Typical interior of a Getaway cabin; this one is in the Texas Hill Country near Wimberley.
One of the features of a hotel chain is that guests will know what to expect, from the lobby to the room to the breakfast waffle maker. That can be appealing if you don’t like travel surprises, at least with lodging, which is often the most expensive part of a trip.
A recent experience with a vacation rental did not start out well for me – although it eventually sorted itself – so hotels are looking particularly attractive lately.
I’m not the only one feeling skeptical about such rentals . . .
Reading about an Airbnb host who’s taking four properties off the app and he cited these “draining” stories. These are actually totally normal issues…in a hotel. You tried to run a hotel without a front desk. pic.twitter.com/BPs40yN6dW
— Alexis Pereira (@MrAlexisPereira) December 11, 2022
While planning for a one-night getaway with my husband, I was leaning hard towards as much pleasant predictability as possible, but we did want to try something new.
A getaway with the Getaway cabins chain fit the bill.
It was a combination of glamping and no-extra-fluff tiny house aesthetics.
Exterior of Getaway cabin with bedside picture window, showing their setup as trailers.
Everything is arranged so that you can sit around doing not much of anything, which these days is pretty appealing.
A series of text messages told us what to expect, including check-in times, the combination to the cabin’s door lock, a map of the property (40 cabins spread around 60 acres) and the name of our particular cabin – Maria.
Our midweek stay in winter cost US$135 plus taxes and fees. Check the Offers tab on the Getaway cabins website because they have deals for healthcare workers, students, veterans, and first responders.
I almost dozed off in these comfortable Adirondack chairs outside our cabin. There are fire pits at each cabin, so bring your own firewood or buy the logs provided in a box nearby. You’ll be billed later.
You can buy a box of snack and meal items, but we opted for a nice dinner at the Leaning Pear in Wimberley, a few minutes down the road from the Getaway cabins. Since there isn’t an oven in the cabin, just a two-burner stove, you’ll need to come up with a stovetop menu if you want to cook there.
The windows are cleverly placed to highlight views, allow cross-ventilation, and let in light without sacrificing much privacy. Even though there were cabins on either side of us, they were set far enough away that we never heard or saw anything from them. Your average RV park stacks up campers a lot closer.
Getaway cabins include a small fridge, some cooking gear plus dishware, and non-internet entertainment like books, playing cards, and an AM/FM radio.
There was no phone or internet signal in our cabin, so be prepared to be off the grid.
We could barely get text messages in or out; not that that was a priority for one night. I do look after my elderly Mom, though, so being completely cut off made me a little uncomfortable.
Here is a quick video tour of our cabin so you can get a feel for it . . .
A small “General Store” on the property has a few food items, games/books, a little medical necessities section, plus basic camping comfort items.
You use an unmanned kiosk inside for purchases with a credit card, and the cabin number code also unlocks the door to the store. It’s a co-branded partnership arrangement between Getaway and Walmart.
Provisions for sale at the small Getaway General Store.
My husband and I mostly sat and listened to the silence, watched trees sway in the breeze, walked around a little, and read books and magazines until our tired eyes drooped. We both liked having the picture window next to the bed so we could look out into the woods.
The night we were there was cloudy, but on a bright moonlit night that big window might be a little much, especially if you’re a light sleeper. There is a shade on it if you feel a bit too exposed.
Morning brought some more relaxing and wandering and listening to birdsong, plus pourover coffee made on the stovetop. Neither of us felt like cooking (we might bring cereal and milk next time) so before the 11 a.m. checkout time we packed up, departed, and drove to the Wimberley Cafe downtown on the square for a big breakfast.
Migas for breakfast at Wimberley Cafe after a night at the Getaway cabins in the Texas Hill Country.
I very much enjoyed our little getaway, and would book one of these cabins again.
It hit the mark of being private, a well-designed space with thoughtful amenities, and plenty of advance communications about what to expect. We never interacted in person with a single human from the company, but that was fine with us. If you like a lot of fussing and high-touch service, this isn’t for you.
Now that we’ve experienced it once, we would make sure that we get back from dinner early enough to start a campfire while it’s still somewhat light outside, or bring takeout there to eat. They do have a small s’mores package that you can buy, but I’d bring my own supplies to make sure that, uh, we didn’t run out of chocolate or marshmallows or anything.
Do you have a favorite getaway cabin that you enjoy? Tell us about it in the comments.
All photos and video by the author
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