We Asked, They Answered: Hillary and Haylee Folkvord, The Cottages at Bigfork

Hillary and Haylee Folkvord, the hoteliers behind the RSVP Motel and Farmer's Daughters Cafe in Bozeman, and the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks until they sold it in 2026. Their newest project, The Cottages at Bigfork, is in a place their family has been coming to for years, long before there was any plan to run a business there.

Can you share a brief history of The Cottages and what you saw in it when taking it over?

The Cottages were built in 2004, and our family became stewards of the property in the fall of 2026. From the beginning, it had wonderful bones. It simply needed a little love to become fully itself. We spent that winter bringing it to life, designing and finishing every interior ourselves, which made the process feel less like a renovation and more like an act of care.

Bigfork has been part of our family's story since we were children visiting in the summer. In 2020, a house on the river found its way to us, and it's remained a gathering place ever since, for our parents, husbands, and children. So when the opportunity to take on The Cottages came up, it felt less like a business decision and more like an invitation to be part of Bigfork in a new way, to give something back to the place that's given our family so much.

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Tell us about the renovation, and why you chose to do the interior design yourselves.

We knew from the start we wanted to do the interiors ourselves, not because it was the easier path, but because it was the more meaningful one. Every choice, from finishes to furnishings to the small details, became a way of translating what this place means to our family into something guests could actually feel the moment they walked in.

Designing it ourselves also meant we could take our time and let the process be intuitive. We were building each space the way we'd want to walk into it ourselves, after a long drive, ready to exhale. That care shows up in the details you notice on your second or third day more than your first.

You travel a lot to experience other hotels and hospitality. What have you brought back into the Cottages?

We love to travel, and we're always drawn to luxury hotels, not just to enjoy them, but to study them. We pay attention to how the best hospitality leaders in the world think, particularly around the small details most guests never consciously notice but always feel.

What we bring back most often are ideas around in-room amenities and the quieter parts of customer service. We're especially drawn to surprise-and-delight moments, the small, unexpected touches that show up right as someone wakes up or as they're settling in for the night. It's never about copying what other properties do. It's about noticing what makes a guest feel truly taken care of.

What do you want someone to feel when they check into the Cottages?

More than anything, we want people to feel a sense of nostalgia, that particular feeling of returning to the lake, even if it's their first time here. So much of daily life keeps us moving quickly, half-present wherever we are. We hope the moment someone checks in, that pace starts to loosen. A slower morning, a longer conversation, a walk without a destination. That's the real luxury we're offering: permission to truly slow down.

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Rapid Fire with Hillary and Haylee

Favorite place to eat in Bigfork? 

Oro Y Plata, the best tacos and skinny margaritas.

Favorite things to do with the kids? 

Cherry picking, fishing, boat rides.

What makes the Flathead Valley so special? 

There’s a rare kind of magic here. Mountains and lake water existing side by side, small-town charm that hasn't been polished away, and a pace of life that reminds you what summer is supposed to feel like.

Go-to drink? 

A crisp white wine, specifically Sancerre.

Favorite season to visit? 

Summer. Nothing better, it feels like the Nantucket of Montana.

What's Bigfork missing? 

A few more restaurants, a small organic grocery store, the kids would say an old fashion candy store.

Find The Cottages at Bigfork at thecottagesatbigfork.com, and follow along at @thecottagesatbigfork.