Category: Press

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Interview: Stephen Beaumont, CEO of Paws Up

Stephen Beaumount’s illustrious 35-year career in the luxury hospitality sector has included management titles at Keswick Hall, The American Club, The Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in St. Andrews and Biras Creek Resort in the British Virgin Islands. He has been the CEO of The Resort at Paws Up, Montana, since last October.

Thank you for your time! How is business at Paws Up?
We are excited to be getting ready for our busiest season ever. Our forward bookings are ahead of previous years and the summer months will be extremely busy. However with 37,000 acres of land, our guests will never feel crowded.

Where are your guests coming from these days?
Paws Up guests come from all over the USA and increasingly from overseas. It is easy to get here from many areas of the country and only a 35-minute drive from Missoula International Airport which has great summer connections.

How do they hear about you?
I think that most people hear about us through word of mouth or a connection (often by social media) to our website. We have a very creative marketing and PR team who work hard to get the word out, not only about our “glamping®” experiences, for which we have become rather famous, but also the beautiful homes and the extraordinary menu of activities available.

You’re an Englishman in Montana and most recently a resident of the British Virgin Islands, where you managed Biras Creek Resort. How is the change of scenery treating you?
I can’t compare the two. The British Virgin Islands are spectacularly beautiful and yet the natural beauty and the combination of mountains, plains and rivers here in Montana has a rawness, a pristine yet wild side that makes me catch my breath every morning. The vistas seem to change almost every minute and I love the changes of season. They don’t call this Big Sky Country for nothing and it is just as well that my office chair is sited with my back to the windows or I would never get any work done!

How and when did you first hear about Paws Up?
Paws Up has been on my radar for several years now. I have had colleagues who have worked here at some point in their careers and it is the first place you look at when investigating the luxury camping model, which I have done in depth in at least one of my former positions. Paws Up is undoubtedly a pioneer of that concept and so it is a huge honor to now be heading up the wonderful team here and expanding the glamping business even further this year.

The ranch re-opens in April for the summer season. Are you expecting a busy spring as well?
We have a number of groups who are staying with us in April and May. It is a perfect location for a company to hold a retreat and combine some team building and meetings with the myriad activities on offer. Of course we also have an amazing chef and, close to my heart, an eclectic and unusual wine list. Work and leisure combine in very appealing ways at Paws Up!

If you were a guest of Paws Up, what would your perfect day be like?
I love the sunrises and I would try to capture the beauty of the pink glows over the mountains on my camera before going to Trough for a hearty breakfast. Although we offer many healthy options I would likely order huckleberry pancakes and a cup of locally roasted coffee that has been blended for us new for the season. Then off to the Wilderness Outpost for the first activity of the day. Perhaps a half-day of fly fishing on the Blackfoot River (made famous by “A River Runs Through It”) under the watchful and encouraging eye of one of our guides.

Having worked up an appetite and hopefully having caught a trout or two (we are strictly catch and release here), I would go back to the village for lunch and meet up with my wife who may have been enjoying a more leisurely activity at the spa, and sample some casual Montana fare. Perhaps a bison burger or some great chilli — not too spicy but just enough heat to keep the taste buds alive, all washed down with a local micro brew. I’ve become a little obsessed with the local beers even though my real passion is wine!
An afternoon activity seems to be beckoning, this time with my wife and arranged by our Personal Concierge, and so we may opt to go to the shooting club for some sporting clays, take a private horseback riding lesson or an ATV tour. We’re not brave enough to rappel the 163 feet down to the river from Lookout Rock nor do the whitewater rafting, but plenty of our guests are!

After our afternoon activity, back to our tent or luxury home to get changed and sit and relax on the deck before dinner and take in the views. If I am staying in one of the luxury camps, dinner will be served by the Camping Butler in the Dining Pavilion and prepared by our Camp Chef. If we’re in a home, we’ll drive our personal golf cart or Kia to the village where we will choose either the casual fare of Trough or the more fine dining (but still distinctly local Montana driven) Pomp. We’ll have a cocktail and enjoy a bottle of northwestern wine — perhaps a Washington State Merlot or Oregon Pinot Gris. Chef Adam’s simple and yet deceptively sophisticated cuisine will ensure that those taste buds are very, very happy!

