POST SUMMARY: A complete getaway house review including what to expect, what to bring, and our honest thoughts on the place.
Last week, the three of us hit the road to spend a weekend in the woods at a Getaway House. I’ve been low-key stalking the company for a few years, so when they approached us about trying out one of their outposts, I was a resounding yes.
What’s not to love? They combine everything I adore: beautiful design, stunning nature, and unplugging from your electronics.
Read on to get the full details on our Getaway House review and see whether we think it’s worth the drive.
Spoiler alert: It is.
**Be sure to read down to the bottom where you can get our unique coupon code to save on your next Getaway booking.
READ NEXT:
A Cozy Winter Cabin Packing List
How To Make Your Own Backyard Glamping Tent
160 Fun, Deep, and Silly Road Trip Questions
*We were invited to Getaway to write a sponsored post giving our honest thoughts on our experience. In addition, this Getaway House review post may contain affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission if you purchase from them. This is at no extra cost to you.
GETAWAY HOUSE REVIEW
What is Getaway House?
**We stayed at Getaway House Shenandoah, but the overall experience will be the same no matter which outpost you visit.
For those unfamiliar with the company, Getaway is a hip brand of modern cabin rentals peppered throughout the US. They offer simple, chic retreats, conveniently located two hours away from a major city.
Getaway House first opened its cabin doors in 2015 and has been steadily growing with new outposts popping up all over the US. They currently have 19 locations, and I have no doubt more will continue to open. I’m hoping a getaway will open soon in Idaho. You can see all their locations here.
The allure of Getaway House is the opportunity to spend time in a luxurious feeling (dare I say Instagram-worthy?) tiny cabin to completely unplug from your devices and your to-do lists. It is a retreat from the onslaught of our over-connected and under-natured lifestyle.
The cabins do not have WiFi, and cell service reception is either nonexistent or patchy, depending on which location you visit. In full transparency, we had great cell reception at our Getaway House DC location, but rather than glue ourselves to our phones, we chose to give in to the experience that Getaway is trying to curate and we put our phones away.
To help you disconnect, they even offer a wooden lockbox to store your phone for your stay. This is of course voluntary, and no one is going to take your phone from you when you arrive.
If you’re wondering…but what if aliens come down and I can’t call anyone for help? Don’t worry; there is a landline phone that you can use in case you need some alien backup.
Before you stay, Getaway will email and text you with a guide on things to do near the cabin, but they also hope you’ll enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and let go of a structured itinerary. The point is to relax and free yourself of the burdens of your day-to-day life.
What comes with a a Getaway cabin? Is it camping?
While many confuse a stay at a Getaway House with glamping, I don’t consider it a glamping experience. While there are parallels, it’s more akin to renting a beautiful modern cabin in nature…that happens to be tiny. 200 square feet to be exact.
The getaway home is fully stocked with everything you need. There’s a bathroom, shower, drinking water, heating, air conditioning, a two-burner stovetop, mini-fridge, pots, pans, knives, a cutting board, shampoo, body wash, conditioner, organic olive oil, a hot water kettle, cooking supplies, aluminum foil (for cooking on a campfire), salt, pepper, plates, utensils, and cups.
All you need to do is bring some clothes and a few things to do. Below, I have a few tips and suggestions on additional items you might want to bring to a Getaway House.
They also have a few extra “supplies” in the room that add to the design and appeal of the place. Our cabin had a diverse selection of books, a pack of cards, and a Bluetooth speaker with AM/FM radio, to listen to music.
They do have extra provisions you can purchase beforehand like meal kits, firewood, a s’mores kit as well as a minibar of sorts with pour-over coffee, tea, and hot chocolate at an additional cost.
READ NEXT: 25 Items That Will Take You From Camp To Glamp
So what’s your Getway cabin review? Did you like it?
Twenty minutes after we arrived, we sat down at the wooden table beside the bed and a wash of relief came over me. There was something about being hugged by the warm tones of the wood and the pristine white beds that felt like I could exhale for the first time in weeks. I looked over at my husband and said, “I didn’t know how much I needed this.”
While we are a family that tries to live a life in nature, we are just as bound to our devices and life goals as any other human living in this productivity-driven culture. There’s something so powerful about getting away and consciously deciding to slow down and do less. Yes, there’s an irony to scheduling relaxing time, but quite frankly, it’s what so many of us need to do.
When we spent our weekend at Getaway House Shenandoah, we knew going in that we would “opt-out” of our electronics and instead create moments of family time. The beautiful space that Getaway provides and the intentionality we brought to our time there created this warm cocoon of simplicity and joy.
What did we do with our time? We read books, roasted s’mores, put a puzzle together, ate yummy meals, listened to the rain, went on a nature walk, and explored the nearby Shenandoah National Park.
I love that Getaway House strives to create an environment of rejuvenation, with quiet hours starting at 10:00 PM and a no-music rule outside of the cabin. As an introvert who relishes quiet time, I want to do a giant happy dance about that!
Check-in is remarkably hassle-free. The day you arrive, they’ll text you which cabin you’re staying at and the code to get in. All you have to do is drive right up to your cabin and let yourself in. For checking out, in lieu of a tip, they ask you to clean your own dishes. After that, you just lock up and leave.
