You Could Spend 2 Nights Sleeping in a Giant Idaho Potato, Here’s How

There are so many great things about potatoes: they’re surprisingly high in vitamin C and have more potassium than a banana; as starchy carbs, they’re a great source of energy, whether you’re training for a race or just trying to get through your workday; and without potatoes, we wouldn’t have the world’s most perfect food, the humble tater tot. If you’re thinking to yourself, “I love potatoes so much, I just wish I could spend a weekend inside one of them” — and you may be, we’re not judging — then wow, you should keep reading. 

Saturday, August 19, is National Potato Day, and to celebrate, Lay’s is giving one potato-loving person (and a guest) a two-night stay at the Big Idaho Potato Hotel. The accurately named hotel is located 20 miles outside of Boise, Idaho, and yes, that lucky twosome will be vacationing inside a 28-foot long, 11.5-foot tall steel, plaster, and concrete potato. 

According to the Big Idaho Potato Hotel’s website, this terrifically big tuber was built over a decade ago to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). It spent seven years traveling across the country, most likely delighting everyone who saw it and prompting hundreds of conversations that started with “Is that a big potato?”

It was finally put out to pasture in a field south of Boise and was fashioned into a tiny hotel. Before you ask, the bathroom is in a separate building beside the potato. That’s where you’ll find a whirlpool tub, a fireplace, and even a skylight so you can relax in the evenings, look up, and try to find all the constellations that look like potatoes. 

If you’d like to win a chance to spend two nights inside this spud, all you need to do is go to the @Lays Instagram account and click on this photo about the spud-tastic getaway. You’ll need to comment on the post to explain why you deserve the stay and use the hashtags #LaysSweepstakes and #LaysStayGolden. 

 If you’re not chosen as the contest winner, you can still book a stay in the Big Idaho Potato Hotel on Airbnb, where it costs around $207 per night. Based on the property’s previous reviews, one of its standout amenities is Dolly the Cow, an actual bovine who grazes in the surrounding fields and will occasionally come by for treats and head pats. 

In the meantime, you can still celebrate National Potato Day with the potato product of your choice. Not that you ever need an excuse for chips, fries, or tots, but tomorrow gives you one anyway.