Teton Valley Resort, the recently overhauled RV park in Victor, is gearing up for its biggest season yet with facility improvements and the addition of a spa and pool.

Owner Randy Larsen of Rexburg bought the decades-old RV park with a few aging KOA-style cabins in January of 2017 with the vision of creating an all-inclusive, recreation-focused resort.

“Randy always saw Victor as a place people passed through. This is a passion project for him,” said resort manager Keith Larsen, the owner’s nephew.

Most of 2017 was dedicated to eclipse preparations before the anticipated hordes of tourists descended in August for the solar spectacle.

Keith Larsen said he learned a lot from the eclipse experience.

“I found that when you’re working toward an artificial deadline, long term development trumps a holiday weekend every time,” he said.

Sven Taow manages the tours and other recreational offerings at the resort. He outsources some tours to other valley outfits, guides in the national parks, and is hoping to put together some kind of ski resort shuttle for winter visitors.

“A lot of guests are recreation people and they value the experience. It’s stay and play,” Taow said.

With the installation of over 40 cabins, five teepees, and a couple glamping tents (glamping is a portmanteau of glamorous and camping), 2018 was a banner year for TVR. The resort partnered with Rocky Mountain Cabin Company of Rexburg to bring in the manufactured units, which range in size and offerings. The small, modern cabins have garnered attention from tiny-house aficionados across the country. Meanwhile, the large teepees next to the road serve as curbside appeal; Taow said passersby often stop by just to ask about them.

Larsen added that the City of Victor has been a great partner in this venture.

“They’ve been patient with us as we’re in the process of making a long term, quality development,” he said.

This year one priority for development is the spa. Tentatively called The Rendezvous, the spa will open in June in the gutted-out shell of an old double-wide on the property. The building has been extensively renovated and will have a heated soapstone bench serving as the focal point of the lobby, as well as a sauna, a salon, a large relaxation porch, and other spa amenities.

The other big project in the works is a pool and hot tub next to the clubhouse. While rain has kept the workers from paving, Larsen refused to be deterred when pouring concrete for the pool; he built a tent over the site and got it done.

Larsen and Taow still working through the legal limitations of operating a private pool, but they’re looking forward to offering a learn-to-swim program through Teton Valley Aquatics and other special events.

The clubhouse has a large conference room upstairs with a huge wraparound deck facing the Tetons, and Larsen anticipates that it will bring weddings, meetings, a fireman’s ball—anything. Taow added that they’re offering the space for $50/hour right now, “as cheap as possible,” to get the word out. They’re in the middle of installing a commercial kitchen with the hope of enticing a catering business or local restaurant to offer food onsite.

“I think a lot of times locals get shafted in resort communities,” said Larsen, who grew up in Driggs. “Tourists come in, bring money, and then they leave. We know our presence here creates an impact for neighbors and we want to offer events and opportunities for them too.”

As with most valley businesses, TVR has found it challenging sometimes to hire help, although Larsen said the staff they do have is excellent. They can draw from pools of labor such as retired work campers, J-1 visa workers, and recreation students at BYU-Idaho. A percentage of the cabins are available for long-term (up to 200 days) housing, and they’ve filled up in past seasons. Larsen said they plan to do some workforce housing for the indefinite future, knowing that it will always be in demand for seasonal workers.

Teton Valley’s busy season starts in earnest in June. Larsen estimated that every project on the premises was around 90 percent finished, and the top priorities are to finish paving and landscaping and to prepare for the guests who will start arriving next month.

“I’m looking forward to construction being over,” he said with a laugh. “There’s a dust cloud of RVs heading this way.”