bathrooms and portable A/C units (but no heaters.) If you are going during a time temps could drop into the 40's in the morn, I'd probably opt for one of the homes instead. Service in general is friendly but uneven. The mostly young staff seemed inadequately trained for a luxury destination at this price level. Shuttle ride wait times varied greatly from 10 minutes to 40 minutes. I heard great things about the restaurant in the adult-only Green-O section. Elsewhere, we found the food to be gourmet in the restaurants and camp dining pavilion but short of the level of cuisine you would expect at these prices. While offering great views of this beautiful property from the deck, most of my hot meals at Pomp and Trough were lukewarm when I received them, good, but nothing to write home about. (Tip: give ample dining time before your activities so you aren't late.) Menu selection at the flagship Pomp is very limited (2-course with 3 choices each + a dessert choice.) The food at the main outdoor dining areas (The Shed, and the Chuck Wagon) was okay but not memorable (except for the Tomahawk Steaks on the grill - looked more impressive than they tasted.) The Chuck Wagon was fun for the kids with a few free activities, but you are basically sitting at wooden picnic tables with hornets swarming around your food. I didn't see any attempt at bee control anywhere. Bartender service at the Chuck Wagon was extremely slow so my food was again lukewarm by the time I got my drink. Camp dinners were a fixed menu, no choices but you can tell them our allergies and preferences in advance of your trip. If you want to eat something outside designated dining hours they offered bags of nuts/chips/trail mix/bar. You couldn't just go order off a menu in the camp dining pavilion anytime throughout the day. There are a wide variety of activities, mostly well run, but overpriced with very few free activities. For those where money is no object that have expectations of 4-star Ranch Experience instead of a 5-Star resort, you may be quite satisfied (5-star "who cares how much it costs, where do I buy my cowboy hat" rating.) For those wanting to feel they got good value and/or are used to and expect the best in service and cuisine at this price level, this is not your place (3-star) but if you are going and don't have kids stay at Green O for the best experience.