Allow me to begin in the days following my husband and I's stay. I received an email from High Rock Hideaways inviting me to write a review of our stay, and I wrote an honest and professional account, as follows:
"Perhaps my husband and I were unlucky? We stayed in a single room cabin through High Rock Hideaways for 2 nights this summer because of the nice things customers had to say about the cabins. While we had no AC the first day and night, I commend the staff of High Rock Hideaways for their punctuality, as we had AC our second day in Hocking Hills. The staff was so very nice! That's why it brings me no joy to leave this kind of review, however our cabin was mouse infested. My husband and I heard rustling from within the stove the first night, which makes sense, as mice prefer warm places; however, we only noticed that the insulation of the stove was filthy, and it was unconfirmed that it was as a result of mice. However, the rustling persisted. By the second night, they found our food, which we placed atop the refrigerator. Being a one room cabin, our bed was in the same room as the kitchen. Therefore, not only was noise an issue, but we watched the mouse rummage through our food from within our bed, and return to the stove from which it came when we turned the light on. The food that we brought was filled with droppings! Of course this made us uncomfortable, so we cut our trip short and packed our bags at 4 in the morning--leaving shortly after. [...] Finally, I will add that the cabins do NOT have wifi, which was a challenge for us, as we couldn't even notify our families that we had arrived safely, and would have been an inconvenience when navigating had I not printed physical maps of the area. Perhaps the owners should at least install a landline in each cabin, so that customers can make outgoing calls? Otherwise, install internet. Please keep in mind the information above when booking!"
A couple days later I received the following email from the management at High Rock Hideaways:
"Hello Kaylee,
We were disappointed to see such a false review left by you. If you had issues, why didn't you mention them to us when you were at the house going on and on about how nice the cabin was and how pleased you were with everything? You didn't seem to mind coming to the house to use the landline. In fact you said it was no bother. We do not advertise wifi, so you shouldn't expect to have it. As far as the mice go, we have NEVER had a complaint about them, but like they say there is a first time for everything and we will look into it. We took care of the AC problem as soon as you let us know about it. We can't do anything about the fact that you waited as long as you did to tell us. Each cabin has a property map in it. Also, there is one on the web sight for guests to print also. One last thing, cabin owners down here have lists. We do not care for those who complain and make false accusations about our cabins, while so many others as you can see, have given us outstanding to reviews. And that......is something for you to keep in mind the next time you book a cabin down here in Hocking Hills.
Phyllis and Cindy, mgmt.
High Rock Hideaways
25999 Chapel Ridge Road
South Bloomingville, OH 43152
Phone: 740-385-985"
My rebuttal? Assuming a customer would write a dishonest review is very poor customer service on their part. My husband and I complimented the staff of High Rock Hideaways when we asked to borrow the landline just minutes after arriving to contact our families that we had arrived safely. At this point, we were unaware that we did not have AC, and unaware that we would be sharing our space with mice, as they are nocturnal and wouldn't begin to forage until nightfall. While we weren't bothered that we had to borrow their landline, I simply provided a suggestion in my review that would enable customers to make outgoing calls. As for mice, I find it very difficult to believe that they've never had a complaint about them, as d-con lay throughout the cabin and there exists a rental policy in regard to them that reads: "We will not refund your reservation if you see bugs, spiders or mice in your cabin." As far as maps for navigating, they did provide a property map in our cabin that would have been helpful for navigating the property had we so chosen to; however, I am referring to navigating the area of Hocking Hills. Had I not printed maps of Hocking Hills, we would not have made it to the tourist attractions we wanted to see! Finally, threatening to place customers on "lists" that make it difficult for them to book future vacations in Hocking Hills is completely ludicrous.
Now, according to Facebook, TripAdvisor, Google, and other reviewing platforms, it seems that most guests of High Rock Hideaways overwhelmingly have a satisfactory experience. However, if your experience is less than perfect and you confront them about it, allow the above quote to be a testament of the treatment you could receive. read more