READ NEXT: An Adventure Guide to Visiting Shenandoah National Park With Kids
Is Getaway House safe?
After I posted on Instagram about our stay at Getaway, I received a few messages asking me if it was safe? I was kind of baffled about the question, but then I realized people thought we were in a cabin all by ourselves in the middle of the forest.
First off, yes, Getaway House is a safe experience. Your cabin locks with a unique code (given to you via text message at check-in) and is as safe as any cabin rental experience. While Getaway does a great job of creating an environment where you feel secluded by putting up privacy barrier trees and positioning the cabins so you don’t look out at anybody, you’re not actually alone in the woods. It’s similar to a campground where there’s a loop of cabins nicely spread out from each other. At the Getaway House Shenandoah location, the closest cabin to us was over 200 feet away. I never felt like anyone was too close to us and I also never felt unsafe.
Getaway House: What To Bring
While Getaway House provides almost everything you need, there are a few things you might want to put on your getaway house packing list.
- Cozy Slippers – They ask that you not wear your shoes in the cabin, so bring some cozy slippers for lounging around the cabin. I’m a big fan of the Ansley Slippers from Ugg.
- Slip On Camp Shoes – Shoes you can easily slip into for when you walk out of the cabin and are hanging out by the campfire or eating at the picnic bench. While flip flops can work, I prefer closed toe shoes so my feet don’t get too dirty on the dirt pad. The Teva Re Ember Moc is the classic camp shoe and perfect for a stay at Getaway. You can compare prices on Amazon or the Teva site.
- Books – Now is the time to read that book you’ve been wanting to read! Download some books onto your kindle or check out some books from the library.
- Board Games – Bring board games, a deck of cards, and/or a jigsaw puzzle. If you want to get a little meta, you can even do a cabin jigsaw puzzle.
- Entertainment – Any other entertainment that makes you happy – like a journal, yoga mat, an instrument, knitting materials, etc.
- Wood, Fire Starter, S’mores Fixings – You can buy what you need from Getaway or you can bring your own. We used their S’mores kit and it was enought to make six S’mores. If you need more than that, you should bring your own S’mores ingredients. Be sure to bring roasting sticks likes these rather than finding sticks by the cabin.
- Duffel Bag – Space is limited in the cabin, so a roller luggage isn’t ideal. A Herchel duffel bag can be kept under the table and out of the way to keep the cabin space manageable. We actually left all our stuff in the car and would get out what we wanted as we needed it. It was a lot easier!
- Dopp Kit – The bathroom is small with no shelves, but it has hooks, so bring a dopp kit or hanging toiletry bag for your products.
- Tea, Coffee, Hot Cocoa – Getaway does supplies these at a small cost, but if you prefer a certain brand, pack your own.The coffee is pour over style, so if you are averse to that style of coffee, you’ll want to bring a french press or your own coffee maker to plug into the outlet.
- Cozy Blanket – Whether you’re visiting in the summer or winter, a cozy blanket (I’m a diehard Pendleton fan) to wrap around your body while you’re sitting outside is a nice addition.
- Food – While there might be places to eat close to your Getaway cabin rental, it’s best to pack some food with you for ease. You can do hot dogs over the fire or use their two burner stove to make a simple meal. We went for ease and brought Trader Joes one skillet meals and pre made salad kits.
- Bug Spray – Depending on which outpost you’re at and the season, you might want to bring bug spray for while you’re sitting outside. Check the location and what kind of bugs they have. Shenandoah is an area with a lot of ticks, so we needed something strong enough to keep them at bay.
Is Getaway House good for kids?
Yes! With a few caveats. Our son loved staying at the tiny cabin and had an absolute blast climbing up and down the ladder and playing with his toys on the top bunk. I was a bit surprised by how much he loved staying at the cabin, but when I thought about why he loved it so much, I realized the cabin felt like a fun treehouse to him.
If you travel with young toddlers (1-3) who walk and love to climb, you might have some trouble if you book the bunk bed cabin. Every parent is different when it comes to their own risk tolerance, but if the sight of your two-year-old on the top bunk fills you with anxiety, it’s probably best you book the one bed cabin and have them sleep on the bed with you. It’s not worth the stress.
Our four-year-old was the perfect age for the bunk bed since he could climb up and down independently, and we were reasonably confident he wouldn’t fall over the side. There was a 6-inch gap between the mattress and the large picture window that a kid could roll into when sleeping, so we pushed the mattress to the window to stop that from happening.
READ NEXT: 50 Bucket List Ideas For Families
Getaway House Promo Code
Who wants to stay at a Getaway Cabin? I do! For real, I want to go back. The prices range from outpost to outpost, but if you’re looking to score a good deal, it’s always better to travel on the weekdays and off-season. You can check their website here to see current rates.
Also, don’t forget to use our unique coupon code AWILDERLIFE to receive $25 off your next stay.
Getaway Cabin Review: Final Thoughts
If you’re curious about trying out a Getaway House, I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect retreat for a city dweller who needs something easy to get to and requires very little from you other than some clothes and a good book.
We would absolutely go back and are already eyeing which outposts we should visit next.
If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.
Happy Travels!
Pin It For Later
Live Wilder
