You’ve seen the Instagram ads.

Cozy couples posing in front of a giant window, surrounded by trees. Friends laughing and snuggled together around a bonfire. A tiny cabin, nestled in the forest with an inspirational quote about disconnecting…

We’re talking about Getaway House – the new, tiny cabin camping destination of millennials.

We wondered, was this place as Instagram worthy as advertised or was it a scam? Would we be isolated in a tiny field without wifi or cell service? Would we be sitting ducks just waiting for a killer to come for us??

Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief because we did live to tell about it.

Overall we were pleasantly surprised by how fantastic, accommodating and neat the entire experience was! Read on to get the details about what Getaway House is all about.

The venue and campsite

Hubby and I escaped to Getaway House for a night in November. The closest site to us was in Lisbon, Ohio. (About an hour and 30 minutes outside of Cleveland.) We headed out on a Sunday night because we had Monday off work.

Getaway House is extremely easy to contact and their response time is quick. As soon as you book they will send you a confirmation text and encourage you to reach out with any additional questions.

The day before our reservation I texted the number because I had a question about what type of coffee to bring. I received a reply back within a few minutes. (FYI: pack instant coffee if you’re bringing your own, or you can pay and use the stuff they provide in your cabin.)

The closer we got to the venue the more I was expecting to lose cell service, but we pulled right onto the site with perfect reception. We didn’t stop to double check, but it looked like there were a few buildings at the front of the site where people were working, maybe cleaning or administrative staff . There might have been a small store there too and I bet someone stayed the night in one of those buildings. Either way, we felt safe and like there was somewhere we could go if need be.

We drove around the site to get our bearings and were surprised to see that there were close to 20 other tiny cabins. They were pretty decently spaced out, with either trees or mounds of landscaping between cabins.

A couple hours before you check-in, Getaway House texts you the name of the cabin you’ll be staying in along with a map of the venue and a code to unlock the door. We were staying in “Bennie” and found it easily. (Cue singing *Bennie and the jets* all night long.)

We had neighbors on both sides of us, but everyone waved and was friendly.

Check-in was at 3 p.m. and checkout the following morning was at 11 a.m.

(To help maximize our time we arrived at 3:15 a.m.  and seriously didn’t close the door to leave our cabin until 10:58 a.m. the next morning!)

I would say that the timing of check-in/checkout is one bummer of Getaway House. I wish we could have checked in earlier in the day – like noon or 1 p.m. Also because it gets dark around 4:30 in the evenings now, we didn’t have much daylight to explore once we got there.  

Still, when we opened the cabin with our key code, we were greeted with a handwritten note from the staff, a folder of information (including hiking trails) and even a little s’mores kit! It was so cute and we were excited because the cabin was really cool.

We unloaded a few bags and put the food we brought in the small refrigerator in the cabin. Then we took a quick hike on a trail that ran down into a valley that our cabin happened to overlook. There was a river and also a pound and we saw a few people walking with their dogs on the trail. Everyone was friendly.

When it started to get dark we headed back to our cabin and began to make a bonfire. Hubby started boiling some water for pasta and I cozied up with a glass of wine and turned on the cabin radio. We found an amazing classic rock station and danced, sang and drank for the next several hours. It was chilly out, but the bonfire helped keep us warm and I took a plaid blanket from the bed outside to cover up.

The tiny cabin itself

The cabin provided a lot of great accommodations, including pasta, pasta sauce, oatmeal, tea, coffee, beef jerky, Swedish fish, fire starters and firewood.

And since we brought our dog, they had set out two bowls, waste bags and a little baggie of s’more flavored dog treats – a cute touch! There was also a garbage can inside and a picnic table and two Adirondack chairs outside.

The only thing we ended up using was a bundle of firewood. (Once you checkout Getaway House takes a tally of what you used during your stay and charges your credit card on file. There was also a price list in the cabin for reference. The next day after we checked out I saw a charge for $6.50 – the price of the firewood.)

The cabin was tiny, but it was rustic and adorable. Of course I went in expecting it to be small, but the minute my husband, myself AND the dog were all inside I started to feel like we were running out of space.

I’m not sure if the 4-person (double bed) cabins are any bigger in terms of space and I’m not sure I’d like to find out! If I felt cramped in the 2-person cabin, I couldn’t imagine 4 adults and additional dogs being in there. There would be no privacy whatsoever if you had 4 adults. Plus the bathroom is standing room only for one person. I just think it would be VERY crowded.

The bed next to the giant window was one of the best parts of the cabin. I loved lying there drinking coffee the next morning and taking pictures. You can also draw the blinds at night, which we did.

The tiny cabin is equipped with a tiny kitchenette, including: a fridge, two burner stove, tea kettle, sink,  cabinets that house plates, silver wear, cups, a pot, pan and the food for sale.

There’s a radio, a phone to make emergency calls (even though we had cell service the entire time) and 6 or 7 interesting little books. Getaway House also provides bath towels, hand soap, shampoo and conditioner.

The good thing is, if you truly don’t want to worry about a thing on your mini trip, Getaway House provides most of your accommodations. (Even random stuff such as a lighter to start the fire, olive oil, coffee mugs and paper towels.)

We had a little trouble with the heat at first, but eventually it kicked on and the tiny little cabin warmed up rather nicely. (It also has AC for when it’s hot outside.)

Personally I’d love to go back during the winter, maybe in February because I think it would be beautiful in the snow. I’d also like to visit for a a long weekend in the summer.

How much does Getaway House cost?

I was a little disappointed because the day before our reservation I found two coupons – one for 15% off and another for $25 off. I debated calling Getaway House and asking if they would honor the discount after I had already booked, but time got away from me and I never ended up doing it.

Pro tip: Google or search on Instagram for discount codes. Some social media influencers will even post their own Getaway House discount code. 

Over all, Getaway House is pretty comparable to a hotel in terms of pricing.

From what I saw in the Cleveland market (and in the off-season: October, November, December), prices ranged from $119 to $199 a night.

Adding your dog to the mix will cost you an additional $40 and I believe there was some sort of cleaning fee (maybe $30 or $40) tacked on too.

In the end, our one night stay at Getaway House for two adults and one dog costs us $236.

It’s a bit pricey for our family in terms of camping because we’re already big campers to begin with. We often camp 30 minutes from our house for about $20 a night, oppose to driving over an hour away and paying over $200. Still, it was a great experience and worth checking out at least once.

In the end, Getaway House is as Instagram worthy as it looks. You’re safe and not isolated alone in the woods and you’re well taken care. It’s a glamping dream!