By Noah Nelson
Imagine this: You’ve just spent the day with friends skiing and snowboarding on Mt. Bachelor. You come back to your vacation rental, tucked away in a forest of pines, to see a roaring outdoor fire and an ice free patio. From the patio, you seamlessly walk to your bunk through a wide open, foldable glass wall and talk about the day on the mountain as you kick off your snowy boots and hang jackets to dry, unbothered by the snow and winter air because the floors are heated and waterproof.
You crack open a beer, pour a glass of wine, or enjoy a cocktail mixed by a professional bartender while you sit back on the couch, enjoy a movie, and watch the snow fall inches away, all while staying cozy and comfortable. You take a soak in the cedar hot tub or rest in the steam room before rinsing off in your private shower, heading to bed and doing it all again tomorrow. The kitchen is stocked, your day is planned, and you know that your lodging was designed with every detail accounted for. This is the vision of the Lazy River Glamp-House.
“It’s a fully custom built structure that has all the amenities of a small resort, and still allows for the experience of a large group of people to sleep outside. It’s a luxury home glamping experience that utilizes 50 feet of folding glass walls along the house to directly connect guests with the outdoors.”
–Grayson Graham, Owner, Lazy River Glamp-House
“The typical vacation home was designed for a large family to live in, but 13 people on vacation together have completely unique needs from 13 people living together. This house was designed from the ground up to provide for a large group of people on vacation together and accommodate their specific needs,” says the owner of the house, Grayson Graham. “It’s a fully custom built structure that has all the amenities of a small resort, and still allows for the experience of a large group of people to sleep outside. It’s a luxury home glamping experience that utilizes 50 feet of folding glass walls along the house to directly connect guests with the outdoors.”
The Lazy River Glamp-House is a three bedroom, four bathroom vacation rental that sleeps up to 13 guests in 9 beds. The house is a stunning project, thoughtfully crafted to meld indoor and outdoor experiences, and intentionally designed with large groups in mind. Managed by AvantStay, the house has many guest experiences and concierge services that can enhance your stay.
From its inception, Grayson had a clear vision for this project. Before he was a real estate developer, he was a boat captain in the Virgin Islands, chartering vessels and providing fun and memorable experiences to his guests. Hospitality was such an important part of the job, and as he says, “The boat mattered less than the experience we were providing.” This experiential focus would drive Grayson’s future development.
“The Lazy River Glamp-House is a true passion project for me,” Grayson says. “It brings together my love for real estate and my deep appreciation for experiential vacations, creating a space where people can immerse themselves in nature without sacrificing comfort.”
Like many other innovators, Grayson fell in love with Central Oregon, specifically southwest of Bend the Cascade Lakes, Mt. Bachelor, Newberry Crater, and more. Enamored with the area, he thought up an ingenious way to experience the natural landscape without losing any of the amenities you’d get from staying in Bend or at a resort.
“If you’re wanting to get into all of what makes this region special, there are closer places you can stay than downtown Bend,” Grayson says. “That got me looking for the right property that checked all of the boxes: remote, surrounded by forest, near the river, accessible in the winter, and with the capability of high speed internet. It felt like a needle in a haystack.”
While exploring a trail on a potential property south of Bend, Grayson stumbled upon the 1.4 acre lot that would eventually hold the Glamp-House. The small A frame cabin that was already present on the land ultimately inspired Grayson in the final A frame design. This lot checked every box, and after working with the county on a wetland delineation plan to mitigate any negative ecological effects on the nearby wetland, Grayson was able to set plans in motion to break ground.
Enlisting the help of home designer Jason Todd, the two got to work. “Grayson had approached me a few years ago with the idea of creating a structure where groups could gather to ‘camp’ while still having all the amenities of a hotel,” Jason says. “Grayson wanted the lodging to be year round and have all those resort amenities like a bed, ensuite bathroom, and heating and cooling while still having the feel of individual shelters. What he didn’t want was just your typical vacation house.”
Grayson’s intentionality and focus on experiential living truly shaped the design of the house. Inspiration and creativity were in high supply, but the build was challenged by zoning constraints, as the project was a very unique one. “Zoning and budget constraints precluded having separate guest houses spread out on a property, so we came up with a concept of a shared kitchen/living room with ensuite bedrooms that are accessed only from the outside so you really feel like you are camping,” Jason says. “Add to that a hot tub, cold plunge, fire pit, steam shower and you have all the amenities of a resort within an intimate setting that’s all yours.”