The sun sets very late up here in summer and so it will probably still be light when we have finished our dessert. So a nightcap on the deck (local bourbon?) will ensure we are lulled gently to sleep, perhaps catching a glimpse of the infinite number of stars that fill the late summer skies, ready to wake refreshed for another day of adventure!

Your accommodations are roughly split between vacation homes and glamping tents. Do any guests prefer to split their visit with a stay in both?
Many guests like to try a combination stay and it is a great way to experience both. Our reservations team are experts in creating just the right blend of experiences and our Personal Concierges continue after your reservation is made, building an itinerary of activities, spa services and dining as well as being on hand during your stay to ensure that whether you are in a camp or a home, your visit to Paws Up is one that will live on in your memory.

What is it like working on new upgrades and luxury camping sites, such as Cliffside Camp, during a Montana winter?
There are definitely some challenges with construction and building when the ground is frozen and there is snow on the ground. However the team here has been building these additions now for eight years and they are masters of ingenuity. We get it done and although some things may look like they will never be finished in time, I know that they will be and that we have the best team ready and waiting for our first guests in April. We also spend a lot of time on training and developing our team, and the only way to provide world-class service is to plan well, recruit the best people and provide ongoing training and development. That has always been my mantra and it is no different at Paws Up.

The Montana Master Grillers Weekend is happening this May 24-27, with Chef Frank Ostini of Casmalia’s The Hitching Post and Chef Adam Sappington of Portland’s The Country Cat. How does your chef Adam Cooke find the participants?
Like everything, it is a team effort. Chef Adam knows a lot of people in the industry and so do many of us, whether on the operations side or in Sales and Marketing. We are also getting a great reputation as a fun venue for culinary events (we have been the host of Montana Master Chefs for many years now) and so we are approached by people in the culinary world to participate. That is a great honor and we welcome collaboration so that we can provide innovative and different experiences to our guests.

Any news on other upcoming projects to share with Hideaway Report readers?
We have many plans but we like to keep some of them in our back pocket so as to keep delighting and surprising our guests each year. To reveal them now would be like telling you what I’m getting you for Christmas. Oh and by the way, we also have incredible Christmas and New Year’s packages. But that’s a whole other story!

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Top 10 Coolest Glamping® Honeymoons

A great article by Uschi & Kay about the glamping trend and the coolest glamping honeymoon destinations.  They included Paws Up in their list.  Here’s what they had to say.

Location: Greenough, MT
Price: From $1075/per night (includes all meals)

As one of America’s top glamping resorts, I couldn’t do a glamping round up without including Paws Up, now could I?  If you want a luxurious glamping experience in the truest sense of the word then Paws Up is the place for you. With a camp butler, heated washroom floors, and king sized feather beds, this is glamorous camping at its finest. And to make the experience at Paws Up truly decadent, a visit to the tented Spa Town is a must.

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Adventure served just the way we like it…

Gordon J.B. MacGeachy

“The first time I heard about Paws Up, it was from a client back in 2006 and she wasn’t someone who would ever be interested in anything that looked like camping. She was very wealthy, controlling, and wanted to celebrate the fact that she had just got her two sons and grandchildren “back” after successfully managing two divorces and getting rid of the daughter-in-laws that she just couldn’t stand. Not being one to argue we sent them to Paws Up, and although I thought she would hate it, she absolutely loved it, and told me that she couldn’t wait for her sons to marry again so she she could plan another two divorces..!”

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Top 10 Best Winter Vacation Destinations: America’s Hottest Cold Cities

With a collection of hot springs, local breweries and easy access to skiing and other winter sports, Missoula, MT, has a full assortment of winter fun.

Missoula makes a great base for those interested in piecing together a multiday ski trip. Skiers can choose among six ski areas within a two-and-a-half hour drive of downtown, the closest being Montana Snowbowl in the Lolo National Forest about 25 minutes away. Cross-country skiing trails can be found in three national forest areas – on some local golf courses and at the Mount Haggin Nordic Ski Area. Guests can rent snowmobiles at a few local shops, then explore the vast network of snowmobile trails that wind through Missoula’s surrounding forests. Ice skaters can glide on indoor and outdoor floors at Glacier Ice Rink, while anglers can ice fish at several lakes that freeze over in the Seely Swan Valley.

