Turning a Catskills Getaway into a Tiny House Adventure
Earlier this month I had the good fortune to be able to talk to Pete Davis, cofounder of Getaway House. Getaway House is the brainchild of Pete and Jon Staff, who (like many of us) were fascinated by tiny houses. Pete and Jon took that fascination and turned it into a thriving business in the Catskills and outside of Boston, building tiny houses for rent in the middle of the woods and within easy reach of these urban areas.
A peek outside a tiny house window (Photo Credit: Jennifer Young)
Your Tiny House Adventure Awaits You at Getaway House
Getaway House takes your urgent need to get away from it all and combines it with your tiny house obsession to create an adventurous escape from reality. How do they do it? By not telling you where you are going until 24 hours before your reservation starts! They offer a number tiny houses within 2 hours of New York City, each sleeping 2-4 people. You book your house and shortly before your scheduled arrival they’ll send you directions to your tiny house’s location.
Pete said this was deliberate because, as a type A’s himself, he knows from personal experience the irresistible urge to obsess over planning, scheduling and researching all aspects of a vacation during the days and hours leading up to it. And this obsession ultimately ends up being stressful, not something that is conducive to an “escape”. By deliberately not telling people where their tiny house is until the last minute they not only eliminate the stress leading up to it but they also add in a much-needed sense of adventure!
Once you arrive at your chosen tiny house you are given a private access code to enter as well as a box to drop your electronic devices in, after that you are on your own.
This tiny house in the woods is waiting for you… (Photo Credit: Dylan Engels)
The Big Idea, Inspiration and Evolution
The history of Getaway House started out with a love of tiny houses and the endless opportunities they offer. Originally conceived as an “out of the box” business where you could stay or even work in a box Pete and Jon quickly narrowed down on the idea of escape and named the venture Getaway House. Surrounded by a team of builders and decorators, family and friends, they launched their first tiny house outside of Boston in 2015. That house quickly booked up as did the second and third houses they added and, within six months, they were expanding to the Catskills in New York State.
Pete and Jon plan on fending off competitors by keeping true to their values of providing an escape to their customers – a lovely stay in the woods in a beautifully designed tiny house. Competitors try and replicate what they do but, ultimately, the experience they provide will always be completely unique and owned by Getaway House, and everyone can peacefully coexist.
This tiny house kitchen is bigger then yours, isn’t it? (Photo Credit: Roderick Aichinger)
Turn Off HGTV and Experience a Tiny House for Yourself
So You’re Thinking of Starting Your Own Tiny Business?
OK probably not a tiny house business, but a business in the Catskills. Pete’s advice to you is to keep it simple, pick one thing and just start doing it. Once you start the momentum builds and things will fall into place. But the most important (and maybe hardest) thing is to start doing.
And perhaps you can find the inspiration you’re looking for with a weekend in a tiny house in the Catskills! You shouldn’t need any activities to fill your time but if you can’t help yourself be sure to check out our Catskills Summertime Farmers’ Market Guide and pick up some fresh local produce to cook over a campfire or in your tiny house.
Thinking of starting your own business in the Catskills? Let’s make it happen! (Photo credit: Sarah Ruehlow)
Tell us what you think!
Please comment below and let us know if you’ve been to Getaway House or if you’re going to check it out! And find all of Brooklyn to the Catskills‘ destination guides in the Life section of our website, we’d love to hear what you think about those too!
