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Hunch Idea For Stadium Airbnb Leads Blue Wahoos Into Finalist For MILB Prestigious Award

Blue Wahoos mascot Kazoo enjoys some spare time in the team's Airbnb experience at Blue Wahoos Stadum. The concept has put Blue Wahoos as finalist for MILB Golden Bobblehead Award For 2020 Best Overall Promoton. (Daniel Venn)
September 12, 2020

The Blue Wahoos' unique sports venue experience with an Airbnb stay has earned the team consideration for a prestigious Minor League Baseball award. The team and its Airbnb at Blue Wahoos Stadium is a finalist for the 10th annual Golden Bobblehead Award as the 2020 Best Overall Promotion among the

The Blue Wahoos' unique sports venue experience with an Airbnb stay has earned the team consideration for a prestigious Minor League Baseball award.

The team and its Airbnb at Blue Wahoos Stadium is a finalist for the 10th annual Golden Bobblehead Award as the 2020 Best Overall Promotion among the 162 current minor league teams across the nation.

In addition, the Blue Wahoos Airbnb is up for Best Non-Gameday Event. The awards will be announced during the annual MILB Innovators Summit on Sept. 29-30.

“The Blue Wahoos Stadium Airbnb was truly the first of its kind and we’re proud to have helped highlight our beautiful community and bring tourists to Pensacola,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith.

The team became the first professional sports team in the U.S. to offer an ongoing Airbnb experience at a ballpark, stadium or arena setting.

The idea for it was presented by Mallory Studer, daughter of Blue Wahoos’ co-owners Quint and Rishy Studer and a manager at the Bodacious Shops. She also manages her own Airbnb.

“This is exciting to hear,” she said. “It is something that has gone beyond anything I ever thought, as far as the interest in it and attention (Airbnb) has generated. It has become a fun story and fun concept.

“When we started it was more or less to provide for people during these crazy times -- where they could possibly get a once in a lifetime opportunity and something they could do safely.”

The Blue Wahoos launched the Airbnb in late May. It has been managed by Bailie Tate, a Pace High and University of West Florida graduate who joined the Blue Wahoos front office staff in 2017 and is the group sales manager.

So far, there have been near 50 different guest groups from 16 different states staying at the Wahoos’ Airbnb.

The Blue Wahoos front office staff has maintained the upkeep of the rooms and worked as concierge during the stays, which have been lauded with five-star ratings on the Airbnb website.

“It has really been amazing to see the response and all this interest during these past five months,” Tate said.

In part, the Airbnb and other events the team has launched has helped keep the Blue Wahoos staff employed during a season without baseball and all the revenue lost by cancellation of an entire 70-game home schedule.

The Wahoos Airbnb is available for reservations through the rest of this year, starting at $1500 a night for 10 people in one clubhouse and use of the field, the indoor batting cage, and clubhouse amenities.

The Blue Wahoos plan to continue the experience during non-baseball months in future years.

Both the home team clubhouse and visitors clubhouse have been converted into Airbnb options with beds, televisions, dining areas and other amenities.

The concept has been showcased on a variety of national media outlets in the U.S. and even through television outlets in countries like Japan and Germany.

Mallory Studer said her idea was formed when learning the Blue Wahoos had renovated the home team clubhouse with $500,000 worth of upgrades, including new wood lockers, a table tennis setup, new big screen televisions, new carpeting, chairs and dining area.

She brought it up during a meeting with her parents.

“I knew we were excited for our team to come here (for scheduled 2020 season) and have a fresh spot,” she said. “But once we knew that baseball might not happen, I just felt this new locker room should not to go to waste, and we should do something.

“So why not take advantage of (clubhouse) just being redone,” she said. “I thought we need people to see this, we have just remodeled it.”