After experiencing water in all its frozen forms, guests can warm up and relax aching muscles in one of Missoula’s hot springs. While some of the springs are located in natural settings and require a hike to reach, others have been tapped for commercial use and incorporated into resorts that feature mineral pools.

Missoula’s restaurants serve everything from pizza, pub fare and BBQ to more refined recipes. With four breweries concocting original beers plus a variety of pubs, finding a drink is never a problem. In fact, we noticed Missoula’s beer scene last year and named it one of the best unexpected beer cities in the country.

Activities: Downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, ice skating, ice fishing, sleigh rides

Average Annual Snowfall: 46

Winter Temps: 16 to 30

Must Try: A nighttime dip in a hot spring

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Paws Up Featured in Men’s Journal

Men's Journal Magazine - Men's Style, Travel, Fitness and Gear

The gold standard of the upscale version of experiencing the great outdoors, a stay at one of the upscale campsites at Montana’s Resort at Paws Up will have even the most rugged backwoodser questioning his spartan ideals. Situated along the Blackfoot River (the very same that inspired ‘A River Runs Through It’), Paws Up’s “glamping®” (glamorous camping, naturally) sites are the epitome of luxury and comfort: For the River Camp, your tent is a mere cast away from the water, and, by the way, is actually a sumptuously furnished, house-sized living space with canvas walls and roof, plus electricity and en suite bathroom. Nights are spent by a crackling campfire enjoying s’mores (prepared by your personal butler, naturally) before drifting off to sleep with the sounds of a gentle wind blowing through the trees and the distant bugle calls of elk.

Creature comforts aside, though, the real draw is the exceptional beauty of Montana, and the chance to experience it with a little adventure. For many, that comes in the form of rapelling down a huge, 167-foot cliff – said to be the same spot where Meriwether Lewis once stood as he crossed the U.S. – with a view of the Blackfoot River below that’s simply breathtaking. Other activities we partook in were archery, ATV-ing through the mountain valleys (which you can also do on horseback), and a sweet massage in a tent with a view of the valley. Every morning, we’d wake up to beautiful sunrises with herds of cows off in the distance. The food at Paws Up’s onsite restaurant Pomp is as good as anything you’ll find in the big city. That said, as a vegetarian, this writer didn’t try any of the hallmark meat dishes (the huckleberry pancakes were pretty awesome, though).

Naturally, Paws Up offers plenty of activities that don’t require an adrenaline spike. After all, Montana is world famous for fly fishing, and the best way to spend a tranquil morning is by casting your line in the Blackfoot River while watching the sunrise over the nearby mountains. One of the most beautiful moments we experienced came during a helicopter ride, when we crossed over a herd of horses, which began to chase us as we flew by. The sound of the hooves running in the field almost made our entire group cry. The guy who works at Paws Up had never seen anything like it. That pretty well describes an experience here.

-Ryan Van Duzer

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Fall Foliage

in rural Montana, a spacious, extravagant home masquerading as a family-style campground is a city-dweller’s haven along the Blackfoot River. The Resort At Paws Up sits in a forest of brilliantly colored firs and ash trees in the fall. We’ll wander the surrounding plains and snap photos, Ansel Adams in mind. A perfect escape from everyday routine.

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Destination Spotlight : The Resort at Paws Up (Montana)

 

This September, Mary-Frances was thrilled to be apart of a FAM (FAMiliarize) trip to The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana. Actually, she hasn’t stopped talking about Paws Up since she’s returned! It really is a destination spot like none other for the bride and groom who love nature and the outdoors and are looking for that rustic elegance feel for their wedding. Paws Up’s luxurious accommodations (including “glamping” – glamorous camping and 1-4 bedroom homes for families, bridal parties or small groups) are over the top and the activities for your guests to enjoy really are endless (horseback riding, cattle drives, hunting, fly fishing, dog sledding, skiing, hot air ballooning, four wheeling, snowmobiling, white water rafting, hiking and relaxing at the spa…just to name a few). Not only are the views and weather spectacular, but the food and service will far exceed the expectations of any “foodie.” For weddings from 10-250+ people, the options really are limitless….you can bring in your own vendors and decor or use the resort’s contacts to make your wedding fit your needs/wants and budget. Weddings are welcomed at Paws Up year-round…winter weddings are just as magical as fall, spring and summer weddings! Located 45 minutes from Missoula International Airport (the resort will send Mercedes vans to pick you and your guests up!), Paws Up is also a great destination spot for corporate events, milestone celebrations, family reunions, bachelor or bachelorette weekends and honeymooners. Visiting Paws Up was one of Mary-Frances’ most favorite trips she has ever been on…she will never forget the breathtaking Montana scenery, glamping for the first time, the delicious food, experiencing a cattle drive and the way she felt so welcomed and taken care of by the staff at Paws Up! We would LOVE to do a wedding at The Resort at Paws Up SOON!

