Looking to squeeze in one more trip before the holidays (i.e. I just hit my signup bonus on the Citi Premier card and wanted to burn some points), I started looking to see where Vacasa might take us. The first weekend of November looked good on the calendar (which just so happens to be a great time for fall colors in the Smoky Mountains), and we found this absolutely beautiful log cabin overlooking the mountains in Pigeon Forge. The main floor had a decent size kitchen with a washer/dryer stack, dishwasher, oven/stove, full fridge, a couple couches, TV, bedroom with a full bathroom, and balcony with a stunning view. Upstairs was a huge loft with a pool table, foosball table, air hockey table (piece of junk...should get rid of that), an arcade game with Pacman and Galaga, 2 full or queen size bunk beds, and another huge balcony overlooking the mountains with a hot tub. There was also good size bathroom on the second floor with a large jetted tub and separate shower.
Because this cabin is technically only 1 bedroom, the point cost was 15,000 per night. If paying cash, the price came to $687 rental fee + $95 cleaning fee + $45 Limited Damage Waiver + $45 Hot Tub Fee + $130.80 Booking Fee + $127.86 in taxes, netting a total $1,130.66 for three nights. I needed to transfer points in, so I transferred the Citi Thank You points I needed to my Wyndham Rewards account, then called their dedicated booking line (800) 441-1034. A very friendly agent named Brandy helped me confirm availability and make the reservation. She told me it could take 24-48 hours until I receive confirmation emails from both Wyndham and Vacasa, but they came through within about 30 minutes after booking.
The actual experience was great; I got a text with the door code when the cabin was ready and we we able to let ourselves in as soon as we got there. The cabin was clean and had just about everything we needed. I would recommend to Vacasa to supply the house with a broom and dustpan, which was not provided. Also, some baking sheets would be good. One other thing to note is the hot tub temperature was more like a heated pool, because it had gone into sleep mode. A tech came out the next day and punched in whatever sequence on the buttons that put it back to regular operation, and it heated up no problem. The hot tub has definitely seen better days and lots of holes/cracks in the shell, so it leaked like a waterfall onto the first floor balcony, but luckily there is really nothing underneath it, so it wasn't a major issue. Once the water level had lowered, there was much less leakage. There are some water stains on the walls on the main floor, which is probably from the leaking hot tub, so I would recommend to Vacasa to replace the hot tub to prevent what could turn into damage to the house. Also, put it on the first floor balcony! With the bunk beds on the second level, it can be tricky sneaking out there after the kids go to sleep.