Tiny Home Cabin

The cabin itself is beautiful. BUT, its located in the middle of the driveway. There is 0 privacy, anyone entering the property stares at you and drives pass you. You hear the family eat supper at night and watch them do their yard chores during the day. The cabin is in front of the lama manure pile. We were lucky enough to watch bags get sholved as we ate supper. Their daughters play ground is about 20 feet away from the cabin, we had to return her home several times from our fire pit when left unattend. It was missing some essentials that you would expect (1 steak knife for a cabin that sleeps 5, very few cooking utensils, only a little bit of dish soap, etc). The cabin was not fully set up, the bunks were not made. They said it was because we only listed 2 people but it should be made up for a full presentation of the cabin that was paid for and to have all sleeping options available to guests. They had to change the compost toilet after we arrived. There was no picnic table available, we had to request one, and the water pump died so I had to go get another one after messaging a few times for one and it being forgotten. There was information in the cabin that differed in prices for firewood. It listed at 12 dollars but we were charged 15. We were charged an extra 15 dollars per night for having our 12 year old with us, which was a new experience... We found the pictures of the walking trails and location of the cabin in relation to advertised privacy to be very misleading

Response from Denika, the Host, on June 18th, 2022

Hello Cynthia, Thank you for your honest feedback. We are very sorry to hear that you had a less than satisfactory experience. We make every attempt to ensure that our guests are comfortable and have everything they need to enjoy their stay with us. This is why we were happy to deliver a picnic table to you upon request within minutes of your arrival, and have decided to leave it as a permanent fixture of the cabin for future guests. As the tiny home cabin is tiny, we stock the cabin with only the essentials in order to maximize space and provide a clutter free environment. We encourage all our guests to communicate when they need something which has not been provided and that could potentially enrich their stay. Had it been brought it our attention, we would have been happy to help you locate the steak knives and provide any additional cutlery or cookware that you required. You are correct that the loft beds were not made due to your booking being for only 2 people. We have found that when all beds are made that sometimes guests will sleep in and use all the beds when it is not necessary. We try to live minimally in terms of our resource consumption and do not make up the loft beds unless it is necessary in order to reduce our water and energy consumption. There is also a cost associated with doing more laundry in both time and money for us, which is why we charge extra for additional guests. Please ensure that your future bookings are correct and accurate to avoid any confusion with future hosts. It is true that the llamas primary pen is located behind the cabin and that there are multiple small piles of manure located some 50-100m away. It is a virtually odourless, clean organic compost that is great for the garden which is why we harvest it. These piles are not visible from the front of the cabin and there is no odour. As this is our home, we do allow our daughter to play and explore the property freely. We are teaching her about boundaries and respecting peoples privacy, but as she is only 2, and extremely friendly and curious, this is a work in progress, but we have seen dramatic improvement. There is also a lot of work required in maintaining a property this size. Being visible while completing chores is unavoidable. In terms of the location of the cabin and privacy, we are attempting to come up with ways to increase privacy. We have taken your feedback to heart and will be updating the description of the listing and including a detailed site map with distances marked to provide potential guests with an accurate representation of the cabin in relation to other landmarks. It is never our intention to mislead or deceive our guests. We apologize that you felt you were being stared at during your stay. We attempt to be friendly, open and welcoming and any attention we may have directed your way in passing in the form of eye contact or a smile was done simply to acknowledge you and make you feel welcome. Also, thank you for bringing up the discrepancy of the firewood pricing to our attention. We will be sure to update it immediately, however you failed to mention that we had provided you firewood at a 50% discount upon request. We truly appreciate the feedback you have provided which we will use to improve our guest experience. If I may, I would also like to provide some feedback. While we encourage guests, their children and pets to explore the property freely, we were less than thrilled to find your dogs going to the bathroom in our garden on numerous occasions when left unattended. We are happy to have pets run around freely, however this is something to keep in mind for the future stays. My wife and I also detected a smoky smell in the cabin when we came by to refill the water and deliver various items. The state of the cabin was also left untidy, dishes had not been washed and none of the guidelines had been followed upon your departure. We ask that you respect host requests in the future, especially concerning a smoke free environment.

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The directions were clear, we had no issues finding the place. The hosts were lovely and ensured we had everything we needed. The tiny cabin was cozy and well equipped considering the size. The llamas were fun to be near and if you like birds, there are so many different species and there's beautiful birdsong all the time. Don't forget to hit up the main house, where there is a store selling homemade pottery and beautiful aromatherapy products. We hope to be back and experience the acreage in winter as well.

Response from Denika, the Host, on June 10th, 2022

It was our pleasure hosting you here. Looking forward to having you back to visit.

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We had such a nice time staying here! There were lots of blankets and lots of small nice touches like milk in the fridge for coffee. Luna is such a good dog and the llamas were fun to watch!

We had a lovely time at the cabin and the hosts were wonderful at communicating and making sure we were well taken care of. Great hospitality and the cutest cabin! It was -25 C and we were nice and warm overnight too. Would definitely come again!

The Secret Sanctuary Retreat is true to its title, nestled in the woods near Battle Lake. It’s low-tech and oh-so-wonderful with everything you need in a tiny house inside and out. We loved it! The space is just right, cozy, quaint and lovely. It’s an unexpected treat just off from the owners main country house. You can book a wonderful holistic massage at Life by Veona which is an absolute must. Veona sells a host of products and services, amazing! Check out Denika’s beautiful pottery in the studio which you can purchase. Expect the unexpected from what we discovered at this little gem in the woods! Wait, there’s more, the sanctuary has more, Llamas! You can get a selfie, a hug or just feed them. They are incredible! If you are looking for positive energy in your hipcamp experience, we definitely recommend the location, amenities, space and wonderful hosts.

Response from Denika, the Host, on October 26th, 2021

Wonderful Humans and Pup through and through! It was our absolute pleasure hosting you all for your wife's birthday getaway. Looking forward to having you back next summer with more friends! :)

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I've stayed at this retreat before back in the summer, but HAD to come check out they're newly offered tiny cabin. I can't say enough good about it, as well as the hosts! It was the perfect retreat for me and two of my friends. I was surprised (in the best possible way) at how many amenities the cabin was filled with. To name a few- board games, tv + DVD, hot plate, coffee/drinks, mini fridge, pull-out bed, and a ton of other well thought out offerings.

The area around the site is just as magical as it was back in the summer. We made ourselves coffee in the morning and wandered around the area, and said some 'good mornings' to the llamas that were also going for their morning walk. It's a peaceful area removed from city life, which is always a much needed break. It's a very calming and quiet place in it's own pocket of nature and surrounded by trees.

It's a short drive from Edmonton, but far enough that the stars come out beautifully at night. This would be the perfect retreat for a couple or for a small family.

I joked about wanting to actually live there but... was it really a joke? Thanks again Denika & Veona, you're awesome!

Response from Denika, the Host, on October 24th, 2021

Oh Kalla. That a pleasure it was to have you back. Glad you had a wonderful visit. Can’t wait for next time… cause I know there will be!

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