If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind getaway, you don't have to go coastal or tropical to find something unique. A stay in a giant potato would certainly set you apart, and you can do that right here in Idaho for $207 a night, in the Big Idaho Potato Hotel just outside Boise.
The six-ton potato used to be part of the Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Idaho Potato Tour truck, where it traveled to 48 states over the course of seven years promoting the "certified heart-healthy Idaho Potato," according to the AirBnB posting. But how did it go from the back of a truck to a vacationable-spud?
Kristie Wolfe was a member of the "Tater team" that traveled with the Big Idaho Potato Truck for two years, according to a news release from the Idaho Potato Commission.
“The Big Idaho Potato Hotel allows people to experience Idaho in a unique way,” said IPC president and CEO Frank Muir. “The IPC was happy to let Kristie convert a hallmark of the Idaho potato brand into a permanent destination that can be enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.”
Wolfe is no stranger to the short-term rental business – in addition to the potato, she owns four other AirBnBs, in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii. Wolfe got started on this journey by building a tiny home before most people knew what they were and before they were all “tricked out,” in her words. She said hers was basically a shed on wheels.
“I wasn’t making a lot of money at the time.I did shift work in a factory, but by building my tiny house and buying a very cheap piece of land on the outskirts of Boise, I had eliminated nearly all of my bills, and I thought maybe I could do this again,” said Wolfe.
So, she bought land in Hawaii off of Craigslist and built a treehouse.
“If it rented for eight days a month, that would replace my factory job and worst case scenario it didn’t work, my friends and family would have a vacation home!”
Wolfe has now been doing AirBnB management full-time for about 10 years. She said she doesn’t have very many typical days in her line of work, but usually makes time to hike with her dog, Patsy. The rest of the day is spent either driving from build to build, working on the properties and doing computer work every few days.
Whatever build she is working on, Wolfe gets to spend a lot of time there. Last year, she got to live on the Oregon coast for about five months working on the Cocoon Cottage. Wolfe's mother did a lot of pretty extensive DIYs in their homes growing up, so she had a good base knowledge.
“Even though I had many other jobs, I always had a remodeling project on the side. Building my first vacation home is what made me be able to go full-time.”
As far as the Potato goes, it is booked out two to three months in advance, but cancellations happen from time to time. Wolfe said she loves the creativity her guests bring to the space.
“They come in costumes. Sometimes they write poems and sonnets. It’s really cool to also see people celebrate special occasions. I’ve had engagements, weddings and even babies conceived at all my properties.”
And worth a mention: If you stay at the Idaho Potato Hotel, you also get a really cute, fluffy guest.
Right now, Wolfe is in Salmon, Idaho reworking her first family AirBnB which she calls the Shipwreck located on a high Mountain Lake.
