Restored 1940's Resort Cabin On Flathead Lake, 2 cabins~MT~

Fire season can be brutal for many, especially home owners and travelers. We’ve never had this happen before so like our travelers, it was new for us and an uncertain time. We contacted group a week out to inform them of situation. We monitored it closely, knowing things can change quickly. We informed group of cancellation policy too early on. We couldn’t guarantee access to the cabin due to the unpredictable circumstances, so it’s understandably unnerving if you’re traveling in a large group and don’t have clear answers. I didn’t want to give the group misinformation or assurances that were not realistic. As we got more info we told them it was looking good and they’d most likely have access, which they did. As things got uncertain there wasn’t much we could communicate. It was a difficult time for the community and many homeowners as property was lost and local resources were stretched thin. The group had info they needed to make decisions, and VRBO contact info. But the reality is it was a waiting game to see if the fires were under control enough to confirm access. Fortunately it worked out well. They would have received a full refund otherwise as situation was out of their control and ours. We learned that these situations are challenging on many levels and unpredictable for all involved. We’re grateful they enjoyed their stay and everything worked out.

This was absolutely an unfortunate situation and very challenging to resolve in a satisfactory manner for all parties. It’s still a tough situation to process as we want every group to have a great time. There was an apology from the group and agreement to pay for damages initially and we appreciate that. It is extraordinarily rare guests are charged for damages. We were charged extra cleaning fees that we absorbed along with the broken light expense- lightbulbs were replaced and an inspection of lights occurred prior to their arrival as we readied for guests. Our cleaning lady looked everywhere and couldn’t find pillows- not sure where they went. This is our first experience of this type as well, and have not had anything like this happen before, so we completely sympathize with the feedback as it was not easy for both parties. We invest much time and money into making each group’s experience a good one, so the issue of urinated mattresses (and a down comforter) and blood on surfaces does require extra expense to clean and address to get property ready for future groups. Really unfortunate situation but felt we had no choice given the circumstances to insure future groups had a positive experience too and that the affected areas were properly sanitized.