Sweden Valley Cabins — Hotel in Sweden Township

My partner and I spent two nights here in late June 2024. We're from the southeastern Mass/RI area, and neither of us had ever visited anywhere in Pennsylvania. We chose to drive to this area as a quiet and unique spot, deep in the PA Wilds near Cherry Springs State Park. Jenn was incredibly friendly, kind, and helpful in our text interactions. We were in cabin 9, which was a standalone unit as opposed to most of the other cabins. The cabin nearest to us was a family with young children, but they never bothered us and vice versa. We enjoyed the privacy of the small porch that allowed us to smoke and admire the view of the Allegheny Mountains together without disturbing anyone else. The mattresses of the two beds were very soft. I found it comfortable, but my partner prefers a more firm bed. We shared one of the beds and we both found the sheets and blankets to be clean and comfortable, but we brought our own pillows. We also brought our own toiletries, but shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body wash were provided. The wifi worked great, and we were able to log into our HBO Max on the smart TV. The provided hair dryer worked great as well, although oddly, there was no outlet close to the sink. The bathroom was very small but clean, with comfortable towels. However, the water pressure in the shower was low. The cabin had only one sink, which was in the main room. The small cabinet underneath it also had dish soap, a sponge, and Clorox wipes. Next to the cabins is a small diner/convenience store, but we found better food options outside of Coudersport. Luckily, the cabin has a mini fridge and a microwave. A Keurig and coffee were also provided, though the half & half was expired during our stay. Overall, we had a great time! The views were incredible and we enjoyed driving and walking through so much beautiful nature. It was quite a different experience from anything we see at home. As well as Cherry Springs, we also visited Sinnemahoning State Park, the Coudersport Ice Mine (which was only a quarter mile away), and an antique store. My partner and I had an amazing time together being in such a remote area while enjoying the privacy and comfort of the cabin, and the price was...

Didn't realize it was basically just an airbnb.

We booked this cabin because it was close to Cherry Springs which was definitely true. We also chose it because there were two restaurants within walking distance but both were "temporarily closed" while we were there which was an unexpected disappointment. The biggest issue was the smell of the cabin and presence of mold; you could tell the moment you walked in that it smelled musty and dank and the shower curtain had significant visible mold. This is fine for most people but I have a strong allergy to mold so we just had to sleep with the windows open to try to air it out. The wifi was spotty and unreliable.

On a positive note, we asked for an early check-in and they said we could arrive at 2pm which was very nice. Note the 5pm check in time on the website is incorrect (it is 4 pm) and the email address on the site does not appear to work.

The other thing that made me sad was I was hoping for a friendly, in-person experience but this was very clearly an airbnb. We weren't greeted by anyone on arrival - you get a text with a code and instructions, just like in any big-city apartment rental. There was no kind of cleaning or turn down service, and you had to clean the house yourself at the end. By that I mean sort the towels, use dishsoap and a sponge on any cups you used, and empty all the trash and take it to their dumpster. This is standard for an airbnb and a big part of why I don't book with them anymore - they are impersonal and treat you like you are their employee. The best part is the "tips appreciated" envelope. I noticed it when we arrived and instinctively put $5 in it, but after doing all the chores ourselves we took the money back out. If I have to take my own trash out, sort the laundry, and wash my cups, what exactly is the tip supposed to be for?

The mold and extra work assignments mean we will not be back, which is a shame - the 5 minutes it would have taken them to take the garbage out and clean the two mugs would have made a world of difference in terms of hospitality, and I would have been happy to leave...

I traveled solo to do some stargazing. I think the photos online look very little like the actual place. The proprietor was very nice and when I got there, she said she'd seen my booking request for a cabin with a front porch and was able to accomodate. When I saw the cabin, I thought I might not want it afterall, as it was right on a busy state highway and there was some big machine parked exactly in front of the cabin. She said that she could move me but the people on either side were pretty noisy. I saw an older couple sitting outside and figured they were renters. She assured me the machine would be removed, which it was not. I was there for two nights. The location is great to get to the Dark Skies Park but if I were going again, I'd keep driving down the road. There are lots of other more inviting place with much better street appeal. I felt safe but it was kind of icky and the air conditioner was black with mold on the inside. That's probably where I got my...