Amid Bozeman, Montana’s, hotel building boom is a woodsy outpost down by an exit off-ramp for Interstate 90. Walmart is across the street and the area is dotted with chain hotels.
Rising now like a trout ready to take a bite out of the market share held by Hilton, Marriott and other big brands is the new Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge.
It was scheduled to open in February, but crews remain busy transforming a rundown Holiday Inn into a new breed of branded hotel.
The lodge is taking reservations for rooms available starting in May.
Between now and then, a marketing campaign continues to roll out built on nostalgia for the days when Field & Stream was a giant in the outdoor space.
On Thursday, beneath a two-story mural of a cover from a 1931 issue of Field & Stream magazine, workers spread across the property, renovating all sides of the 179-room space, “designed to feel like traditional hunting and fishing lodges,” according to the company.
“The lodge features a range of amenities, including the Great Room with stone fireplace and communal seating,” the company proclaims. “The backyard is a 29,000-square-foot courtyard, complete with … vintage canoes that have been fashioned into fire pits.”
The Field & Stream Lodge stands out as a newcomer to hotel brands when compared to its across-the street-neighbors: Days Inn, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton.
As a hotel concept in Bozeman, the lodge breaks new trail into its own hospitality space. It’s a trusted brand name wrapped around the typical floor plan of a highway exit hotel.
And it’s owned by a pair of country music stars.
Duo Behind Hotel
Eric Church and Morgan Wallen bought the retail side of the Field & Stream trademark from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
"I can remember my grandfather kept a few of his favorite Field & Stream magazines on the dash of his truck," said Church. "That truck took us on hundreds of outdoor adventures and I all but memorized every story and every picture on every page. They were my Bible.
“It is the honor of my life to make sure that legacy carries on. It is both this responsibility to an American icon and also to a young boy in his papaw's truck that will be the compass that guides our steps."
Church and Wallen are now teamed up with Doug McNamee, former president of Magnolia, the media and lifestyle brand cofounded by Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV fame.
“As the latest in the lineage of caretakers, we aim to restore and amplify Field & Stream's authentic voice,” said McNamee.
A two-story mural at the new Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge, now under construction in Bozeman, Montana. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) 
An illustration showing what the check-in desk could look like. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.) 
Tuck into the revived world of Field & Stream. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.) 
Work in the lobby of the new Field and Stream Lodge in Bozeman, Montana. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.)
Dust Still Flying
Construction workers and trades professionals crisscrossed the Great Room on Thursday afternoon as the interior of the Field & Stream Lodge continued to come together one decorative canoe, snowshoe and antler at a time.
Promotional photos of the Lodge show it is targeting future guests in a similar way to The Wren in Missoula, where the rooms are designed and decorated to feel like an alpine basecamp.
Only at the Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge, the look and feel is more summer camp than modern chic. Some rooms will have bunk beds and the Great Room will feature a giant stuffed Smoky Bear.
In addition to Church and Wallen, other investors include Adventurous Journeys ("AJ") Capital Partners.
“With plans to expand to other iconic outdoor destinations in the coming years, Field & Stream Bozeman serves as the brand's flagship location,” according to a press release. "In honoring the rich history of the Field & Stream legacy, we're offering a modern twist on an American classic.”
Field & Stream Bozeman Co. didn’t respond to Cowboy State Daily before this story was published.
Looming Competition
Bozeman continues to see new hotels opening in and around the city. After cutting down a grove of willow trees, builders are now putting the finishing touches on a new Everhome Suites on Huffine Lane, a main commercial strip that hasn’t seen a lot of hotel development.
Further down Huffine in Four Corners, the community is getting its first chain hotel as a Home2 Suites by Hilton is scheduled to open in March.
And in downtown Bozeman, there are plans to replace the old Salvation Army building with a six-story Canopy by Hilton hotel. A public comment period on the project started in February as Bozeman residents and the city’s director of community development discuss the project with its 190 rooms, rooftop pool and bar.
The Bozeman Chamber of Commerce reported in 2024 that Bozeman had 2,535 hotel rooms in 31 hotels — with 650 of those rooms opening in the last five years. Another 994 rooms were reportedly under construction as of late 2024.
Contact David Madison at david@cowboystatedaily.com
Before and after images of the front sign at the new Field & Stream Lodge in Bozeman, Montana. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.) 
Before and after images of the indoor pool at the new Field & Stream Lodge in Bozeman, Montana. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.) 
Before and after images of the great room at the new Field & Stream Lodge in Bozeman, Montana. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.) 
Before and after images of the backyard at the new Field & Stream Lodge in Bozeman, Montana. (Field & Stream Bozeman Lodge Co.)
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
