The Lava Hotel & Spa, known formerly as the Aura Soma Lava, at 196 E. Main St. in the eastern Bannock County town of Lava Hot Springs off of U.S. Highway 30 recently went viral on several truck driver social media pages and garnered the attention of nationally distributed trucker magazines for the kind gesture.

But owner Riley Sorensen says it was never about the publicity.

“The response from this deal has just been amazing,” Sorensen said. “We never intended to get so much publicity, but we have had outreach from all over the country. We’ve had truckers calling us from all over and as far away as South Carolina telling us how awesome this program is. We just felt as a family that it was something we could do to help out during this pandemic.”

The spread of COVID-19 infections, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, has resulted in many state governments, such as Idaho and Utah, prohibiting many non-essential businesses from remaining open. Rigorous social distancing guidelines have resulted in many other businesses scaling back their operations to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections.

For truck drivers, this means all dine-in restaurants are closed, and unfortunately most drive-thrus are not equipped to service big rigs. Most truck stops have also limited their hours or shuttered entirely during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving most truckers fending for themselves.

“Truck drivers are in a tough spot right now,” Sorensen said. “We figured the least we could do was offer them a free good night’s rest and a soak in the mineral pools before they get back onto the road.”

Typically valued between $125 and $180, Sorensen said any truck driver with an active commercial driver’s license qualifies for one free night’s stay at the hotel, which offers a wide array of lodging amenities.

Sorensen, who in January purchased the property with his wife and parents as business partners, is a current resident and business owner in Orem, Utah, which is about three hours south of Lava Hot Springs.

“After visiting Lava Hot Springs for the first time last year, we just fell in love with the place,” Sorensen said. “We had some investment money available and decided to pursue the property aggressively.”

Sorensen also acquired the Home Hotel in Lava Hot Springs at the same time, he added.

“We did a ton of research as a family before we got involved,” Sorensen said. “And we ended up keeping all the staff in both hotels because we knew that people loved the folks they’ve interacted with for so long. We were looking pretty good before this (pandemic) hit, so we are hoping it passes as quickly as it came.”

The Lava Hotel & Spa features several different lodging options, including about 25 motel-style rooms, a few cottage-style homes, five individual tiny homes and a large home called the conference center that comfortably sleeps 14 and is equipped with a large conference room.

In total, the Lava Hotel & Spa offers stay options with personal mineral hot pools. Despite the public Lava Hot Springs world famous mineral pools being closed down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Sorensen says the closure does not apply to the mineral pools in use by private businesses.

Sorensen also has at least two licensed massage therapists on staff who specialize in a multitude of styles, including Swedish, hot stone, ashiatsu and deep tissue for both individuals and couples. Pricing varies for each massage and the duration, and Sorensen is currently working on putting together pricing for a package deal including various massages and a stay at the hotel facilities. Current massage pricing is available by visiting aurasomalavamassage.com.

What’s most exciting for the Sorensen family, however, is the current construction of Lava Waffle, an extension of the hotel that will provide those who live and visit Lava Hot Springs with what Sorensen says is the first walk-up window service restaurant in the town.

“We’re super excited for the opening of what’s called Lava Waffle,” Sorensen said. “We plan on offering Liege waffles, both the breakfast variety and a pizza waffle, as well as soft drinks. There are not a ton of places to eat in Lava and really nothing that offers walk-up window service and this place is going to be over-the-top, with granite countertops and state-of-the art equipment to get these waffles out in a hurry.”

While the coronavirus pandemic created a rocky start to the Sorensen’s new business, they are determined to weather the storm and come out successful once life in Southeast Idaho returns to normal, Sorensen said. In the meantime, they are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure those who decide to stay at the Lava Hotel & Spa feel safe and right at home.

“We are making sure all the bedding is bleached and everything is extra sanitized,” Sorensen said. “We want people to feel comfortable coming out and staying with us, and we’re thankful for everyone’s support during this time.”