You might not be into biking, but after staying here – you might change your mind. The Bike Inn is one of the coolest places you’ll ever stay, and there are so many reasons why. But if you are a bicycling enthusiast this is a paradise designed especially for you!
Bentonville – The Bike Capital
Bentonville, Arkansas. Home to Sam Walt – that’s right, the owner and founder of Walmart. But Bentonville isn’t just the Walmart capitol of the world –it’s also the biking capitol of the world. Most people who aren’t into bicycling might not know this about Bentonville (or might not have even heard of Bentonville) but it’s a pretty awesome little town with a lot of big things going on.
Most specifically the cycling culture.
With lots of places to eat, drink and sleep, Bentonville is an up and coming big little city in a very rural type of state. Though you may think of Arkansas as being a simply rural state, Bentonville erases all suspicions of that instantly.
Located in the northwest corner of the Natural State, and right on the Oklahoma and Missouri borders, Bentonville is trapped in the Ozarks, making winters cold and snowy, and all other times of year favorable for biking, hiking, hunting, fishing and all the other outdoorsy stuff you can think of.
But enough about the clean, modern town that The Bike Inn resides – let’s talk about the actual Inn. Or the B&B. Or the guesthouse. Or what use to be the Pines Motel. Whatever you want to think of this place as, what you are bound to end up calling it before you leave, is a home away from home.
The Space & Start
I had the absolute sheer delight to be able to stay here for 4 glorious nights, and each one of my days spent here was relaxing, enjoyable and the epitome of comfortable.
The owners, Jeremy and Tiffany could not be more pleasant, amenable to help and generous. “The Boujee Suite” that I took as my place of rest while I was in Bentonville was their grandest room, which was actually more like 4 rooms – if you count the kitchen and bathroom. A huge space, it was literally like having my own small condo for a few days, all to myself.
Naturally though, I was curious about the history of the property, how Jeremy and his wife Tiffany came to own it and all the background that set the stage for this now modern and incredibly well decorated inn, geared for the casual traveler.
Jeremy was more than happy to sit down with me for an interview and told me the back story to their now very well established and successful business. He tells me that unfortunately there’s not a whole lot of show stopping story telling to be done with the history of the motel. However, what we do know is that for many years it was The Pines Motel – which is why the sign still remains the same to this day. And frankly, I love the sign, particularly at night lit up. It adds a lot of character and charm to the front of the motel, and with the blanket of snow that came to occupy the ground while I was staying here, it was all the more beautiful illuminating the whiteness of the ground.
“We purchased the property in March of 2021,” Jeremy begins, “Construction started in April that same year, and we opened our doors in September of 2021. Tiffany & I both spotted the motel for sale independently on the same day. We were both excited and came home to tell each other about it. We had a pretty clear vision of what we wanted to do with the property and the timing was just perfect. How could you not be excited about a motel on Walton Blvd in one of the biggest boom towns in America?”
Indeed. And perhaps the location is just one more reason why they’ve done as well as they have in the short time they’ve been open. And considering that they started the business not too long after the Covid pandemic hit, while most businesses were struggling to stay open, they were flourishing.
The Style
But one reason the motel is so desirable – at least for me – is Tiffany’s natural talent for interior design. Her creativity in each of the suites is very much noticeable, and in the Boujee Suite where I stayed, the combination of southwestern motif meeting with a combination of Indian and bicycle culture is incredibly well executed. If not done correctly it would not work well, but her gift is apparent and she hits the mark perfectly.
“Design has always been a passion for Tiffany and she enjoys creating beautiful spaces for others to enjoy. When designing the motel our goal was to be as thoughtful in selecting the items in each room to not have a cluttered feel, but also incorporate everything needed while traveling. The goal was a functionally modern space built with cyclists in mind. she accomplished this by utilizing neon lighting, art inspired bike racks, to provide a clean functional space for each guest. While each room is similar, they are all also unique in their decor to incorporate all the local trails that Northwest Arkansas has to offer,” he notes.
Hometown Comfort
When asked about the town of Bentonville itself, Jeremy boasts about the city he calls home,
“Bentonville is a unique community that feels like a much bigger city with a very large art, music, outdoor rec culture, and an emphasis on a healthy, well balanced work life. Our community is made up of people from all walks of life that continue to bring the best values of their culture to our community.”
And he’s right. From the little time I spent in Bentonville, the overall vibe seemed more like something you would find in the Pacific Northwest rather than in what you would imagine Northwest Arkansas to be like. The urban feel was definitely here, and perhaps this is another reason why bicyclists flock to this area as much as they do. In fact, according to Jeremy, Bentonville is the number one bicyclist capitol of the world.
And if Bentonville being a super unique and unexpected pleasant surprise weren’t enough, the same can be true about The Bike Inn. And Jeremy agrees.
“Our entire concept is unique. From the decor & functionality to our green community spaces. The most special thing about our motel is who we built it for – cyclists. We purpose built and designed the motel with the cyclist and their bike in mind. We are also the oldest operating motel/hotel in Bentonville, circa 1950’s.” Which undoubtedly explains the awesome sign out front.
Keep it Local
One of Jeremy’s biggest things is keeping everything local. He cautioned me while staying at his place to shop local, eat local – and most especially, drink local coffee. Which I did. So it’s no surprise, that when asked what the most important thing about his property is for the future guest visiting, he says,
“We are a locally owned and operated business. We are also a minority owned & disabled veteran owned business. When you stay with us, that income stays here in the same community you came to visit. I would also put our rooms up against any in town and we are well below the average cost in Bentonville. If you’re coming to Bentonville to enjoy outdoor recreation, your experience continues as we’ve curated an amazing outdoor greenspace to meet like-minded travelers.”
