FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We sold our other cabin (Jack Russell's Ridge) in late 2021 to focus in buying another rental property in Ocean City, Maryland. That property ``Pineapple Bay`` can be seen at www.pineapplebayoc.com. Enjoy our water front getaway with gorgeous sunsets that can’t be described with mere words. Come to the “Pineapple Bay” and see for yourself.

Please email, use our online reservation form or call us, and we will be happy to process your reservation or answer any question you have. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and checks. We require a deposit of 50 percent of the total rental rate (excluding taxes). Please note that we cannot hold your reservation without a deposit. The remaining amount (including taxes) will be charged ten days before you check in, or if you prefer, you can mail a certified check or money order. We can also accept a standard check if it is received two weeks before check-in so that we can have time to process the funds. For returned checks, we charge a $15 check return fee. We cannot allow our guests to check in until the full payment has been received. Once we receive your first payment, we will send you an insider’s guide to Berkeley Springs and cabin to help you enjoy your stay more. The guide has information on dining, spas, recreation, sample itinerary and more.

Please check our online calendar system which is listed on the Rental Information section or call us at 1-800-283-7134 or email us using our online contact form or rental@berkeleyspringsgetaways.com. Emailing is the best way to reach us since we check that through out the day and check phone messages until after 7 p.m.

Both Jack Russell’s Ridge and Retriever’s Retreat are secluded and have little car traffic. Both of those cabins are on 2.4 acres and are wooded. Both have decent size yards to play on.

Retriever’s Retreat is about 10 miles from downtown Berkeley Springs. But it’s very close to Cacapon State Park which is about 3 miles away. Jack Russell’s Ridge is about 3 miles from downtown Berkeley Springs.

Retriever’s Retreat is larger in size in terms of square feet and bedroom/bathrooms. Both have the same size lot (2.4 acres) and are equally private. Jack Russell’s Ridge does have a wrap around deck that is helpful to guests bringing pets.

Retriever’s Retreat has 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. It has 2 queen beds and 2 twin beds. Jack Russell’s Ridge has 2 bedrooms and 1 full bathroom. It has 2 queen beds. The bathroom for both cabins is tub and shower combination.

Both Jack Russell’s Ridge and Retriever’s Retreat have a master bedroom and bathroom on the main level. There at the most two steps to get into each cabin.

All of our rental properties are easy to get to since all the roads going to the cabins are state or county roads. Same applies to Winter time. All roads are state, county or community roads which are plowed.

The road crews do a wonderful job plowing and de-icing the roads during the winter. Therefore, both of our homes are accessible in the winter and do not require four-wheel drive. (We have been going up to Berkeley Springs for three winters now, and we do not own four-wheel drive cars.) We do have contracted persons to plow our driveways if there are more than three inches of snow. (Contractors will not plow without three inches of snow because this would damage their equipment.)

We have created a very informative 26-page cabin and Berkeley Springs PDF guide only available to guests for these cabins. The guide contains anything you need to know in terms of dining, spas, shopping, day trips, recreations (hiking, biking, horse riding, tennis, basketball, lake beach, paddle boats, etc), sample itinerary and much more. There are also other guides and brochures available at the cabins.

You are welcome to enter the cabin after 4:00 p.m. on your arrival day, and we ask that you check out by 12 p.m. on your last day. Since we often only have four hours to prepare the cabins for the next guests, we kindly ask that you adhere to these times. Any late checkouts after 12 p.m. will be asked to immediately depart and will be assessed a fee of $50 per hour.There are times though (especially during the off-peak season) where early check-in/late check-out may be available. Please call/email 2 to 3 days prior to your check-in date so we can confirm that we can accommodate your request. To facilitate check-in, you will be given the lock-box code when we receive your final payment. Each rental is equipped with electronic deadbolt lockbox which facilitates guests to go in and out of the rental property.

Since we use an electronic lockbox, you can check in anytime after 4 p.m without any issues. Though we do recommend to check in during daylight when road signs are easier to see.

