The Okanagan's Hobbit house takes on new life
After taking over the former Halfling Hideaway, where visitors can experience a taste of middle earth, the new owners of a cheerful hobbit hole say business has been surprisingly steady, even during the pandemic.
Former owner Will Bardes sold his property and the Halfling Hideaway, an authentic Lord of Rings style Airbnb located roughly 30 minutes east of Osoyoos, back in November 2019 and moved to the U.S. due to a changing family situation.
Based on his youngest son’s recommendation, the family originally wanted to build a cabin on the property but thought a hobbit home would be fun to create, he said.
New owner Christina Le Comte bought the cozy hobbit home with her husband and said she was initially unsure if people would still want to rent it during COVID-19, but things have been going well.
READ MORE: This Tolkien-inspired B&B could be hobbit-forming
They purchased the land for ranching, which also came with the hobbit home. Her husband is from the Prairies, while she grew up in the U.K., she said.
“I’ve been in a lot of places so I like meeting people and guests,” she said, adding they respect social distancing measures.
Having not previously read or watched the Lord of the Rings, she decided to educate herself on the lore once taking over the hobbit home, she said, adding her husband is a fan. She enjoyed reading the books, which she thought were better than the movies.
“I’ve never had an Airbnb, and never had (a hobbit) house, so it’s something new to learn and it’s fun,” she said.
“When we took it over, we had quite a few bookings already for this year and then when COVID started, I’d say we had probably 50 per cent cancellations in April. It was discouraging, we thought ‘oh, we probably won’t be having this Airbnb this summer’ and then I created the new Airbnb (page) and suddenly it just picked up and it’s been pretty busy. I don’t know how people find it, but they do.”
Most people refer to it now as the “hobbit hole,” she said.
It’s been a popular location for proposals and honeymoons, she said.
Experience hobbit life for yourself by searching for the Hobbit Mountain Hideaway on Airbnb.
The location is currently closed for the winter months and will reopen in March.
- This story was originally published Sept. 6, 2020.
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