If you think about Idaho you probably think about the lowly potato. After all, the state grows about 13 billion pounds of the tubers every year, ranging in size from tiny fingerlings to hefty russets to 28-foot long colossus. Did I say 28 feet long? No, that wasn’t a misprint. Idaho is ripe with larger-than-life potato roadside attractions, and the Big Idaho Potato Hotel is one of the biggest and best.
Some of my favorite foods are make from potatoes: crispy French fries, creamy mashed potatoes, baked potatoes topped with butter and sour cream and cheese. I pretty much think every potato looks good enough to eat, but I definitely think this giant potato AirBNB is good enough to sleep in!
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The AirBNB began its life in 2012 as The Big Idaho Potato — a 6-ton giant steel, concrete, and plaster potato that traveled across the US to promote the Idaho Potato Commission on the Big Idaho Potato tour. For seven years the giant spud traveled across 48 states, nearly 175,000 miles, spreading the potato live across America. At 28-feet long, 12-feet wide, and 11.5-feet tall it was one BIG potato!
When the giant potato was set to be retired and replaced in 2018 it almost went to the Idaho Potato Museum, but Kristie Wolfe had other plans. She snatched it up with the mission to turn this big potato into a big potato hotel.
Wolfe was no stranger to AirBNBs, tiny houses, and weird sleeping spaces. She had previously created the Underground Hygge Hobbit-inspired home in Orondo, Washington; the Crystal Peak Lookout fire lookout in Fernwood, Idaho; and the Dreamy Tropical Tree House in Fern Forest, Hawaii.
When it came to turning the Big Idaho Potato into the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Wolfe had to make a lot of changes to make the tater inhabitable and suitable for guests. She added insulation, placed a wood floor, and installed electricity, heating, and air conditioning.
Inside, the world’s largest potato AirBNB looks like a luxury hotel, complete with crisp white walls, Millennial pink chairs, a queen-size bed, and an antler chandelier.
The Idaho roadside attraction and AirBNB sits on 400 acres outside of Boise and is watched over by a friendly Jersey cow named Dolly. It’s available for stays for one night or longer for $250 a night (plus cleaning and service fees and taxes).
I stopped by to see this giant potato hotel on an Idaho road trip but, at the time, it wasn’t quite ready to accept visitors. I did get to admire it from afar, meet the adorable Dolly, and dream of sleeping in a giant potato the next time I visit Idaho.
More photos of the Big Idaho Potato Hotel in Boise, Idaho:
There are so many potato roadside attractions in Idaho! While taking a road trip through Idaho be sure to also visit the Idaho Potato Museum and the Spud Drive-In. And, while in Boise, try the Ice Cream Potato at Westside Drive In.
The Big Idaho Potato Hotel & AirBNB
Address: 31581 S. Orchard Access Rd, Orchard, ID
Cost: Free to See, Available to Book on AirBNB
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