“Grayson had approached me a few years ago with the idea of creating a structure where groups could gather to ‘camp’ while still having all the amenities of a hotel.”
–Jason Todd, Home Designer
Grayson says that his intention was to create something entirely unique, geared towards the experience of large groups of friends celebrating, vacationing, and relaxing together, in any weather, any day of the year. To have resort level amenities and style mixed with the opportunity to sleep under the stars. To create space geared towards both entertaining groups and privacy. Listen to nature, sit by the fire, watch the snow fall, and never leave the comfort of a modern structure.
That modern structure is based around a central A frame that dominates the design. Immediately, it invokes memories of an A frame tent, while the backdrop of ponderosa pines adds to the feeling of escaping into the woods. The frame itself utilizes exposed post and beam framing, contributing to the already unique design. Guests walk across a modern concrete patio, with heated floors to prevent ice build up, to get to the main room. It is impossible to miss the large outdoor fireplace, as the wings of the house itself almost seem to wrap around it, making it a central piece in the overall design.
The great room is at the base of the A frame, and features a luxurious kitchen, made for entertaining groups at the stone countertops and bar. “Connected to the bar is an open floorplan living room that features a massive couch centered around a beautiful, custom made coffee table where people can lounge and watch a movie on the 135 inch projector screen,” Grayson shares. “The whole project was designed to be open to the outdoors, which created unique problems and unique solutions. For instance, the 135 inch projector provides a solution to the problem created by having folding glass walls; walls that open up to nature like this provide no space to mount a TV, but we still wanted guests to be able to enjoy TV and movies on a screen that feels large enough for the space.”
Tucked into the peak of the A frame and accessible from the great room is a small loft lounge with a pull out couch. This space is ideal for low key gatherings, and for taking some time to play the various board games that the house is stocked with. One level lower, and the great room has access to a public style bathroom that is more closely designed like a restaurant bathroom to help accommodate groups of people.
The sleeping situation is designed thoughtfully to provide a variety of options. The dual master suites provide privacy for two people each, along with private access to bathrooms, the kitchen and the outdoor patio. The bunkhouse provides the same private access, but lends itself towards comfortable group stays.
Each bunk in the bunkhouse (there are six in total) comes with its very own dividers, shelves, outlets with USB-C plugs for charging devices, and storage under bunks for bags, winter sports gear and more, plus hooks for all your jackets and snow pants to dry.
Separating the bunkhouse from the great room is the outdoor spa, which features a 960 gallon cedar hot tub, next to a personal cold plunge tub, allowing guests to enjoy either while fully immersed in nature.
With so much connection to nature, Grayson came up with creative climate control solutions. “Every indoor space in the house has hydronic radiant floor heating, keeping things cozy no matter the season,” he explains. “For cooling, the great room has three mini splits, while each of the bedrooms has a folding glass wall, a ceiling fan, and a fireplace for additional heating when needed. The loft, which is open to the great room, benefits from the same heating and cooling setup, plus the airflow from two ceiling fans. Each space is independently zoned with its own thermostat, so guests can dial in their preferred comfort level.”
The house comes equipped with everything you could need, such as basic bathroom/kitchen supplies, outdoor gear like paddleboards, oars and lifejackets, and even some of the fastest wifi in La Pine.
To add to the experience, AvantStay offers unique packages and services to enhance any stay. “The Lazy River Glamp-House is a prime example of what makes an AvantStay property special,” says AvantStay’s Head of Consumer Marketing Marissa Fortson. “It’s purpose built for experiences, and we enhance that with guest experience and concierge services. Guests can enjoy private chef dinners in the open air kitchen, in home spa services, or even curated adventure excursions. The Lazy River itself sets the tone for relaxation and fun, and our team ensures that every stay feels effortless. From the moment guests book to the moment they check out, we’re there to make sure every detail is perfect.”
The Lazy River Glamp-House is one of the most unique stays that Oregon has to offer, and anyone with the chance to experience this magic should jump at the opportunity. For a stay that is guaranteed to make memories for a lifetime, there is no better option.
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