The Valkommen House is located in Stratford, Iowa, on 80 acres of land. Guests have the option of reserving either the guest house as a whole, or a camper that is on the premises. The guest house can house 6 people and has a living and dining area on the first floor. Additional amenities are located in a specific section of the main house where the owner, Jay, lives. These include billiards and a foosball table, a porch with tables and chairs, and a pool and hot tub that patrons can use anytime. Those staying on the property are free to explore the different structures like the barn and the storm shelter. Jay says that many of his guests will stay with him for events that occur in the area or because they want to see what farm life is like.
Outside of the town of Stratford, Iowa, is the Valkommen House. The structure is situated on 80 total acres of land, two of them being utilized for the inn itself. The rest of the acreage is used as farmland by Jay, the owner of the property. There are several buildings on the premises, with two that are available for guest reservation and accommodation: the guest house and a farm camper. Inside the guest house, there are a total of three beds, one queen-sized bed on the first floor and two double beds on the second. According to Jay, a total of six people can stay in the house. Provided amenities include air conditioning, a private bathroom, a television, a dining area, and internet access. There is also a small porch outside the front door with some chairs that visitors can sit in. The farm camper features a queen-sized bed, a private bathroom, and a cooktop, among other things.
Guests can visit some of the other buildings on the premises. These include a portion of the main house where Jay lives and a large barn. In the main house, there is a common area where guests can congregate, which has a full-sized billiards table, a foosball table, and laundry facilities that patrons can use for an additional charge. Outside the main house, visitors can use the property’s pool and hot tub or gather on the building’s large porch with additional tables and chairs. Jay says that because the refrigerators in both the guest house and the farm camper are small, guests are allowed to use a large fridge in the main house as needed. He also sells snacks, beverages, and toiletries to patrons as they may desire them.
People staying at the Valkommen House are free to explore the rest of the property at their leisure. One part of the property that Jay points out to guests is the storm shelter he calls “the cave” that they can go inside. There is a grassy space surrounding the main house where guests can congregate and play sports; however, they must provide their own equipment. Between the inn’s acreage and the farming fields, there is a grove of trees that patrons can explore. As far as activities people can do away from the property, there are many events hosted in the region surrounding the inn which guests can attend, including local rodeos and a yearly bluegrass festival.
When asked how he wants his guests to feel, Jay, the owner of the Valkommen House, mentions that he wants his guests to feel welcome first and foremost. “That’s the name of the house in Swedish; it means welcome,” he says. He hopes that people will feel comfortable and relaxed while on the property. Many people have stayed at the property for events that are going on in the area, such as a rodeo and a bluegrass festival which each happen during the summer. Other visitors come from large cities to stay at the inn and see what farm life is actually like. Because of this, there is not one typical demographic for the property. Jay says that he gets all kinds of guests, from college students, to families, to people attending concerts in the area.
In hopes that each of his guests can feel that relaxed atmosphere the property strives to have, Jay asks those who stay with him to observe a few policies during their stay. One of the most notable is that while small children are not prohibited from staying on the premises, Jay says that because it is a working farm, a child could get hurt if they weren’t careful; therefore, Jay asks that those with younger children talk to him prior to their stay. Similarly, pets are allowed to stay with guests on the property; however, Jay asks that guests talk to him about their pets beforehand to decide whether their pets can be brought with them.
The Valkommen House has been an inn since 1990 when it was established by Carol Larson. Carol’s grandmother, Caroline, was the first person to live in the house in the late 1800s and early 1900s, building the house with many visual queues to her Swedish ancestry. Caroline passed the property on to her daughter, Agnes, who was born in the house. When Agnes and her husband were running the farm, they built the main house on the property and moved out of the Valkommen House, ultimately using the structure for grain storage. Around the late 1980s, the building was set to be torn down to make additional space for the farm. However, Carol wanted to preserve the heritage of the house by turning it into a bed and breakfast.
Carol ran the Valkommen House until the late 2010s, when her son, Jay, took over the operations of the business. Growing up, Jay had used the building as a clubhouse before it was established as a lodging place and helped his mother run the inn. He decided to keep the business running because of his mother’s connection to the house. Since gaining ownership, Jay has made several changes to the guest house, including installing a new water heater, building a private bathroom in the structure, and adding a small kitchen into the dining area. Despite these changes, the décor of the inn has been left unchanged. Jay also has plans to open up the barn on the property as an event space with additional accommodations and a tiny house that visitors will be able to rent out.
3219 - 370th , Hwy 175
Stratford, Iowa 50249
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Jay Larson
