1. We made reservations for Many Glacier months in advance. We got 4 rooms over 7 nights.
2. My neighbor called August 1, 2014, but all lake view rooms were taken for August 2015 in the first hours.
3. Many Glacier Hotel is in the northeast corner of Glacier National Park. Access is by a 12 mile two lane pot holed paved road, with a 6 short stretches of gravel road.
4. The historic 100 year hotel was built by the Great Northern Railroad, and designed after Swiss chalets -a long brown 5 story building, with white trim and balconies, surrounded by forests, next to an alpine lake, and soaring mountains. The hotel is open from late June to late September.
5. Handicap parking next to the hotel, with the unloading area, shared with the Red Bus Tours. Parking is 200-300 yards away, over a hill at high altitude.
6. The 240 car parking lot is full at 2:30 pm, with guests arriving, and day time visitors and hikers not yet leaving. Cars circle like vultures, with some in no parking zones. We luck out and see a car pulling out.
7. I'm hauling luggage over 67 stairs down to the hotel, huffing and puffing like Darth Vader, while the wife pulls her wheeled luggage down the 300 yard pot holed road from the parking lot, cursing me for not unloading at the hotel!
8. Check in is 4pm for all Xanterra run hotels in the National Park System. 4pm too late for you? Try 5pm check -in for Yosemite Lodge at the Falls!
9. Service is prompt and courteous from the college age kids at the desk, the bell hops, housekeeping, and the information and activity booths. Ok, the lady at the info booth was older -looked like she went to college when I did - in the 1970s!
10. Our first room is ready at 245pm. We take the single elevator in the building to the third floor, with the elevator going at historic 100 year speeds to the third floor!
11 Room 367 has no lake view, but a view of the roof. Both push up screened windows open, as nobody can climb up that severe angled roof!
12. Spacious renovated room, with a squeeky slanted floor, and electric wire pipes running along the freshly painted off white wooden walls. Shelf mounted box fan, as 367 is at the top of the building, and heats up like an attic.
13. Clean austere room -no balcony, no AC, no TV, no room internet, no microwave, no frig, and no cell phone coverage -your teen age daughter will go bonkers! Iron and ironing board -they expect pressed shirts when eating in the dining room!
14. Two full size beds, which we will both use, as I don't want to get hit by a flying elbow from the wife when she turns in the middle of the night.
15. 1940s style two handle sink in the bed room. Claw bathtub in separate room could have been original equipment when the hotel was built -belongs in a museum!
16. During our switch from room to room, we left our packed luggage, for housekeeping to move.
17. Third floor room 315 is in the non renovated south wing. No elevator access in the south wing to the 2nd and 3rd floors. I could not see the keyholes in the door, in the dimly lit dark brown hallways!
18. 315 had a balcony overlooking the road to the parking lot. Heard every diesel pickup accelerating up the slope day and night. Balcony had a screen door and window, so increased ventilation.
19. Noise from open windows heard through other open windows, especially crying babies. Winds come west to east, so balconies facing the lake cool off quickest, in addition to having a view. Balconies do not have lights, so no reading at night outdoors.
20. 315 had no noise insulation -wife was kept awake by snoring -neighbors snoring! I could hear every foot fall from upstairs. Only 1 Ice machine working in the building.
21. Our third room was 313, next door to 315, but 30% larger, with a single bed in addition to the double bed. Same shared balcony, and spacious shower/toilet bathroom, with separate sink.
22 Our fourth room was first floor 137, right next to the manager's office, with a view of the 6 handicap spots in front of the hotel. Two full size beds, with a separate sitting room with chair, desk and lounge chair. Corridor noise from drunks walking from the restaurant to their rooms late at night.
23. No swimming pool -polar bear blood folks swam in the lake out in front of the hotel, with air temperatures in the 80s. I sat on the lounge chairs on the public veranda overlooking the lake, watching moose in a distance wading in the water at dusk.
24. Ptarmigan and Swiss Lounge restaurants. No advance reservations. Ptarmigan facing the lake has assigned seating. Swiss Lounge facing the hills has self seating.
25. Rain and wind on the fourth night, with water leaking from the ceiling windows in the lobby. Pails put out to catch the water. Just in time, as the hotel lobby and south wing to be closed for renovations in 2016! read more