In the old days, we would think of a bed and breakfast as being an old mansion that would be converted,” said Lisa Kneifl, owner of three Yankton Airbnbs. “And then you’d have breakfast and be folksy with the people who owned it.”
In 2013, Kneifl quit her cozy, corporate marketing job to open a luxury bed and breakfast, something she realized that Yankton didn’t have yet.
She continued, “During construction, the whole concept of Airbnb blew up. Then it was not necessarily a full breakfast, not necessarily them seeing you, not necessarily that whole thing.”
Twist of Pine
Twist of Pine is one bedroom and one bathroom, sleeps two, and comes with a curated, luxury experience.
Inside the timber frame structure, guests have access to a copper soaking tub, a two-person shower, full use of the hot tub, the pool, and the movie theater.
To satisfy munchies, a stay at Twist of Pine includes a full commercial kitchen and pantry, a stocked minibar, an offer of evening cocktails, light appetizers, and a full breakfast come morning.
“We curate everything from their favorites in the minibar to what they might want to eat, to what kind of pillows they want on the bed, to what kind of robes they want in the bathroom,” explained Kneifl.
“I just always make sure that they get super great treatment and fun experiences.” -Lisa Kneifl
When the pandemic wraps up, Kneifl hopes to offer various experiences for guests during their stay as well.
“Twist of Pine is kind of where we started and the other ones have kind of grown and evolved out of that,” said Kneifl.
The Pinecone
After purchasing a nearby property for its large shed, the Kneifls wound up with a three bedroom, three bathroom house on Twist of Pine’s neighboring lot.
After some tender love and care in the form of a fresh coat of paint, some of Kneifl’s extra furniture, and a few upgrades, the couple listed the Pinecone on Airbnb and Vrbo.
Cater to the Crowd
When renting the Pinecone as an event space, an additional $100 will get tables, seating, chafing dishes, catering dishes, and plates for 30 guests.
Groups can rent the house either for overnight stays, as it sleeps 14 people, or for various events.
The Pinecone has seen graduation parties, baby showers, bachelorette parties, and even a quaint wedding.
If guests want the luxury of Twist of Pine with their stay at the Pinecone, Kneifl says they can pay a varying resort fee to get access to any combination of the pool, hot tub, movie theater, cocktails, or breakfast
lakeGLAMpine
Every year, Kneifl and her husband take a vacation, just the two of them. One year, they decided to try the glamping tents at Dunton River Camp in Colorado.
“Our kids are big campers,” said Kneifl about her seven grown children. “I hate camping. I hate bugs. I hate laying on the ground.”
But despite this, she was inspired.
She let out a laugh, saying, “It’s just funny because it’s such a big joke in our family.”
For her anniversary in September, she and her three employees gathered together all the supplies needed for a glamping tent and surprised her husband with it.
Once her “fabulous” tent was finished, she had a party with some friends. They encouraged her to list it on Airbnb.
The lakeGLAMpine tent was a hit.
For the next five weekends, the tent was booked.
When she opens the tent again in the spring, Kneifl says she’s hoping to move it to a more remote location on the property and perhaps even put together more of them.
“I think it deserves a little more thought than the week I took [with the first one],” she said. “We have to do it right.”
Along with the tents, Kneifl says she will be renting her newest project, Leather and Spruce. The house has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and is located right across the street from the Pinecone.
Almost two years after she left her corporate job, Kneifl and her husband began construction on their first airbnb property. Little did they know, that one luxury bed and breakfast would evolve into four different properties.
“What we’re trying to do here is just celebrate locality as much as possible,” said Kneifl. “We just believe in finding quality local experiences and celebrating South Dakota.”
Choose Your Stay
Twist of Pine // Ideal for a couple
-Luxury private suite.
-Sleeps up to 2 guests.
-1 bedroom, 1 private bath.
-Private kitchen.
-Laundry room.
-Stay includes a full breakfast, evening cocktails, access to the pool, hot tub, and movie theater.
-Pets allowed.
Pinecone // Ideal for large families
-Cozy, private house.
-Sleeps up to 14 guests.
-3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.
-Full kitchen.
-Laundry room.
-Stay includes two family areas, outdoor hangout space, and yard games.
-Pets allowed.
-Option to access Twist of Pine amenities.
lakeGLAMpine // Ideal for a small family
Boho-decorated glamping tent.
Sleeps up to 4 guests.
1 bedroom, access to portapotty.
Stay includes breakfast, dinner, and a snack.
No pets allowed.
Leather and Spruce
Coming soon.
For more information, visit twistofpine.com, facebook.com, or airbnb.com.
Visit Yankton is prioritizing safe travel. When you’re ready, Yankton welcomes you to enjoy wide open indoor and outdoor space, Great Faces & Great Places. For more information, visit visityanktonsd.com/covid.
