Postcard Cabins Starved Rock, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy — Hotel in Ottawa

Mixed bag experience for sure, but mostly negative.

The good: We initially had a two night stay booked for December. A bad snow storm was forecast so I reached out and the team was accommodating and provided us a two night credit to use in the next year.

The bad: We use our two night credit for a booking in late May. Upon arrival everything seemed pretty good sans a few cobwebs inside the unit which seemed a bit odd. We also had to deal with a few flies inside which I guess we felt was somewhat reasonable.

We dropped off our clothes and some basic food stuff we bought from the store, everything sealed or closed. We went for a hike and came back a few hours later. It was after dinner that we noticed ants up on the wall near the upper cabinets and upon opening the cabinets even more inside. We aren't talking just a few ants. As we were deciding what to do a spider runs across the bed where my wife was laying. At this point we decide it's too much...we text the Getaway folks and let them know the situation. They take an hour to come back and tell us they have another unit ready for us...no other solution offered. We booked a hotel and cut our trip short a night.

The Ugly: I probably would have been justified in asking for a full refund of our stay but instead asked for one night back, or 50%. I was initially told that since our stay was on a credit that we could only be credited nights back in return. I explained we weren't interested in a credit and simply wanted the one night refunded. After another email I was refunded $25 (a fraction of a night's stay) and given a one night credit. A final email explaining I didn't want a credit and just wanted a night refunded ended with an email stating they couldn't refund a stay on a credit and that two nights would be credited to my account. (They already refunded me $25 so this was inconsistent). We got a different person each time through email communication.

Just a bad customer service experience...there's no reason they couldn't refund us one night if they wanted to, and given the circumstances of our situation it seemed more than reasonable.

I suppose we maybe just got unlucky with our unit with the bugs, but I can't...

Getaway House is a mental sweat lodge for rest and relaxation nestled in the woods and flora near Starved Rock. Guests are encouraged to lock up their electronics and embrace nature as a way to unwind and destress from the every day battle for work/life balance.

Every necessary amenity is readily available within the wood-paneled cabins including a stove top, sink, shower, refrigerator, toilet and comfortable bedding equipped with reading lights. On my first night, the lights were turned off, privacy blinds were pulled down and windows and doors were locked. By my second night, the sound of the air conditioner was drowning out the natural sounds of wildlife, so I dimmed the lantern, opened all the screened windows and doors and slept like a baby; I welcomed the undisturbed sights and sounds around me and have never felt more at peace.

I brought my laptop, personal cell phone and work phone and even typing this now, feels sacrilege, sacrificing R&R in nature's bounty for screen time; however, I thoroughly enjoyed working on my screenplay outdoors in the summer breeze next to a ready-to-light campfire. During my two night stay, I only checked my cellphone to know the time, but the longer my visit lasted, the less I cared. I even asked for a late checkout to enjoy a few of the books offered on-site, like How to Get Away, written by the founders of Getaway House, while I enjoyed my pour-over coffee from a metal mug.

I highly encourage guests to leave their electronics at home, or at the very least, turning off notifications and Do Not Disturb on their phones. I took this Father's Day weekend vacation solo and welcomed Getaway House's philosophy and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my comfortable, isolated solitude. Privacy is at the forefront of my every day life and this location is peacefully secluded perfection. 5 and...

Overall great stay and would recommend. I'll definitely be coming back. It's exactly what we were looking for.

Same critiques as some other reviews. Thankfully we had a cabin in a great location but we did see others that basically had the big window facing the staff building. Our shower had the body wash completely out. We used the shampoo instead as body wash so not too big a deal. But you'd think with how good everything else is, how did they not check the shower stuff to top off between clients?

Like someone else said, definitely download the map they give you. Google maps gets you to the entrance perfectly fine, but to find your cabin you'll need that map getaway gives you.

My boyfriend and I came for a 2-night weekend to get away from things and enjoy nature together. Overall we really enjoyed our stay. We had good hot water for our showers. We were able to control the heat inside perfectly to our liking. There is one pot and one pan. Two burner electric stove. And a kettle to heat water. Big container of tin foil under the sink for outdoor cooking too. But nothing else for the outdoor grill cooking included. The bed is super comfortable. The pillows were very nice but too soft for my personal liking (though I did sleep fine with them). If you prefer a firmer pillow, you may want to bring your own. They have a Bluetooth speaker in the cabin so no need to bring your own. Two bath towels, two washclothes, two kitchen towels included. Paper towels under the sink. A wine bottle and can opener. Plates/bowls/cups are all tin/metal so be careful when try to hold them with hot food in it!

Fyi if try to go into town for dinner on a Saturday night, make a reservation! Every place had an hour+ wait...