Quonset Hut Airbnb’s Make Perfect Addition to Arizona Vineyard

In 2012, Todd Myers and his wife wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of city life in Phoenix, AZ. Being active in the local restaurant scene in Phoenix, they quickly became familiar with local wines as well. This is what sparked their dream to purchase land in Wilcox, AZ and start their own vineyard and lavender farm, called Rhumb Line Vineyard. After they purchased the land, they began planting grapes, lavender, and olive trees. Then, they added “the huts” which are two S-Model Quonset huts that are used as Airbnb’s. Their guests can rent the cabins after a day of wine tasting or hiking in Chiricahua National Monument.

Quonset huts are a common sight in Arizona and Todd thought it was fitting to add to his property. When asked why Todd chose Quonset huts for his Airbnb’s, he replied, “We liked simplicity of the design and something we could put up ourselves easily.” He added, “And there is zero upkeep on the outside of the building. If we went with a traditional building we’d be constantly painting or doing things, and we don’t have to worry about that. Also, safety from potential wildfires that could roll through was a factor.”

Todd was able to erect the arches with the help of a few friends. He reported that the building process had a learning curve and learned some tips and tricks along the way. He shared, “Putting the bolts in on the side panels and working our way up to the top of the arch worked quite well.  And we had a scissor lift – that made it easier to traverse the different side of the arches to get the bolts in.”

Once the arches were assembled, Todd hired a local contractor to frame out the end walls and complete the interior. In total, the whole first building took about three to four months to complete. One cabin is the “suite side,” which offers guests a bedroom, seating area, kitchen table, toaster oven and a gas grill on porch. The other side is “the studio,” with a king size bed, seating area, bathroom, coffee bar and mini fridge.

Todd had seen local Quonset huts, and after a quick internet search he was led to SteelMaster’s website. Overall, Todd had a positive experience working with the team of building experts at SteelMaster. He said, “SteelMaster buildings was a big player in the space and the sales team and was super helpful throughout the process.”