We are pet lovers, and we welcome your dogs into our home; we allow up to two dogs for Retriever’s Retreat and Jack Russell’s Ridge, Unfortunately, we do not allow cats in any of our properties. There is a one time $25 fee (plus taxes) per pet that will be added to the cost of your reservation. Retriever’s Retreat and Jack Russell’s Ridge have ample yards for dogs to run, and we have tried to ensure that the homes are pet-friendly. Please be mindful that these are our homes. We ask that if your pet is not properly house-trained, please do not bring your pet to our home. Guests will be charged for any damages caused by their pets. Pet owners must clean up after their pets, both indoors and outdoors. We do provide some dog toys, but we ask that you clean these if your pet uses them. We also have some pet bedding at each cabin. Please do not allow your pet to use the bedding intended for humans. Please do not allow your pets on the furniture. Please report any pet damages or problems. You will be charged an additional cleaning fee if you fail to clean up after your pet.

The cabins are kid friendly. However, we do not plug up the electrical receptacles. If you have a young child, you can bring and add the electrical caps. However, if caps are added to electrical receptacles, please remove them before you check out.

While we understand that emergencies happen, we are not available to provide refunds for early departures.

We understand that your plans may change; however, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible so that we can open our cabins for other guests. Our cancellation policy is as follows: o A 25 percent cancellation fee of the full rental rate will be charged for all cancellations made from the date of booking until four weeks before your check-in date. o A 50 percent cancellation fee of the full rental rate will be charged for all cancellations made between five to 28 days before your check-in date. o Any cancellations made less than five days before the check-in date will be charged the full rental rate. o We cannot offer refunds or discounts for early departures.

In certain situations, we offer our guests the ability to transfer a reservation once. This service is offered for reservations that are rescheduled four weeks or more prior to check-in.

We do not supply food, beverages, and hygiene products (other than soap). Our cabins will also have a “starter kit” of toilet paper, paper towel, soap, and laundry detergent for your use. We recommend bringing extra toilet paper and/or paper towel if you have an extended stay or several people in your party. All beds have linens and we provide several towels as well. All rental properties have condiments like salt, pepper, sugar and several other seasons. We also started providing shampoo and conditioner. All rentals have modern, stainless-steel/black kitchen appliances (stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher). We provide approximately eight sets of dishes, glasses, and silverware. We also have plenty of pots, pans, bakeware, etc. for your convenience. We have tried our best to supply the cabins with just about everything else that you might need during your stay. If you have any concerns, please contact us before your check-in date, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Retriever’s Retreat and Jack Russell’s Ridge have High Definition Dish Network. Network service with over 100 channels including the local ones. We also have XM available through the satellite service. You may experience limited reception due to weather conditions, and we cannot be held responsible for lack of satellite or cabin service if the weather is the cause.

Retrievers Retreat and Jack Russell’s Ridge currently has free high-speed internet with WiFi. For both cabins, you can either use the computer that is there or bring your own and use the WiFi. The computers at both cabins are using the latest Operating system Windows 10. Previous guests have used their laptops at several free wireless hotspots (coffee shops, etc) in Berkeley Springs. Berkeley Springs downtown has free wireless.

Retriever’s Retreat has Wii (two controllers) with several games and PlayStation 4 (two controllers). Retriever’s Retreat has a Blu-ray player and a game room as well. Jack Russell Ridge has a DVD player, Playstation 4 with several controllers and several PS4 games. All cabins have several Roku boxes with Netflix and Hulu Plus which streams over 10,000 of the latest movies and TV shows. Hulu Plus was upgraded so we now have a Showtime channel. We have an extensive amount of board games and video game consoles with games for both cabins. Playstation 4, Wii games and Blu-Ray movies can be rented through the Redbox at the Dollar Store located at 1005 Valley Road Berkeley Springs, WV 25411.

Both drip coffee and Keurig is available at Jack Russell’s Ridge and Retriever's Retreat. We have a coffee grinder available at the cabins as well.

We provide limited local calling at each of our cabins. If you need to make a long-distance call, please bring a calling card or your cell phone. Please do not use any “10-10” type calling numbers; long-distance charges that occur during your stay will be billed to you.

Both cabins have full size washer and dryer.

Both cabins have baseboard heaters in every room in the house. There are also portable space heater available in the cabin if you need additional heat. For AC units, there are window units in living rooms and bedrooms.

