Getaway House is a quick and easy way to escape the city – but it comes at a cost
I am an avid traveler and have a trip to look forward to more often than not. I track deal sites and am typically an opportunist traveler: I see an awesome deal and I jump on it. Of course, travel is severely restricted during this current pandemic, so I have no adventures to look forward to in the foreseeable future.
Although I think that planning a trip is an excellent mental escape from quarantine, I was itching to actually take a trip. Instagram’s advertising algorithm apparently knew this, too, and that’s how I discovered Getaway House.
With super chic yet simplistic tiny cabins, Getaway House promises a refreshing weekend stay close to major urban locations. Find out if Getaway House Houston is worthwhile in this comprehensive review!
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What is Getaway House?
Getaway House has tiny cabin outposts conveniently located to major cities. Each tiny cabin is outfitted with “everything you need and nothing you don’t” – so they are intended to be the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
I think of Getaway House as “glamping”. You get all the perks of camping (nature, campfires, hiking, and limited technology) alongside the main perks of civilization (a proper bed with linens, a hot shower, and temperature control).
I am certainly not above camping, but I visited the Getaway House Houston outpost near Brazos Valley in June. If the temperature drops below 80 degrees at night, it’s a pretty cool night.
Needless to say, I needed my A/C.
Getaway House Tiny Cabin Locations
As of early 2021, Getaway has 12 outposts. Each outpost is located within 2 hours driving distance (without traffic!) from the listed city:
- Atlanta
- Austin & San Antonio
- Boston
- Charlotte & Raleigh
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Houston (my experience!)
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Pittsburgh & Cleveland
- Portland
- Washington, D.C.
I live pretty close to downtown Houston and my Getaway House was very easy to reach. It took me a little over an hour on the way out (thanks to a car accident on 290) but about 50 minutes on the way home. I know some people who have longer commutes for work!
Despite being so close to Houston, I really felt like I left Houston. The Getaway House cabins were truly in the middle of the forest. There was no highway traffic, no train horns at night, no Wal-Mart Supercenter down the street – I felt much more remote than I expected to.
Getaway House Houston Location
The Houston Getaway House location is just outside Navasota, TX off 290 heading towards College Station. As mentioned above, it only took about an hour to reach, which was great.
The cabin location really isn’t in Navasota proper. If you drew a line connecting Hempstead, Magnolia, and Navasota, the cavin locations would be just about center of that triangle. This means that there aren’t really any restaurants or other facilities nearby. But that’s ok, you’re going to your Getaway cabin to disconnect!
Are Getaway House Cabins Dog-Friendly?
Yes!
I brought my little buddy, Dixie, along and it was so much fun. Getaway does charge an additional cleaning fee if you bring your dog along, but at the Houston outpost, at least, the fee was only $40 per stay.
Amenities & Provisions at Getaway House Tiny Cabins
Getaway advertises that their cabins have “everything you need and nothing you don’t.” Before embarking on my Getaway, I scoured the website to try and find out specifically what amenities were present in the cabins. I found the information to be lacking (I think because Getaway wanted to be somewhat mysterious?), so I paid extra attention to what the cabins are outfitted and stocked with.
Getaway House Amenities
Sleeping Area
The cabins come with either one or two Queen-sized beds. The two-bed configuration is bunked.
The linens are soft and white and the mattress felt like memory foam. The pillows were surprisingly good. I’ve discovered I’m a bit of a pillow snob but the pillows felt like Goldilocks pillows to me: not too hard, not too soft, they were just right.
The bed is raised a bit over a bench. This made it sometimes a little hard to get into and out of the bed. In fact, I slipped one time and tore up my leg pretty well. I understand this was done to maximize the space, but definitely be mindful of it.
Kitchen
The kitchen is small but generally pretty well designed. Included in the kitchen is:
- A 2-burner cooktop
- A kettle
- A large mini-fridge (it fit probably 1.5x my cooler)
- One skillet and one pot
- Plates, bowls, & silverware
- Various knives, scissors, tongs, a wine cork, spatulas, and lighters
- Sugar packets & creamer
- A cutting board
- Aluminum foil
- Decently sized sink
- Hand towels & paper towels
- A sponge & dish soap
- Two dog bowls
For the most part, the kitchen had nearly everything I needed. Pop down to the section “What I Wish Getaway House Cabins Had” to see what was lacking.
Bathroom
Just a toilet and a shower…. literally!
There was no sink and no mirror. That means you have to brush your teeth over the kitchen sink and use a rinky-dink “shaving mirror” located in the cabinet if you need a mirror for any reason.
I will say, however, that the shower had WONDERFUL water pressure.
Seating Area
Inside the cabin is a very tiny seating area – one chair and a place to sit on the bench adjacent to the bed.
Myself & my dog were greeted with a s’mores kit and some totally adorable dog treats, which I just loved. That hospitality definitely made me feel more welcome!
They also provide some books, a radio (that you can connect your phone to!), and playing cards.
There was also a rechargeable lantern, although I think a flashlight is more convenient.
Outdoor Space
The outdoor space is outfitted with two Adirondack chairs, a picnic table, and a fire pit. It’s cozy and perfect!
They also provided a large outdoor leash, which was really nice – I thought to bring one, but definitely nearly forgot!
Provisions at Getaway House
Getaway provides some additional provisions for purchase, which is nice and convenient. Provisions included:
- Firewood & fire starter
- Coffee
- Tea
- Pasta & pasta sauce
- Cookies & granola bars
- Hot chocolate
- Jerky
In my opinion, the provisions were overpriced. Try and plan ahead and pack your own snacks!
What I Wish Getaway House Cabins Had (aka what you should bring to your Getaway House retreat!)
In my opinion, the cabin was missing a few key things.
The biggest and most glaring absence was a pour-over coffee pot. They advertise pour-over coffee on their website, but it’s a pour-over provision for purchase. I brought my own coffee grounds and everything but had no way to enjoy it. If you want to bring your own coffee, I definitely recommend one of the portable contraptions below:
Surprisingly, Getaway also didn’t have a pasta strainer. You don’t really need one, I guess, but this clip-on pasta strainer may make your meal prep just a bit easier.
Otherwise, I think that the tiny cabins were outfitted pretty well! The coffee was definitely what I missed the most – I’ll be more prepared next time.
What to Do at Your Getaway House Retreat
The available activities really depend on where you’re staying.
The Houston outpost had “hiking trails” but they were barely more than worn tire tracks through some fields. I was worried about ticks, so my dog and I just stuck to the roughly 1-mile cabin access loop.
Getaway will have information posted online for available activities near to your specific outpost. For the Houston outpost, nearly everything was 30+ minutes away. That didn’t particularly interest me so I generally stayed at my cabin.
Honestly, staying nearby was perfect. I was able to walk with my dog, read under the trees, take naps in front of the big window, and relax in front of the fire.
I set up this super easy packable hammock and it was bliss. There is something blissfully relaxing about hanging under the trees with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Is Getaway House worth the price?
It depends.
I very thoroughly enjoyed my time at my Getaway. However, I got an introductory rate so I paid much less than they are charging now.
The current price is what you could pay for a pretty nice hotel in a major city! I see prices upwards of, and over, $200 and I would never pay $200 a night (plus dog fees) to camp.
So, if you have no qualms with the price or are able to escape during the week, I say go for it.
But for me? I don’t plan to return on a weekend.
