Treehouse Cottages

Treehouse Cottages is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a city that is located near the border of Missouri and Arkansas. There are seven treehouses and one ground cottage, all of which are found on the edge of town or in a more secluded area of the woods. Many people who make a reservation for one of the units are celebrating an anniversary, honeymoon, or wedding. There are many opportunities to see animals, such as deer, in the woods. While it is a smaller town with a population of about 2,000 people, Eureka Springs is described as a "tourist town" by the owner of Treehouse Cottages, Harold, and has a variety of restaurants and activities available. Visitors are able to spend time at caves, go hiking or biking, or spend time at the gardens of Blue Springs Heritage Center.

About

Treehouse Cottages offers a total of eight cottages for reservations, seven of which are treehouses and one that is a ground-level building with a loft. Four of the treehouses are found at the "Hidden Forest" location, which is about one mile away from the main office, and the other three are located closer to the town, though they are all part of the same company. Regardless of which unit is reserved, they all offer similar amenities.

The ground-level cottage is called Hillside Haven Cottage and is a two-story building that can sleep two adults and two children at a time. The cottage has an outdoor tub on the private porch and a barbeque grill. The treehouses are similar to each other in design and can only sleep two adults. Each treehouse has a jacuzzi, two of which are oval-shaped while the others are heart-shaped. Every unit has a kitchenette with a stovetop, microwave, coffee maker, and mini-fridge, but no oven. Juice, popcorn, sodas, cookies, pretzels, and other snacks are also put in the kitchens. When the office manager makes pumpkin spice bread, it may also be given to guests as a welcome gift when they arrive. Other accommodations inside the cottages include a television with a DVD player, fireplace, heating, air conditioning, and access to Wi-Fi. All of the treehouses have a deck, some of which encircle the entire outside of the building, where there is outdoor seating, a table, and an electric grill. One unique feature of the treehouses is that the floors are heated in the winter.

Besides the cottages, there is the main office, which is located on the edge of Eureka Springs. The office has a gift shop, which allows patrons to purchase souvenirs like handcrafted pottery, jewelry, and other products. The owner, Harold, mentions that they try to use and sell products made by local artists. The main office also offers a significant collection of books and DVDs that guests can borrow to use at their unit.

Outside of the business, one can find the historic downtown of Eureka Springs, which is a few minutes from most of the cottages. Harold, the owner, explains that "Eureka Springs is a tourist destination, so even though there is only a population of 2,000 people living here, we sometimes have as many as 8,000 visitors in town." Blue Springs Heritage Center is an outdoor area where there are gardens, gazebos, and a visitor center that teaches about the history of the land, including the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Tribe that traveled through it. The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is another attraction that has many big cats and other animals on display.

According to the owners, there are more than 70 restaurants in the town, and Harold and his wife like to recommend a few places to anyone looking for a spot to eat. The Grand Tavern is a steakhouse that serves a variety of grilled goods for dinner. A few eateries where visitors can get breakfast or lunch include Local Flavor Café and Mud Street Café. One unique restaurant they like to mention to their guests is Grotto Woodfired Grill. Grotto Woodfired Grill is a bar and restaurant that is built inside of a cave.

Culture

Harold, the current owner of Treehouse Cottages, explains that the goal for the property is to make their guests feel relaxed and enjoy their experience. He says, "I want to help them escape their busy lives for a little while." Many people who come to the establishment and make reservations are celebrating an event. Harold estimates that about 70% of the visitors who come to Treehouse Cottages are there for a wedding, anniversary, honeymoon, or other romantic endeavors. To help accomplish his goal, he offers online packages for weddings that can add to the experience.

There are also several policies that he asks guests to abide by during their stay. One of the more important ones is that children are not allowed to be in the treehouses due to potential safety hazards and to keep the noise down. Pets are not permitted on the premises, and smoking is prohibited. Quiet time is enforced from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. The business is capable of holding weddings on the grounds, and there are several online packages that guests can add to their reservations if they would like. In the past, some patrons have also held family reunions.

The business is open year-round, and Harold reports that January tends to be slower than the other months, but Treehouse Cottages typically remains busy throughout the year. The typical demographic of guests are couples that are between 20 and 70 years old. Harold explains that many people, ranging from young couples that are newly married to older couples celebrating their anniversary, come to the cottages. A number of visitors that have stayed in the past have left reviews of their experiences, often mentioning the quality of the units and the amenities that were provided. One person writes, "We stayed in Hillside Haven, and the amenities were great. I loved how they had music and movies available for our convenience and snacks and drinks in the kitchen. The hot tub was clean and great to relax in beneath the stars."

Because the cottages are built-in and near wooded areas, there are many opportunities to see wildlife on the ground below and in the trees, especially at the treehouses in the Hidden Forest location. In the past, visitors have seen animals like black bears, mountain lions, deer, raccoons, a variety of birds, and other woodland critters. The owner tells a story of how two guests saw two bucks fighting in the meadow in front of their cottage. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, ziplining, and swimming are all activities that can be done in the area, and there are also several caverns in the area that people can explore.

History

Treehouse Cottages was first established in the 1990s when the original owner built the first treehouse. Over time, more cottages were built, with the more recent ones being about ten years old. The owner expanded the land and built a few treehouses in a more secluded area for people that wanted a more private experience.

The current owner, whose name is Harold, bought the business in 2019 and has been running it with his wife ever since. They both used to be members of the military and spent much of their time traveling around the world. After some time, they decided to settle in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and run an establishment where they could continue serving people. Harold mentions that one aspect of running Treehouse Cottages that they both enjoy is getting to know people and helping them have an enjoyable time.

In the future, Harold would like to build another cottage, explaining that they have plenty of unused acres, and he would like to have another option for people seeking to make reservations. He also plans on building a wedding chapel, which would allow guests to have a bigger wedding venue and, in turn, enable more people to come to such events.