Our guest house named Otter Falls Inn- after the little river otter we saw that convinced us to call this home- is a cozy, art-deco-meets-mid-century restored cottage with an eco-conscious mission tucked away in the trees and sitting just above a brook. Our property is our own little slice of paradise- right off a main road sits our hidden historical property and mini nature sanctuary complete with forest, creek and wildlife. Just minutes from downtown Hartford, West Hartford center, and UHart! If you're looking to be near everything Hartford County has to offer as well as easy access to groceries and shopping but also want to feel like you're completely secluded in nature, listening to the sounds of water and watching the birds and wildlife from your private deck- you've found the right place!
The property was originally the site of the gristmill that served this area from 1780-1865 and prior to colonial settling, was home to the Tunxis, Poquonook, and Wangunks people. A large part of our way of life here is to live in nature while protecting nature. We are working towards a self-sustaining property and as we work towards outfitting the houses to be as tiny of an eco-footprint as possible, we begin our journey with a property that seeks to reduce its waste and invites our guests to join us in this mission. The cottage was renovated lovingly with our own hands and we used practices that minimize construction waste including using second hand building materials. The entire cottage is designed for maximum efficiency in a small space and its stylish and beautiful decor is almost completely upcycled or supplied from local artisans. Its fun, vintage style celebrates the history of this 100 year old guesthouse.
Guests can spend lazy days watching the wildlife from the deck. We've seen everything from egrets + mallards to bob cats + deer. Although we do live on the property across the main bridge on the island, the cottage is it's own private guesthouse at the bottom of the driveway and is very private, cozy and quiet.
The space is designed for slowing down, connecting, and creating. The home features an outdoor viewing deck sitting above the creek where you have great views of the ecosystem around us. A portion is screened so you can sit and enjoy your meals outside. It is complete with a propane grill so you can get your cookout on. Enjoy sitting on the deck in the morning with your coffee, listen to the birds and the water, and settle in!
Inside, guests will find a fun, vintage space in which to play and relax. The living room features a sofa and double papasan as well as a retro game table. Chess and checkers for the table as well as a cabinet full of board games and puzzles provide hours of entertainment. We also have a TV and a wood burning fireplace available to guests in the colder seasons.
The hallway is a reading nook that converts into a desk for a dedicated work space and the cottage also has its own wifi.
The tiny kitchen has been curated for efficiency and cheeriness. If you love to cook, you should have everything you need to make delicious meals all week long. As coffee and tea lovers, we also have a coffee corner stocked with mini versions of low waste ways to get that yummy caffeine!
The bedroom draws on nature to inspire relaxation, serenity and romance and has a queen bed. We can assist in booking a masseuse to come to you. The windows flood the whole cottage with beautiful, natural light.
The bathroom was renovated with the old charm of the 1930s in mind. We have provided ample amenities so you should have everything you need for a comfortable stay.
The cottage features amenities that assist in lowering our waste and plastic use. We thoughtfully select products and develop partnerships with local craftspeople and companies that support our limiting plastic waste mission and supports local, small businesses. We hope you end up maybe even discovering some products you love!
**Guests must sign rental agreements for this property**
Understanding the property + Guest Access
Our property is close to 5 acres spread out in kind of a weird shape, helping to buffer and conserve wildlife passage ways from the surrounding suburban sprawl. We live on the property in the main house on the island- the island is our yard- and the whole of the property is our home! There are 3 dams located around the brook bed and the corner of the second bridge was where the original gristmill stood.
A large part of our way of life here is to live in nature while protecting it and part of our mission with the cottage is to ask guests to join us in that mission while here and when you return home, consider how you can help protect nature in your own areas.
The cottage is attached to our garage- guests do not have access to the garage unless you are staying longer than 5 nights in which case we let you in there if you’d like to do laundry. We try to stay out of the way completely whenever guests are in the cottage but you may hear the garage door softly closing or opening. Likewise, we share the driveway. For those staying during inclement weather in the winter- please be aware we will send you parking directions to use our carport so you will be out of the way of the plow. Please note the driveway is dirt and gravel with a hill and that means that during snow or ice storms more than 3-4 inches, we can't exit the driveway until the plow comes through. Our plow driver does attempt to get to us first if he knows guests are staying and may want to get out. Please plan accordingly for groceries, etc.
We get a lot of questions about where guests can go on the property and we want guests to have a full understanding of the layout of the property and what they have access to. Our primary mission is to create a sanctuary that protects nature where we humans can enjoy and unplug. Our guidelines for what guests have access to is to prioritize the safety and respect of the wildlife and land. Our cottage is a wonderful place to watch nature all around us and observe peacefully. The deck is a prime place to spot animals using the bar and banks below in the creek.
Currently, the rental consists of the cottage and its deck plus the parking spot and guests are welcome to stand on the first bridge right off the driveway and enjoy the water and look for wildlife. Next year we hope to add a small second sitting area off the side of the deck in a clearing but currently that area is not usable and we ask guests not to go in there as it has not been cleared for poison ivy. The cottage is on the top of the tall banks and there is no access into the water from that side. Please help us protect the hill from erosion and protect the large amount of nesting areas and animal homes along the banks. This is also for your safety and why we have a leash rule for the doggos.
We are happy to bring you across and show you around our little island and often times will invite you to enjoy sitting on the second bridge when we're not using the yard. This requires just communicating with us if you'd like to tour around and meet us.
There have been some questions as to whether the property is a park or if people can explore freely- it is not a park and guests can not wander through the woods in the upper lot or our yard without permission. Outside of our yard, it is important that we let the property be run by nature- there are deer dens and bobcat trails across the upper lot. If you're hoping to take a long walk in nature, we have tons of hiking trails in the area and even access points to the big rivers we'd love to recommend!
We also get questions on whether guests can swim in the creek. Guests are not able to walk in or swim in the creek from the cottage. Please do not enter other areas of the creek as many water fowl and turtles rely on these quiet areas for feeding and nesting.
Lastly, we like to note for guests that the water level of the brook depends highly on what the weather has been like recently. Sometimes it is white water rapids with logs floating by if it's been heavy rains, other times at its lowest it is a calm trickling and is always lower on the side of the waterway closest to the driveway. It tends to be easier to see animals using the waterway when the water level is low even though it doesn't look as robust and dramatic.
We wish we could control the weather, but alas....
The space is best suited for couples and individuals since we are 1 bedroom. We can accommodate up to 4 people with the queen sleeper sofa in the living room. There is an additional charge per person beyond 2 people. If you have kiddos, we do not allow kids under the age of 10 as its not a child-safe space (very young infants who aren't crawling around yet are okay but we do not have baby gear on site so guests would need to have their own items if staying with an infant) and if you have a child please count them towards your total headcount of 4 people at time of booking. We do allow pets but please make sure you're familiar with pet rules upon booking (we cannot accommodate cats).
Check us out on ig @otterfallsinn
