Almost every time I head to Philipsburg, Montana, each summer, I try to snag a stay at the Kaiser House Hotel. It’s always booked by the time we firm up our travel plans. This boutique hotel in one of Philipsburg’s historic buildings has four guest rooms. Lots of luck getting a room in June through August when tourists flock to this former mining town. This time, we got lucky. I was able to book the Redmen Lodge room for one night.
Kaiser House History Tells a Philipsburg, Montana Story
Each of the four guest rooms tells a small part of Philipsburg, Montana’s history. Sapphire and silver mining helped to grow this 19th-century charmer that began about 1867. The building, a red brick beauty, was completed in 1881. Back then, the first floor was a fine dining restaurant. These days, downstairs is a gift shop, one of my favorite go-to spots for Montana-inspired present buying. The 2nd floor is still a hotel, although rooms are updated into boutique versions.
The long hall with rich wood trim, patterned wainscoting, and wooden doors with transoms is a step back in time. Framed black and white photographs from Philipsburg, Montana’s past, line the halls in a visual museum.
Kaiser House Guest Rooms
Redmen Lodge, our room, is the smallest of the four. Named for the oldest fraternal organization in the United States, the two twin-bed guest room has member ribbon badges framed on one wall as a nod to the time when meetings were held in the building. Crisscross antique snowshoes, patchwork quilts, and lamps with stained glass shades are other decorations that add visual interest to this cozy space. A small bedside table between the two beds, a luggage rack, and a satellite TV are the rest of the furnishings.
The bathroom with its farmhouse-style sink, wood-framed wall mirror, exposed brick, and stone-tiled walls of the walk-in shower is well done. Super sharp. The white dish with high-end bath amenities, plus thick towels, adds a bit of pampering.
Other rooms are the China Room with a king bed, the Kaiser Room with two queen beds, and the Mural Room with one queen bed. The Redmen Lodge and Mural Room can be combined into a family suite. These rooms are unique in their furnishings and configurations.
Continental Breakfast in the Day Room
- Get a Car Rental
- Buy Travel Insurance
In the morning, we headed to the day room for the continental breakfast. The day room is a communal space with a refrigerator, sink, microwave, electric tea kettle, Keurig coffee maker, and furniture for hanging out. Armchairs around a coffee table and small tables and chairs create a homey room. This is a place for visiting, as well as eating breakfast. Coffee and tea are available here 24/7.
I was so impressed with the continental breakfast. Bananas, oranges, orange juice, an assortment of gourmet muffins, yoghurt, cheese, breakfast bars, and mixed fruit and nuts were available at 8 am. All were artfully arranged and plentiful. Here is where you can pick up a copy of the local paper, The Philipsburg Mail.
Other Hotel Details
When we arrived, I went to Kaiser House Mercantile, the gift shop where guests check in before 5 pm, when the shop closes. In addition to receiving two keys, one for our room and one for the hotel’s entrance, I was shown how to work the dumbwaiter. The dumbwaiter, not original to the hotel, is for luggage. Guests can use the dumbwaiter to bring their luggage from the 1st to the 2nd floor and back down. What a great idea since there isn’t an elevator. If you arrive after 5 pm, there are instructions on how to access the keys.
Free on-street parking is at the side of the building or in the front. Wi-Fi is also free. Because Philipsburg, Montana, is highly walkable, almost everywhere is within walking distance, you can leave your car parked to take in this small-town bounty.
If you go, take in the Granite County Museum, the Philipsburg Brewing Company, and the Sweet Palace. This trip, I discovered OH-KEE OUTWEST, a quirky boutique store with unusual items that range from clothes to kitchen towels and vintage records. Galleries, shops, gem mining places, bars, and local restaurants round out the downtown offerings.
Named the “Best Municipal Make-Over” in 2015 by Sunset Magazine, Philipsburg is well worth the drive. It’s located on the Pintler Scenic Route, Montana Highway 1 between Butte and Missoula. You will need your car to get to Granite, a cool ghost town a few miles out of Philipsburg and up a mountain.
Rates at the Kaiser House Hotel range from $145 to $185. I booked our room through the hotel’s website.
