We've got two epically huge (23-24,000 square feet) mountain town lodges - one perched high on a hillslide near Big Sky, Montana, and another in the valley across the street from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort - dueling for the attention of your billionaire fantasy. Only one of them will walk away with your vote, and only one has its own golf course.
? Our first candidate is Big EZ Lodge about 15 minutes from Big Sky Resort. 23,000 square feet across five buildings with a combined 16 bedrooms, 16 full bathrooms and 5 halfies. Owned by Texas investment banker Robert Hicks and run as a private retreat up until now, this place is overflowing with amenities even an Aspenite would drool over, namely its own 18-hole putting golf course (again, it's just for putting) that sits below the huge deck, 26-person hot tub, croquet court, and caddy shack. Then you also got the two stocked trout ponds for fishing, the views from 7,500 feet, the multiple kitchens, the 60 acre grounds, and even an "Idea Room." Of course, to afford a $24.5 million list price, we imagine you'd have had to thought of a few good ideas already. It may, however, go for a steal at auction sans reserve on August 9th like the last one did. · Big EZ Lodge, Big Sky, MT [Concierge Auctions/Big Sky Real Estate]
? The living at the Grand Teton Estate in Wilson, Wyoming ain't bad either. 23,250 square feet of space but only 7 bedrooms and 7 full and 2 half baths this time. But this time you get an elevator, movie theater, 1,200 square foot gym, mother in law apartment, big French kitchen, and plenty of place to unwind and read your many leather-bound books. Other extraneous amenities include a 7-car garage and 1,000 gallon gas tank for refueling your fleet of Chevy Tahoes (or Escalades, it's usually one or the other), four heated dog kennels, private well water, an in-ground hot tub facing your private pond with dramatic views above towards Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and a yes, a croquet court. Concierge Auction also touts its grandfathered square footage, as Teton County doesn't allow living spaces greater than 8,000 square feet. Despite the much smaller 10.63 acre plot, the list price is way higher - more like $32.5 million - but it too is going to auction without reserve (next week).
· 7555 Moose Wilson Road, Jackson Hole, WY [Concierge Auctions/JH Sotheby's]
It's hard to say which place screams "I own the world!!" more, or which gargantuan manse is more outrageously exclusive. Big EZ's got that golf course, 16 bedrooms, a 26-person hot tub, and all that land. Grand Teton is closer to a more notable ski area, and with its own pellet stoves, reserve gas tank, and well water, is better suited to survive the zombie apocalypse. But the fact that the Grand is so much more expensive should give you a relative sense of the real estate markets in the two infamous ski towns. But which one comes out on top in the end?
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