Bitterroot Valley Vacation Rentals

Montana is known as the “Last Best Place”. And for people looking for a Montana vacation, the Bitterroot Valley offers the best of Montana. Brett & Sherri Adolphson started Bitterroot Cabins in early 2006. The business was licensed in the summer. The website completed in the fall, and they signed their first property contract at the end of the year.

• Bitterroot Cabins
  • 2007 was the first full summer season in the vacation rental business with 3 properties available for rent.
  • They signed up The Teller Wildlife Refuge and added their historic homesteads and event barn to our program in the fall of 2007, and added a few more cabins for a total of 10 properties heading into 2008.
  • They quadrupled the number of guests in 2008 and again grew the inventory, ending the season with a dozen rental cabins and homes.
  • In spite of the tough economy in 2009, they increased both the inventory and the number of guest stays this season and now offer 14 properties for rent, with a couple more in the works.
  • They offer vacation rental cabins and homes in Hamilton, Corvallis, Victor, Darby, the West Fork and the East Fork areas.
  • The cabins range from 2 bedrooms to 6 bedrooms and they have properties in town, in the woods, and on the river.
  • They have some cabins that are very near each other that can accommodate 15-20 people if they are all rented simultaneously.
  • They have one property (our Circle M barn) that has over a mile of private fishing access on the East Fork of the Bitterroot River.
  • The cabins are extremely clean, very well appointed, completely equipped, and most of them have satellite TV and about half of them have broadband Internet service.
  • Their guests generally fall into one of the following categories: sportsmen (mostly fishermen, hikers and some hunters), single family vacationers, family reunions, wedding guests and corporate guests.
  • Their original business plan was to package their lodging options with hunting and fishing guides, horseback rides, catering, transportation, etc., and they had a half dozen set packages that were marketed on their website. In three years and 350 sets of guests, they sold one package, so they abandoned the packaging aspect of the business and now focus solely on lodging (which is a job in itself during the summer). What they learned in the process is that their guests maintain separate relationships with guides and outfitters and don’t really look to them for anything other than a place to stay. They do get asked about fishing guides occasionally and we generally refer them to Shaun at Osprey and Bill at Fishaus. They also host a dozen or so weddings at The Teller each summer and find themselves recommending caterers, and occasionally they get asked about
    realtors as well.
  • Common requests from guests include privacy, fishing access within walking distance, and the ability to bring a dog or two. They have properties that meet all these requests.
  • Guests book three different times of the year. The early planners and larger groups are booking now for next summer. These include weddings, reunions or large groups. The next wave of bookings come after the new year when people are making plans for the summer. Finally, they pick up the last minute travelers that book throughout the summer for shorter trips on the spur of the moment.
  • They are unique in the area in that their website provides great info about the rental properties, has always accurate calendars, offers secure online booking, and is clean and simple with good navigation.
  • The Montana Cabin Card is unique in that the goal is to help people that never considered coming to Montana have a Montana experience be receiving the card as a gift, or reward, or from their employer, etc. The thinking is that people who know how great Montana is can now “Give the Gift of Montana” by purchasing our cards and distributing them as they choose.

Montana Cabin Card – Give the gift of Montana!