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Surrounded by 400 acres of ranching, the Hobbit Mountain Hole is listed on Airbnb
Nestled in the verdant hills of Bridesville, British Columbia is a quaint home familiar to fans of fantasy films and adventure novels, the home owned by none other than Middle-earth adventurer Bilbo Baggins.
Well not exactly, the house is listed on Airbnb as the Hobbit Mountain Hole. It was built by a master builder and obviously a huge Lord of the Rings nerd who has since left the property. According to the home’s current owner and caretaker, Christina LeComte, construction of the home took two years and construction was completed in 2019.
Last year, LeComte moved to the 400 acre ranch and has been taking care of The Hobbit Hole since April 2020. Having never managed an Airbnb before let alone a Hobbit home, LeComte considers the experience to be a interesting journey, learning how the house and its surrounding plant life reacts to the different seasons. As the house changes throughout the year, she really calls it “a living thing”.
LeComte admitted that she didn’t watch the Lord of the Rings movies until she made the Hobbit hole her own – something she wished she had done earlier.
“I kind of wished I had done it sooner because I really liked them,” she said, comparing the similarities between her actual Hobbit hole and the movies. “I think it’s pretty accurate actually. Where it is, it really looks like Middle-earth or some kind of fantasy world because it’s so secluded and private.”
So how is the house?
Right next to a grove of evergreen trees, the land rises gently, interrupted by a stone fireplace. Below you can see the large circular door leading to the Hobbit Hole and next to it two windows crossing the earth. A few feet from the door is a foyer with a few wooden chairs, perfect for discussing his 111th birthday.
When you open the door you are greeted in an entrance hall with two leather armchairs sitting opposite each other. Above the chairs is a small chandelier (watch out for Gandalf) and beyond is a fireplace with a few lines of Elvish text above the mantle.
“Now we just have to decide what to do with the time allotted to us, indicates the inscription.
All over the house there is furniture and decoration that makes the house feel like Bilbo has just eaten a pinch of the Longbottom leaf.
Decorating the home has been an ongoing process according to LeComte.
“I always keep adding things to it,” she said. “It’s always a lot of fun because you sort of wait for the right thing to come to me that suits you.”
Far from the people? Sign me up!
By now you might be planning to find a friend in your bubble, pack your Lembas bread, and go on an adventure to visit The Hobbit Hole, but you might have to wait. According to LeComte, the house is already booked for more than half of the year.
Without advertising to speak of, with the exception of an Instagram account and the Airbnb site, LeComte claims that the house attracts its own clientele. This was especially true in 2020 even though LeComte was not expecting a single booking due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
“Last year a lot of people said they were so happy they were able to escape 2020,” she said. “It seems like something really special to people.”
As visiting the Hobbit Mountain Hole would be a non-essential trip outside of nearly all regional health authorities in British Columbia, Vancouverites will have to wait until travel restrictions are lifted before traveling.
Thankfully, LeComte plans to continue offering The Hobbit Hole as an escape spot for as long as she can. Although she and her husband are quite busy with the ranch as it is, LeComte is motivated to continue gifting The Hobbit Hole due to the comments she has received so far.
“I can’t really believe that I am able to facilitate something that means so much to people,” she said. “The reactions I get from people … I don’t know how to put it any other way, but sometimes they are really deep.”
While we may not be able to visit now, we can pass the time enjoying Tolkien’s sprawling works between the pages of his books or on our screens. Remember that there will always be a Hobbit Hole under the Hill in Bridesville, BC and there always will be.
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