Skin Infection From Hot Tub

Guest: Tarik (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 02/01/12

Though my girlfriend and I enjoyed our time at the cabin otherwise, our stay was ruined from contracting a skin infection from the poorly maintained hot tub. Both of us saw doctors the following week and forwarded to the cabin's owner both a doctor note verifying contraction of "Hot Tub Folliculitis" and the paperwork that came with our antibiotics. Our only request was for a refund for one night of our two-night stay, but even after the doctor notes were forwarded, the cabin owner dismissed our claim as an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the hot tub and has so far refused. Obviously, we've both been in hot tubs before without a problem and, without getting into specifics, I'm 100% certain we contracted it from the hot tub at Little Tahoma Lodge. It's unfortunate, as the cabin itself is very comfortable, private and in a beautiful area. I just can't bring myself to recommend it to anyone due to concerns about cleanliness.

Owner response:I looked into this situation extensively. My main suspicion is that these two do this frequently. They began by immediately asking for $150, or 1/2 of their stay refunded. I was VERY suspicious of their claims. The hot tub is brand new. I had emptied it, scrubbed it and refilled it with fresh water and a new filter just before their stay. I had put in the appropriate chemicals and checked them the day of their stay. Perfect. I was unable to get a real confirmation from, or even speak on the phone with any doctors they claimed to have seen. After the accusation I rechecked the hot tub...sill perfect chemical balance, including bromine. I even went as far as to soak in the hot tub for an hour to see if "I" got an infection. Nothing at all. I did offer the guests $50 right away, and they immediately threatened to give me bad online reviews. Most of my guests are amazing people, and it saddens me when I run across folks like this!

Recommended for:

Private cabin

Guest: Jessica (Beaverton, OR)
Date of Stay: 12/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

My hubby & I stayed there for 4 nights over Xmas & our anniversary. We loved having all the space. With limited businesses open during the holidays, we shopped ahead of time & cooked all our meals in the well-stocked kitchen. We also had plenty of room to play games, etc at 1 end of the table with a space at the other end for eating. The main website says that the cabin has a stereo with an iPod docking station. It has a stereo with a headphone type plug in so that just about any mp3 player can be played through it. The main difference is that it doesn't charge the device. The way the cabin is advertised it looks like a small one bedroom, one floor cabin. Upon entry, we saw a door apparently leading downstairs labeled as basement under renovation no guests please. There was no construction while we were there so that was great but I thought it might explain why the living area is set up for up to 6 or 7 people for seating and mealtimes etc. and yet the cabin contained 1 tiny bedroom. We're wondering if the cabin will have more sleeping areas when it's finished. We loved having a hot tub to dip into in the evening and& found it very relaxing. I had brought our apple tv so that we could watch Netflix however I forgot to check with the owner & we got there to discover that the older tv did not have an HDMI hook up. Also there were no tv channels at all. There was a DVD player & a drawer with about 10-15 movies. Fortunately, I had brought our movies for the Xmas movie marathon & there was a store in walking distance that rents movies for 2.50 +tax/night. So we still enjoyed snuggling up with the warm blankets and watching movies. When we arrived, there was a note from the owner stating that there was an issue with the gas fireplace and please use the electric heaters. The bdrm and bathroom were fine but we had one medium sized electric plug in fireplace to heat the remainder of the house so we wore plenty of layers during the day. I hope the gas is fixed for the next people. As far as sleeping, my husband didn't mind the bed but my back was not happy. We enjoyed going into the park during the day and playing in the snow as well as taking lots of beautiful pictures. If we stay there again we would prepare better, knowing what to expect. We Loved the wifi since there was no cell service and the house phone so we could keep in touch with family. Once the hubby saw the large deck/BBQ area and the campfire area, he was dreaming of future visits with family.

Recommended for:Pet owners, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, sightseeing, families with teenagers.

Anniversary Getaway

Guest: T & G (Shelton WA)
Date of Stay: 10/28/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

My husband and I seriously enjoyed our stay at the Tahoma Lodge for our 10 year anniversary and our 1 year wedding anniversary (+ my husbands birthday!) Let me just say that the pictures DO NOT do this cabin justice... we were hesitant as it originally looked bland, oversized and empty in the available pictures, and there were no pictures of the bedroom, which we thought was strange. When we got there, we were totally delighted! It was very quaint and cozy, exactly what we were hoping for. It was tastefully decorated in a cabin-theme, and the bedroom was great. Small and romantic. We had deer out our bedroom window every morning, and we spent all 3 nights enjoying the fantastic hot tub - wrapped in nothing but forest and privacy. We took the short drive to the Park entrance and spent a whole day hiking the amazing trails that the mountain has to offer and seeing the GORGEOUS waterfalls - and then came "home" and soaked our sore muscles all evening. . It was a perfect weekend getaway! We would ABSOLUTELY recommend this to anyone looking for a quiet peaceful vacation. And we absolutely plan to stay with Rainier Cottages next year... we are hoping for the Knotty Cottage next time through, as we trust the owner's cleanliness, respect for privacy, and pricing! (I mean come on... a third night for the price of 2? You cant beat it!) We looked at several cottages and cabins all over the Mt Rainier area and we are perfectly delighted with our choice of the Tahoma Lodge :) 5 stars! Thanks Tammi!!! ~ T & G

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, people with disabilities, sightseeing.