I want to spend a romantic weekend in a cabin near Washington DC with my girlfriend in March. Any recommendations?

February 19, 2011 2:59 PM

I want to spend a weekend in a cabin within 3 hours of Washington DC with my girlfriend in March. I need something private with a hot tub and a fireplace and being a student, my budget isn't very high. Any recommendations?

I will be proposing to my girlfriend next month and want to spend the time with her in a vacation cabin within 3 hours of Washington DC. We will only be spending 2 nights there (Thursday and Friday) as I have leave on Saturday morning for a project.

The cabin can be a small 1 Bedroom/Bathroom one but should preferably have a hot tub and a fireplace as my girlfriend loves these amenities and there should also be cell-phone reception in the area. Neither of us are the adventurous types and won't be engaging in any sporty activities. Any beautiful small towns nearby would be a plus though.

I'm a student and my maximum budget for the cabin rental for 2days/2nights is $300. Since I am new to USA, and have never rented a cabin before, please recommend some websites, locations and cabins I should be looking into. Also, any tips on bargaining/discounts would be welcome. Is it okay to call these cabin owners up and offer a lower price than advertised on their websites?

posted by libbrichus to travel & transportation around Washington, DC (11 answers total)

If you haven't seen it already, here's a previous comment that may be useful.
posted by statsgirl at 3:23 PM on February 19, 2011

Look on airbnb.com

Here in CA I have rented cabins that fit your description for under $150 per night.
posted by special-k at 3:23 PM on February 19, 2011

Let me be the first (I will not be the last) to recommend Vacation Rentals By Owner, aka vrbo.com.
posted by dfan at 3:38 PM on February 19, 2011

Also, maybe this should be anonymous since your name is attached to your account?
posted by two lights above the sea at 3:51 PM on February 19, 2011

Yes, vrbo.com is great. I have rented two separate places on there (in California). Here are some that you might be interested in:
Solomons Island, MD (about an hour and a half southeast of DC)
Luray, VA (in Shenandoah Valley about 2 hours west of DC)
Narvon, PA (About 3 hours northeast of DC in PA Dutch Country)
posted by sarahnade at 4:05 PM on February 19, 2011

If you're interested in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia, I know two couples who have stayed in the Shenandoah River Outfitters cabins and really enjoyed them. They have cabins with hot tubs and fireplaces that are just about in your price range. I'm pretty sure there's cell reception in the area too. Can't hurt to call, explain that you're going to propose during your stay and ask for their lower off-season rate.
posted by geeky at 5:07 PM on February 19, 2011

Between the rivers, a b&b in harpers ferry, wv, is a very romantic cottage with a hot tub but no fireplace. Harpers ferry is small and historic and quaint, with a lot of outdoorsy stuff to do if you're into that. It's where I was proposed to and I said yes!
posted by mchorn at 6:07 PM on February 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia is an arty, antiquey town with some nice restaurants and music happening most evenings. There are many cabin rentals in the area; a quick search found this one, for example. You may also like Shepherdstown, a lovely, small but lively college town with great food and music. Rentals may be a little more expensive there, especially during one of the events and festivals held there.
posted by itstheclamsname at 6:13 PM on February 19, 2011

If your Girlfriend knows your MeFi name, you may want to ask one of the mods to anonymize this ;-)
posted by schmod at 7:15 PM on February 19, 2011

A couple years back, my wife and I rented a cabin in Lexington, VA with the amenities you are asking for, but the price is slightly higher than what you spec'ed .. though now that I recall, it was a jacuzzi tub. The cabins are not completely secluded, but they're situated in such a way so that you can't really see one from the other. Plus, Lexington is a charming little town, the home of VMI. We thought it was great. Might be just what you're looking for. Checkit.
posted by crunchland at 7:50 PM on February 19, 2011

Take a look at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland - some of our friends rented a lake front house for a weekend there this past fall and it was really nice. I'm not sure if it had a hot tub or not, but there are tons of houses and cabins in the area for rent that might have what you need. Also, check out the area around the Canaan Valley in West Virginia. The park itself has cabins, but I doubt they have hot tubs - there are people who rent out houses in the area that you could check out as well.
posted by echo0720 at 10:14 AM on February 20, 2011