Meet Jean Ternovits, co-owner of Orange Tractor Retreat, a family-run vacation rental business in central Wisconsin. Jean and her team bring a personal touch to every aspect of their cabins, including their favorite – the Deer Cabin, with a stunning view of the forest and river. Learn from Orange Tractor Retreat’s attention to detail and passion for creating a unique guest experience, and infuse your vacation rentals with your own personal touch.

How many years have you been in the short-term rental industry and how did you get started?

Founded in 2019, Orange Tractor Retreat (orangetractorretreat.com) is a family-run business just 15 minutes north of the Wisconsin Dells area in central Wisconsin. We’re two married couples, managing the next phase of our lives as our kids all head to college and leave us as empty-nesters. We built the Orange Tractor Retreat for people who love the smell of pine, enjoy watching eagles, the quiet, calm interaction with nature, and for those who love the fun and excitement of the central Wisconsin/Dells area. Our cabins were built to be the home base for all that you want to experience in the Dells. We’ve been personally involved in every aspect of Orange Tractor Retreat. Beginning with rescuing our namesake – a 1961 Allis Chalmers tractor left over on the property when we purchased it. We’ve rehabilitated the forest, marked the paths, decided on cabin placement based on the trees, designed and furnished the cabins… and everything in between. 

What do you find most rewarding about your career?

The most rewarding aspect of this new career as a vacation rental owner is seeing how the details in our cabins make a difference in our guests’ stay. Our hearts & souls are in Orange Tractor Retreat, and we love to see the joy and appreciation when our guests experience it!

What is your favorite rental property you have and why do you love it?

My favorite is the Deer Cabin. This is our largest cabin and inspires the most fun! The big, colorful deer print welcomes you when you step in the door and take in the surroundings of the happy cabin. There are two queen beds and two bathrooms on the main floor; and, as you go up to the loft, you’ll find a foosball table, a working desk area, and more beds! I love this cabin because of the convenience to make it work for lots of guests!

What’s the craziest story you have from hosting?

Orange Tractor Retreat (orangetractorretreat.com) has only been open for a couple of months, so we haven’t had any crazy stories yet… But, we did learn that while our five cabins are meant as nature-inspired retreats for our guests to enjoy hiking on the trails in our 40-acre old growth forest and take in the sunsets over the Wisconsin River, one young couple enjoyed staying in and gaming in the Raccoon cabin! Happily, our wifi/internet connection allowed for a fun weekend – and now we have another way to think about our cabins!  

What’s one “pro-tip” you’d be willing to pass on to the community?

At Orange Tractor Retreat, we have the advantage of being a professional company because of the partners’ past experiences in the corporate world. We also know that sharing the fun stories about our families and how we built the Orange Tractor Retreat cabins with our guests is so impactful to their enjoyment! Because we share our stories, guests know we work hard, care about what we’re doing, and will help them have their best experience.

What’s the most recent item that you can remember that you’ve ordered from HostGPO?

Public Goods shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and kitchen dish soap.

What would you tell others about whether to join HostGPO?

HostGPO helped me sort through the HUGE amount of options for outfitting a cabin. They know the types of products that are needed to start a vacation rental. And, having consistency in the companies they work with means that we’ll be able to source the next batch of shampoo & conditioner, or towels, etc. with our same suppliers.