What does The Bike Inn offer exactly? Just about everything you can think of. What I love about this place personally, is that it combines the flavors of tiny house living with airbnb comforts and five star hotel standards.
The way they have efficiently utilized their small spaces, keeping it very green and very clean, they somehow make it chiq without making it pretentious. Their smaller units have a mini fridge (which look like the retro fridges from the 60’s), and a kitchen sink in front of the Queen size bed, making the space seem bigger than it actually it is.
In my bathroom, the toilet came with a built-in-bidet which was just wonderful. I really hope this is a new fad that is going to break in to more places around the U.S. – we need more bidets! In all seriousness, not only is this a great thing to have – as it’s sanitary and handy – but the fact that it was actually built into the toilet was beyond genius in economizing the very small bathroom. Instead of a toilet and a bidet, you have two-in-one.
There is a laundry facility on site, a snack shop located inside of the community room – where there are also a couple of extra showers for people staying in the glamping pods out back – and there is even a fire pit for those lovely summer evenings. Hammacks align the back of each of the bigger units and if you need to get something urgently for your bike, they’ve got you covered with that too. They are, Jeremy tells me, the only bike shop open 24 hours a day in town. And guess how? If you’re a guest, you have a code to the unit on site where you can find all the things you need. From bike pumps, to other biking gear – even bicycles themselves.
And how else are they staying eco-friendly here?
“During the remodel, we upgraded all the electric, water, & insulation. We utilize on-demand hot water heaters, bidets, LED lighting to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We also sourced as many items locally as we could,” says Jeremy, pleased with the work they’ve accomplished in the time that they’ve been open.
When asked what is the most important thing bicyclists should know about the area, Jeremy gets excited.
“Northwest Arkansas is the Mountain Bike Capitol of the World! We have hundreds of miles of curated trails accessible from every corner of Bentonville. The surrounding areas also have hundreds of miles of amazing gravel roads and some of the most epic gravel rides in the country. The Razorback greenway system connects Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, & Fayetteville town squares via a 12 lane dedicated bike path.”
And as far as their motel is concerned, he’s just as enthusiastic to tell people what’s waiting for them.
Pricing & Offers
“We offer 13 unique rooms all extremely well appointed and underpriced. We feature the extremely comfortable Forever Bed mattresses sourced locally, luxurious white linens on each bed which provides a very clean and home-like feel moving away from the standard hotel throw. Each bed offers 4 pillows, 2 are crushed latex and 2 memory foam to ensure you find the consistency that you prefer.
Our bedside outlets have USB ports to charge your gadgets and each room has a breakfast bar with a mini-fridge, keurig, and microwave. Our showers have amazing water pressure and each toilet offers a bidet for a fresh clean start to each day. Our Cabins, numbers 14-17, utilize the shared Guest Lounge and Shower House for their restroom needs while the other 9 rooms do have an en suite restroom. Each evening we invite our guests to mingle around the firepit and make a couple of new friends.
Our outdoor space is made up of a heated outdoor shower, Muc-off Bike Wash Station, 3 picnic tables, a gazebo with stereo & shuffleboard, 2 sets of “bags”, 3 hammocks, & a fully stocked community fire pit where we stack and prep the firewood for the evening each morning. Our outdoor space is very unique especially in a city setting. When you are in our backyard, it feels like you are in a secluded park right in the heart of Bentonville.”
He goes on to say,
“We have 3 RV parking spots with 30amp service, 4 Cabins – the cabins and RV spots both utilize the Guest Lounge & Shower House for their restroom needs, 5 Singles, 1 Single Suite, 1 Double, 2 Double Suites for a total of 13 rooms & 16 beds. You can also reserve our entire property for $1250/night which is an average of $78/night/bed.”
And speaking of prices, I’m told that they are incredibly reasonable. Winter months are obviously – but honestly, the rest of the year is super affordable. Cabins start at $75 per night, singles start at $99, doubles and suites start at $125 per night and RV parking is $40 per night. They also require a $10 linen fee per each reservation.
One of the coolest things about The Bike Inn, aside from the fact that you don’t have to be a bike lover to love this place, is the solitude and autonomy that they offer here. There is no office where you check in. After you book online, they send you a confirmation e-mail which will have the code to your door to get in.
Once you’re in, that’s it. You don’t have to bother with anyone, and while Jeremy is super personable and if you ever have something urgent come up he’s happy to help – they also leave you alone. Which is awesome. Because, if you’re on a vacation, that’s honestly what you want to be – left alone. Unlike at a hotel where people are noisy in the next room, or the receptionist might be eyeing you as you walk by, you get none of that here.
Both my (yes, my) living room and bedroom had big flatscreen TVs mounted to the walls, and they offer Roku which was literally just like at home for me. I could watch whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. And the peace and quiet I got working was just the tops. I don’t recall the last time I stayed in such a serene place.
Staying at The Bike Inn for me, was truly like having my own private pad. It’s your vacation home until you leave. And I’m pretty sure that’s what Jeremy and Tiffany want you to feel like.
Needless to say, I desperately want to come back to The Bike Inn, and did not want to leave.
From the décor, to the comfort, to the accessibility, the perfect location of it being right near the downtown of the city, and of course the warmth and generosity of the owners all made for the best experience I could have asked for – and more!
So what are you waiting for? You know you want to experience staying at this fabulous motel-turned-boujee inn for bicyclists. Just make sure that when you do book with them, you let them know that Lisa sent you!
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