Our family of 6 (husband, wife, daughters aged 9 & 12, plus 2 senior pups) had a magical weekend here 7/2-7/5/21)! The service was exceptional with Heather on site, the views were breathtaking, and the outings we chose made for great memories.
Pros:
Service: The staff lives on site and strive for perfection as much as the owners (Seth & Tori Bolt) do. We needed fresh towels; we got them in no time. We forgot skewers for s'mores; boom, they had wooden ones to give on site. We needed fans for the daytime in the dome; they gave us two. I especially loved the tour on the first day we arrived. So many hidden spots we wouldn't have found if it wasn't for Heather pointing them out! Truly 5 service without a doubt.
Amenities: I give this 5 ; my husband doesn't. Only due to details though. The details were incredible in my opinion. They thought of everything you may need. A black make-up towel, a mini fridge that fit all the food we needed for the weekend, toiletries, etc. Too many to list, but trust me that the owners and world put their hearts and souls into perfecting the details of what you may need.
The view: Breathtaking. Truly. Chose to get up at 5:30 each morning because I couldn't possibly stay there without watching the sunrise over the mountains. Plenty of spots on the property to catch a gorgeous glimpse. We stayed in unit 4, so we had to walk east towards the higher numbered units to get the best views, but no worries as all but the domes where people stayed was accessible.
The property: Wow. This site was made for Bolt Farm Treehouse. Their domes fit perfectly on the land, and the treehouses that bookend the domes were exactly where they needed to be. We walked out pups up and down the driveway each day, and we explored the crevices on site and found 1 of the 2 waterfalls! Pairs of chairs placed around the site were a fantastic touch, and the "coffee table" made of rock was great for me to enjoy the view and my morning tea.
Cons:
Coffee setup: My husband's complaint. They provide coffee beans, a vintage crank grinder, and a French press. Essentially, bring your own coffee grounds or coffee pot as these provided items together didn't make great coffee. Beans provided wouldn't grind fine with crank grinder so coffee wasn't strong. Simple fix really.
Drive up the mountain: Rough road starting between the church/graveyard: going forward will definitely need repairs with all the traveling of Bolt Farm guests. Surprisingly, only once was another car coming in as we were leaving, so that was a moment of distress as the road is super skinny.
Greenhouse effect on the domes: Domes are hotter than outside in the middle of the day/when the sun is overhead. Outside was about 86* but wind and finding shady spots helped. Inside, we worried we'd get heat stroke staying in the front part that was uncovered. We had to avoid staying in during that time to avoid heat stroke as even 60* a/c wouldn't cool the front area off (about 11am to 4pm). Have no fear though as Bolt Farm is already working with a shading company to fix this. Again, their service and strive for perfection is impeccable.
Outdoor Shower: Curtains do not close for full privacy, and sometimes the wind blows and takes away even the slightest privacy. Our children were not happy about that lol. Maybe extra magnets or ties to close it off completely for those who want to ensure full privacy. We adults absolutely loved the outdoor shower otherwise! Such a beautiful experience! And like my husband said, showering outside is a risk in itself, so adults probably wouldn't care, but my 12 y/o daughter sure did!
Privacy in Luxe Dome: If our kids had been younger, no big deal. Our 12 y/o was pretty upset about no bathroom door and would essentially kick us all out of the dome to use the bathroom. Whatever, didn't bother me either way lol
To be clear, the pros far outweigh the cons. And I have no doubt, Bolt Farm will do everything to address these minor cons ASAP. We stayed less than a month after their first guests so had the privilege of being among the first few to experience the splendor that is Bolt Farm.
Overall, this was a bucket list destination for me, and I am absolutely determined to return. My complaining kids can stay home. My husband and I want the honeymoon treehouse experience next time. Besides, it has the best views of the sunrise. Or an adult friends & family treehouse stay would be a blast! That would put us closest to the waterfall we found on site!
So do yourself a favor, and at least put this on your bucket list. They open bookings throughout the year that tend to sell out quickly. Sign up for the emails, join the Facebook groups, follow them on Instagram, stay in the know. We got a sweet Black Friday deal, so I'm hoping for that again for our next trip. It's not a cheap stay, but I promise you it is worth it. Takes glamping to a whole new level. ;-) read more