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Roughing it in style at The Resort at Paws Up

By Matt Trainor

Our teeth chattered as we pulled up to a sandy bank on the Blackfoot River to disembark after a three-hour run down some mild rapids. It was, after all, no more than 40 degrees and overcast, but we quickly stripped off our wetsuits, hopped into warm fleeces, and ran to a roaring fire, a cooler of beer and wine (no ice needed), and a gourmet spread of cheeses and fruits. Now, this, I thought, is “roughing it.” I was at the Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana: a place that was made and revels in the spirit of Lewis and Clark, but also ensures you needn’t live like they did. It’s a place where you can experience the natural wonder of Montana, steep yourself in its history, get out into nature, and know that when you get back you’ll be pampered to the extreme. It didn’t even feel indulgent to do so after a day like the one I just had; it was deserved. And, as my teeth stopped chattering and the wine warmed up my toes, I took a look around and realized how truly unique this place is.

The resort is situated amidst wild Montana terrain; a cozy interior perfect for chilly nights; view of the boundless acres of beautiful land; outdoor dining on a cabin deck.

The taxidermy at baggage claim should have tipped me off when I arrived in Missoula the day before. The fact that it wasn’t some vaguely ironic stuffed deer head on the restaurant wall should have told me something. This was a full woodland diorama, with a mountain lion stalking a buck over by the carousel and a black bear skulking menacingly over by the exit sign. Montana is a place where the pioneer spirit still burns bright. A place where Manifest Destiny was once an actual, executive order more than simply an attitude. Where hunting and fishing and rugged individualism are a part of daily life. But it’s also a place that recognizes what it has, celebrates it, and rolls out a lush and inviting welcome mat to anyone who comes to experience it.

And so it was that a driver from Paws Up picked me up and drove through the cold, rainy weather and delivered me to the resort, just 40 minutes from the airport. “We go through all four seasons in an afternoon here,” my driver told the group as we pulled in. “It was 80 degrees all week last week.” (Quick note: Packing for a trip out here requires layers—lots and lots of layers.) Besides the dramatic weather, the key takeaway from our drive was the relatively unspoiled beauty of Montana’s landscape. It’s the type of rough-hewn, wild country that can usually only be experienced in our largest of national parks, but out here it’s just, well, the backyard. There are pine groves; stunningly large, open plains; wide, rocky rivers; and sheer cliffs. This is the type of country that had Lewis and Clark writing effusive letters back to President Thomas Jefferson in Washington (I resorted to e-mail, but it was still pretty effusive).

Montana Magic
Activities include horseback riding, fly-fishing, and hot air ballooning in Montana’s majestic Blackfoot Valley.

There are horses in paddocks for riding, ATVs for revving, and rafts for rowing, among countless other activities for the modern adventurer.

Consisting of more than 37,000 acres, the beautiful grounds of Paws Up certainly possess every amenity a five-star resort could hold, but it’s the exploration of that acreage that visitors really delight in. There are horses in paddocks for riding, ATVs for revving, and rafts for rowing, among countless other activities for the modern adventurer. Guests can even “camp” in a canvas tent down by the Blackfoot River (room service still on call). This is what Paws Up calls “glamping®” or “glam camping.” And it is, too. Just picture yourself wrapped in Beacon print blankets by a fireplace, waiting for a chef to come down and prepare an en-suite meal, and you’ll get the idea. For those who prefer a bit more modernity, however, you can book yourself and the whole family into one of the perfectly appointed luxury homes spaced throughout the grounds (Low-speed hybrid Kias are assigned to some of the houses to get you from your home or “glampground” to the dining rooms and activity centers).

