Yellowstone Peaks Hotel is owned by Blake and Mara Hansen, who opened the Island Park, ID hotel in May 2024 after a decade of recreating in the region themselves. Though it’s their first time building a hotel from the ground up, the two have some experience in hospitality, having previously renovated an A-frame rental cabin in town some years back.
While a recent movement of boutique, outdoors-aligned hospitality projects have sprouted like saplings around the USA–from Autocamp and its sibling Field Station to Outbound, Loge, Trailborn, Postcard Cabins (formerly Getaway), and even Evo hotels—only glamping site operator Under Canvas offers similar accommodations in this part of eastern Idaho. And regardless, the bar is set pretty low in outdoor tourism destinations designed to churn and burn visitors who spend their days outside.
Yellowstone Peaks Hotel & Accommodations
The hotel is comprised of 21 cabins, two of which serve as a check-in office and housing for the on-site employees. A fishing pond and outdoor "wellness area" with a communal sauna, hot tubs, and cold plunges sit in the middle of the property.
Co-owner Mara Hansen has a background in visual arts and design, which has informed the hotel’s atmosphere. The 560-square-foot cabins have a simple, Scandinavian design with tall ceilings, an open layout, floor-to-ceiling windows. Though the framework is minimalist, the interior has plenty of color, like Mara’s paintings on the wall and the green kitchen cabinets. There is an occasional Western touch—anything with “Yellowstone” in the name must oblige—but on the whole the hotel has the kind of aesthetic that fits in anywhere. (You be the judge on whether that’s a compliment or not.)
Cabins can accommodate up to six guests each, between a private bedroom, bunk beds, and pull-out sofa. The cabins feature a well-supplied kitchen and private outdoor area with a grill, fire pit, and complimentary firewood. Each cabin also has its own Japanese-inspired, wood-fired hot tub that guests can fill with fresh spring water. (If guests find stoking the fire for hours to bring the tubs up to temp, the hotel will handle prep for a $75 service fee).
The central shared outdoor space offers a communal aspect, featuring a sizable outdoor sauna (electric—no wood stoked required), additional larger hot tubs, two cold plunges, and a fishing pond.
Prices may vary through the season, but cabins can be rented May through early November for $878 for two nights, which is the minimum stay.