Redefining Employee Living

Andrew Gilpin, vacation rental maintenance manager at Big Sky Resort, is very familiar with the challenge of finding housing in Big Sky. 

Gilpin has worked at Big Sky Resort for seven years. Last spring, he moved into Levinski Lodge, the resort’s new apartment-style housing complex, a five-minute walk from the resort. 

Before that, Gilpin said he lived in Bozeman and commuted for three years before living in the Whitewater Inn for three years. Now, Gilpin says, having a kitchen and being close to work have increased his quality of life and the longevity of his stay in Big Sky. 

“I don't have any plans to leave my housing which is the first time in six years that I could say that,” Gilpin said. “Moving in here now, I have what I need to keep it going. It's so much better designed to be permanently lived in.” 

In a rare move for the ski industry, Big Sky Resort is investing in diverse housing styles like apartments, where Gilpin lives, in prime locations walkable to the resort, and at a significantly subsidized cost. 

In August 2024, Big Sky Resort team members moved into two new buildings at the Levinski Lodge campus. One building offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, and the other is a dormitory-style building. Residents have access to communal kitchens (for those living in dormitory-style spaces), an outdoor patio space, a state-of-the-art gym, a ski and bike storage room, private study rooms, laundry facilities, and a recreation room filled with games, couches, and a TV. 

Though Gilpin has finally landed in a more permanent spot for himself, he said housing is still the biggest issue he runs into when trying to hire and keep employees. The more tenant-specific housing types as opposed to only dorm-style, Gilpin says, will help Big Sky Resort attract and keep employees. 

Big Sky Resort can now house over 50 percent of its workforce at peak season with 1,011 employee beds. Currently, about 70 percent of the resort’s housing inventory is within walking distance of the base area. 

“We want our team members to live right here in Big Sky. It enlivens the community, and it’s better for the employee, atmosphere, and climate,” said Troy Nedved, the resort’s general manager. 

Across the ski industry, 60 percent of resorts in the United States offer staff housing. According to the National Ski Areas Association 2024 Wage & Salary Survey, resorts with housing options offer an average of 184 beds, putting Big Sky at more than five times the industry average. 

“These two buildings speak to our belief into that commitment of improving livability, investing in our staff and our teams, and making sure that this can be a long-term career opportunity and a wonderful experience for anyone that works for us,” Nedved said. 

Instead of focusing solely on the number of beds, resort leadership is taking feedback from team members to create a variety of options and increase the livability and affordability of its team member housing. 

Until 2023, the housing available at Big Sky Resort had been dorm-style. Now, according to Michael Henry, team member housing manager, the resort is creating a more well-rounded experience for team members and working to attract and retain outstanding team members. 

“The resort couldn’t be what it is without our team members,” Henry said. He added that a good team member experience translates to a good guest experience for those visiting the resort. 

“I am most excited for this building as a keystone within the ski industry as to what is possible and what should be the focus when building these spaces,” Henry said. 

The resort also significantly subsidizes the cost of its employee housing. Rates to live in these new spaces are between 50 to 60 percent of market rates across all unit types. The market rate in Big Sky for a one-bedroom apartment, according to Big Sky Community Housing Trust rent local pricing, is $1,750. Residents living in a one-bedroom apartment in Levinski Lodge will pay $1,050. 

David O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, said Big Sky Resort is taking pressure off of the rental market in Big Sky by providing employee housing. 

“Big Sky Resort is going above and beyond what most major employers in resort communities provide or at least have available for workforce housing,” O’Connor said. 

He added that building more and better-quality housing also attracts longer-term occupancy, meaning those employees can now participate in and contribute to the Big Sky community. In general, O’Connor says, he wants to see growing businesses succeed in Big Sky. The way to do that, according to O’Connor, is by offering employee housing and relieving pressure on a challenging housing and rental market. 

Moving forward, Nedved says, Big Sky Resort will need more beds, and it’s just a question of what type and when. Recruiting and retaining passionate and professional talent is core to moving forward with the resort’s transformational vision, and the effort to improve and increase housing options is a big part of that. 

“There's no mystery that this is not our end game right here,” Nedved said about the new Levinski Lodges. “This is part of our team member investment journey and a huge milestone for us. But we have more of this to come. We've already started planning for more of it. And it's just a matter of being ready when we need it.”