Regardless of which lodgings and activities you choose, the unabashedly cheerful staff will help customize your ideal exploration experience. The only difficulty is with the sheer grandeur of the whole place; it’s impossible to do everything in one trip. Maybe that’s why Lewis and Clark chose this corner of the world as part of their journey West and their return trip East—they couldn’t get enough of it. Or maybe it was just the quickest route—I can’t be sure. But I do know that if they had had a place as perfect as the Resort at Paws Up to visit, they might never have made it back at all.

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I’m Not a Camper, but I am a Glamper

JustLuxe | Affluent Lifestyle Guide

Katherine Bond

I don’t like to camp, but I love to glamp. That is, I don’t want to sleep in a soggy sleeping bag or spend 3 hours propping up a dingy tent while doused in bug spray. But put me in a King size bed called the “Last Best Bed,” pre-heat my tent’s bathrooms’ tile floors, and throw in a camp butler and then yes, I am a glamper or “Glamorous” camper. “Glamping®” allegedly originated in the 1900s as well-heeled Brits desired to see the savannahs of Africa without missing afternoon tea and hot British cuisine, cooked nightly but a private chef. Nowadays, glamping has swept the luxury travel market most aggressively in the last five years, offering discerning luxury travelers a way to connect with nature without forgoing plush amenities, such as five course meals and copper hot tubs.

My most recent glamping experience was at The Resort at Paws Up, one of Montana’s very best luxury ranches, self-dubbed “the Last Best Place.” It is. I covered the property last year, from the view of a cabin guest. Leaving the property for the first time last summer, I felt like that kid at summer camp in a fit of tears on the last day of camp. There I was, being dragged away, frantically waving, “I’ll be back! I’ll be back!” Paws Up has that effect on its adult guests. This second visit was my first time at a “Paws Up” camp, and I was certainly sad to depart. Here are a few reasons why:

The Tent: Paws Up offers four campgrounds, each distinctly snuggled into nooks within the 37,000 acres of Paws Up forest. Our camp, Creekside Camp, lines the idyllic Elk Creek, heard faintly from the deck of our 830 square foot tent. A Paws Up “tent” is hardly a few flaps of canvas. Each tent is the mansion Mother Nature would stay in, complete with hardwood and carpeted floors, a stunning heated tile bathroom with Kolher fixtures, seating areas of plush leather chairs, and rustic décor. If it weren’t for the chirps of birds or rustles of pines, I would have never guessed I was “outside.” That’s the best part, too. One night, a thunder and lightening shower rumbled around our tent, filling the cool mountain air with the light hiss of rain while I read a good book under the ultra cozy pile of my pine King-size bed.

The Cuisine: One of my favorite aspects of our camp was the welcoming dining pavilion, a half-outdoor, half-indoor plaza for daily meals. A roaring fire usually welcomed us in the morning, flanked by a wall of stonework and imbedded standard refrigerator, always stocked with refreshments. Leather couches, a bar area, and sturdy coffee table made this a great gathering area. This, in turn, led to the dining tables and an outdoor fire pit rimmed with timber seating. Our on-site chef, a sweet Montanan, could whip up anything in his full-size kitchen. My favorite dishes were the grilled elk loin salad with local mushrooms, thepan roasted quail legs with black truffle sauce, and the country buttermilk panna cotta. It dawned on me that I don’t eat this well even at “indoor” resorts, let alone ones next to a sleepy creek and a carpet of pinecones.

The Fun: A friend of mine asked me, once I returned, “So what do you do all day in the forest?” Ah, this friend is not a glamper, nor a guest of Paws Up. The resort has a list of rustic activities so exhaustive that guests sometimes stay over a week just to cover a significant chunk. Yoga classes, horseshoes, croquet, disc golf, gym access, and pony rides are a few of the included activities with any stay. I particularly like the “geocaching” adventure, a little nature scavenger hunt rewarded with resort goodies for successful uncoverings. For those desiring a body bounce, the new “Bone Rattler Raceway” is now open. Learn the off-road skills needed to sail, swerve, and crush along a challenging off-roading course, while in the resort’s custom built Jeep.  Personally, I’ll be back for the Spa Town’s new services, including a huckleberry body scrub and barbed wire body wrap. Also new for next year:  Blackfoot Camp, which Paws Up claims will be its largest and most luxurious campsite yet. I suppose the sweet owners of Paws Up, a nice husband and wife in love with Montana, just like the fun of making the Last Best Place even better every passing year.