Lava Spa Motel & RV Park

Lava Spa Motel & RV Park is located in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, and can be found across the street from the natural hot pools of Lava Hot Spring. The property has 22 rooms available at the motel and 15 RV sites in the RV park, which is located behind the motel. Lava Spa Motel & RV Park is open year-round and offers several pet-friendly rooms at the motel. The RV park and motel were initially built in the 1940s, and the establishment has had several different owners over the years. Due to the location of the business, there are a fair amount of places that are within walking distance, including restaurants, the Portneuf River, and the hot springs.

About

There are a total of 37 units that can be reserved at Lava Spa Motel & RV Park, 22 of which are rooms at the motel, and the other 15 of them are RV sites behind the motel. The motel rooms vary between having queen-sized beds and king-sized beds, and some of them fall under the category of economy rooms, standard suites, jacuzzi suites, or river suites. Economy rooms are smaller but tend to be more budget-minded. Standard suites are the most common and offer a more significant amount of space than the economy rooms. Jacuzzi suites are as large as the standard suites, but they have larger bathrooms with a jacuzzi tub. Finally, the river suites have views of the Portneuf River, which flows right by the property. Each room comes with a bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, and television.

The RV park offers 15 sites with full hook-ups, including water, electricity, and sewage. Most of the sites have 30 AMPs of electricity; however, there are a few that are capable of 30 and 50 AMPs. All of the RV spaces are back-in only, except for three. The three pull-through sites can be found on the hilltop, which can provide a view of the downtown area. Each site comes with a fire pit, and six of them can be found next to the river. Other RV spaces are beside walking trails that can take guests to the river and even a natural hot spring.

The motel is a U-shaped building and offers a carport where, during the summer, the employees will put out tables and chairs for guests to lounge. Inside the main office, visitors can get coffee in the mornings. While the property does not have any washers or dryers, there is a laundromat with coin-operated machines down the street that patrons can go to if they need it. The town of Lava Hot Springs is smaller in size, but it is still a tourist destination due to the natural hot springs. The property is located across the street from the Lava Hot Spring and next to the Portneuf River. Guests can visit one of the several outfitters in town, like Floating The River, to get gear for tubing down the river. There is also an indoor and outdoor pool called Lava Hot Springs Olympic Swimming Complex that is open during the summer. There are also a variety of places to eat, including places like 78th Main Street Eatery, Chuck Wagon, and Blue Moon Bar & Grill.

Culture

One of the managers of the motel and RV park mentions that the goal of the property is to be a place where their guests can have a good stay and be happy and enjoy themselves. In an effort to accomplish this goal, the employees try to be there for their visitors and are able to get people extra towels and other amenities that they may need. Employees tend to interact with guests often, especially during check-in and check-out.

Lava Spa Motel & RV Park has several policies that they ask patrons to abide by during their stay. Quiet time begins at 10:30 in the evening, which the manager reports is when many of the places in town close. Pets are allowed in the RV park, and there are six rooms in the motel that are considered pet-friendly. The business asks that guests clean up after their pets and keep them on leashes at all times. There is not a dog park in the area, but there are several outdoor places where visitors can take their dogs and allow them to exercise.
According to the manager, the property does not host any events, but the town puts on several events throughout the year. The Fire and Ice festival occurs every year, typically on the first whole weekend of February. During certain holidays, like The Fourth of July, the town may light fireworks.

A unique aspect of Lava Spa Motel & RV Park is the age and how long it has been in business, as it was first opened in the 40s. Because of this, there have been a number of people that have been coming to the establishment annually for many years. Another unique aspect is that it is one of the closest motels and RV parks to the Lava Hot Spring. Summers tend to be the best season of operation due to the warmer weather in Idaho.

Many visitors that stay at Lava Spa Motel & RV Park are typically there for the hot springs, as it is the namesake of the town. One person who recently stayed at the business left a review that reads, "This was a great overnight stay for us when the roads were too icy and snowy to travel. The attendant at the front desk was very kind, and the price was worth it, especially for the easy access to the hot springs across the street." The manager reports that there is no typical demographic of guests that visit the park as they see a wide variety of people at the property and they mention that there have been several presidents and famous artists that have stayed in the town.

History

The establishment has been in business for many years, but the current owners purchased it from the previous owner about 15 years ago. According to one of the managers, the property first opened its doors sometime in the 1940s. Ever since then, it has been used as both a motel and RV park.

The current owners are Todd and Tyler Victors, and they have done a variety of general upkeeping and updates throughout the years but have otherwise kept Lava Spa Motel & RV Park the same. Their family has been in the hospitality industry for many years and has run different properties in the past.

The manager's favorite part of helping run Lava Spa Motel & RV Park is that he lives on the grounds and is able to spend time at the Lava Hot Spring and other amenities that are offered in town.