Retriever’s Retreat has a propane grill and fire pit. Jack Russell’s Ridge has a fire pit, propane, and charcoal grill. We don’t provide charcoal so please buy charcoal if you wish to use the grill. The local Food Lion sells charcoal. Propane is provided at both cabins. Should you run out propane during your stay, we usually have a spare on the property. If that is empty please call us and we will gladly provide you with a new tank. Or if you want, the propane can be replaced at the local Food Lion. We will reimburse the cost of the new tank. There are state fire laws regarding the use of the fire pits, and we ask that you respect these laws: (1) Open fires are permitted from 4 pm to dawn. (2) You are required to dampen the area around the fire ring before you begin your fire, and you must remain at the fire at all times. Do not leave the fire unattended at any time. (3) Please ensure that the fire is completely extinguished when done. (4) Please watch children and pets near open fires. (5) Please do not have open fires outside of the fire rings.

Retriever’s Retreat and Jack Russell’s Ridge has an electric fireplace. Retriever's Retreat has a pellet stove but is not available for guest usage. Firewood for the firepit is not provided in either cabin. Firewood logs can be bought at the local Food Lion. Many guests have also used the surrounding backyard to get firewood for the fire pit.

NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED!! A minimum cleaning charge of $500 will be applied if there is evidence of smoking inside or outside the cabin.

Please contact our 1800 number or send us an email with the issue. We have repairmen available to address the situation.

Please contact us during or immediately after your stay about what was broken. At that time we will access the damage and see if it can be repaired at a minimal cost. Or if we have to replace the broken item. Guests will be charged for any damages and replacement for the item.

Please do not move any furniture during your stay. Any damages to floors or walls will be charged accordingly.

Please call as soon or email as soon as you realize that you forgot something. If we find it, we are happy to ship it to you. You will only be charged for the shipping costs. Please note that we are not responsible for any items left in either of our cabins. We urge guests to check the entire cabin before checking out. We do have a lost and found on site but to return items could take time due to various factors.

Most people are able to get reception at our cabins; however, sometimes cell phone reception doesn’t get full bars. Typically, if you are on Route 522 (the main route through Berkeley Springs), you will be able to get service.

This is highly unlikely since both cabins are located on roads that are well maintained during the winter. However, if you feel that you cannot safely leave the cabin, by all means, please put your safety first. Do not attempt to leave the cabin if you cannot safely drive home. Please contact us if you are not able to leave.

ATV are not allowed on the properties.

There are two great websites Berkeley Springs Guide and the Berkeley Springs site.

We created a page which shows the weather for each month and also shows the current weather for the next 7 days. This can be seen in our weather page

I would definitely say it would be Tari cafe. I have been going there for 7 years. During the first few years, the food was ok but something changed the past 2 years. Not sure if it was ownership but the food got dramatically better. I go there for lunch and dinner. Another favorite is Lot 12. It’s a romantic place to eat with top quality food. It's very romantic and I highly recommend to get a reservation.

Not entirely sure since the 7 years that my wife and I have been to Berkeley Springs, we only went to 1 spa. And that was at the Berkeley Springs State Park before the renovation.

Probably would say Cacapon State Park. There are amenities for everyone. Everything from tennis, basketball to golf. You can also do horseback riding which is actually better than most that I have been to. There is also a lake that has a lake beach and where you can rent paddle boats. There is also 17 hiking trail in the 6,000-acre park. I haven’t gone on any hikes but I heard they are pretty good.

We provide all guests at our cabin with a 26 page PDF guide before they check in. This is an “insider’s guide” to where to shop, favorite restaurants, places to go to, half day trip, full day trip and “not to be missed” events and activities.

We sold the rental property in May 2013. We wanted to focus our attention on Jack Russell’s Ridge and Retriever’s Retreat.

Two reasons. Price and the people. The price for a vacation rental property in Berkeley Springs, WV compared to other places is much cheaper. I remember when I first went to Berkeley Springs 7 years ago and got a parking ticket. I picked up the parking ticket and the ticket was $10. When the same ticket in D.C. would be $50. So I thought if the cost is that low, let’s see what the prices of the homes are. We found a local realtor, Adam who showed us around while we stayed there a few days. In doing so, got to meet potential neighbors and they were great. Everyone waves to each other.

I will be glad to give you help or answer any questions you have regarding the rental market and the local real estate area.