Hood River, Oregon is known for lots of things: Beautiful scenery, kitesailing and kayaking, and a charming downtown. It’s also home to a quirky little company called Bunnyjuice that’s making a splash in Las Vegas hotels. The company offers “Lovekits” available for purchase in-room. You know, a little something for when you and your sweetie polish off those bottles in the minibar.
As CEO Tod Guenther explains it, Bunnyjuice was born from a simple observation: “While traveling for work, I stayed at a hotel that offered condoms as part of their in-room amenities. Upon returning home I kept thinking, obviously the hotel has acknowledged that people are having sex, but what if there was an offering that could add to the experience of love making? Something for couples that was fun or whimsical?”
Seems like a natural idea. Of course, getting hotel rooms to offer up precious counter space to a startup isn’t easy. So why has Bunnyjuice succeeded? “It’s not so much about having more but rather replacing current items that aren’t performing,” Guenther says. “In-room items are designed to enhance the guest’s experience which helps us a ton. Once we have placement our Bunnyjuice kits always seem to place in the top 3 revenue producing items.”
And why Hood River, Oregon? As Guenther puts it, “There’s a lot of great creative talent in this small town. I’m always amazed at how much work for huge Fortune 500 companies comes out of this place. It’s nice to be a part of that, plus I have to admit – it feels also pretty good to relax and recharge with a cold microbrew in hand and your toes in the river after a long day. Hood River is special that way.”
Bunnyjuice is expanding to new venues, including international markets and retail outlets. The audience for tastefully packaged intimate products is certainly a large one. Bunnyjuice a great example of Pacific Northwest thinking: Living in a place as dreamy as the Columbia River Gorge can definitely lead to big business dreams.
