Table of Contents
- What’s a Postcard Cabin?
- Brief History
- Locations
- What Is In A Cabin
- What To Expect, and What To Bring
- What Not To Bring
- Approximate Price
- Important Notes
- Conclusion
What’s a “Postcard Cabin?”
“Postcard Cabins” is a collection of “tiny house” outposts designed for people who want to disconnect from city life without the logistics of traditional camping (i.e. – “Glamping”). The cabins are minimalist, climate-controlled, and usually situated on private, wooded lots. The core concept is “unplugging”: every cabin comes with a dedicated lockbox for your cell phone to encourage you to ignore your notifications for a few days. If this sounds like fun to you, you’ll probably love it.
Brief History
The company launched in 2015 as “Getaway,” founded by Jon Staff and Pete Davis at Harvard’s Innovation Lab. The brand gained significant attention after an appearance on Shark Tank in 2017. Though they (smartly) walked away from the show without a deal, the company expanded rapidly across the U.S. In October 2024, the brand changed its name to Postcard Cabins to reflect a more “picture-perfect” restorative focus.
Locations
There are currently 29 outposts across the country, all strategically located within a two-hour drive of major metropolitan areas like Dallas, Austin, New York, and Chicago. In late 2024, Marriott acquired the brand. As of 2025, Postcard Cabins is part of the Marriott Bonvoy “Outdoor Collection.” This means you can book stays through the Marriott app and use or earn Bonvoy points for your trips.
What Is In A Cabin
The cabins are small but efficient. Inside, you will find:
- A queen bed (or queen bunks), fresh linens, and pillows.
- A Kitchenette: A two-burner stovetop, mini-fridge, sink, and basic cookware (pot, pan, plates, bowls, and silver).
- A nifty AM / FM / Bluetooth Speaker radio is in the kitchen (and adds a nice touch)
- A private bathroom with a hot shower, towels, and biodegradable soap and shampoo.
- Note: You only have a few minutes of water–it’s best to take a “Navy” shower. (Water on to rinse, water off, soap up, water on to rinse, water off.)
- Outside, you’ll have a private fire pit with a grill grate and a poker, a picnic table, and Adirondack chairs.
Some provisions are also included. I think all stays include a mandatory “Destination Fee”, which includes these consumables. Included are 3 bundles of firewood, 3 fire starters, a s’mores kit to make 2 s’mores (which uses dutch stroopwaffels instead of graham crackers, interestingly), some pour-over coffee, tea, a “Kind” granola bar (or similar), and bottled water.
What to Expect, and What To Bring
You will get a text message early in the morning (around 9:30 AM in my experience) the day of your check in. This text will include a link to download the outpost map (like this one, for Postcard Cabins Piney Woods) and will let you know check in time (usually 4 PM).
Then, sometime before 4 PM, you’ll get another text informing you of which cabin is yours, including the unlock code for the cabin. There are no room numbers–instead, all of the cabins on the property are named after relatives of people who worked for Getaway / Postcard Cabins. On my first stay at Postcard Cabins, I did not receive a text message (as I think they changed the two cabins my party was in to be adjacent to one another–much appreciated), so if this happens to you, use the house phone to call the staff to get your cabin assignment(s).
Regarding packing, since the cabins are tiny, space is a premium. Pack light and stick to the essentials:
- Bring ingredients for meals that can be cooked on a two-burner stove or over an open flame.
- Think hot dogs, canned chili (great for frito chili pies), canned beans, etc.
- For those that want to get fancy, think steaks or pre-prepared “hobo packets.” If you have specific plans, consider bringing a cast iron pan for the campfire. (Don’t use the cabin’s pans on the campfire.).
- For breakfast, breakfast sausage, eggs, shredded cheese, and tortillas made some great breakfast tacos. OJ was really great also.
- It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring some butter, but you can live without it.
- I’d recommend bringing a campfire fork of some sort. The Rolla Roasters are good but basic. The Firebuggz roasters are really nice but not cheap (but they’ll last). The fire fishing poles are fun, but be careful with the kids.
- You’ll be walking on dirt or gravel paths between the car and the cabin, so bring some sturdy shoes. Comfortable hiking shoes are ideal.
- Bring a baseball hat, or some kind of hat to keep the sun off your face.
- Bring sunglasses.
- Even in the summer, temperatures in the woods can drop significantly at night. Dressing in layers is probably the best option.
- To entertain yourself, bring a book, a journal, a deck of cards, or whatever else that is relatively “low tech” that will allow you to appreciate your surroundings. I recommend a good camera. Verizon worked for us at Postcard Cabins Piney Woods lear LaRue, TX, but you shouldn’t plan on there being a lot of cell service or any wifi. (Cell phone service is spotty by design.)
- Bring a blanket. They don’t have one in the cabins.
- Consider brining a headlamp. It gets dark in the woods and it’s really handy to have one handy.
- Perhaps most importantly: bring bug spray and sunscreen!
What Not to Bring
What you don’t bring to the cabins is as important as what you do bring:
- Large hard-shell suitcases are difficult to maneuver in and out of the cabins. Oversized ones will take up the entire center of the cabin and will be a nuisance. Even “carry on sized” bags are pushing it and will struggle to fit under the seat in the kitchenette area. Instead, bring a backpack or a small weekend duffel.
- Skip packing the sleeping bags & extra linens. The beds and linens are high quality.
- Don’t book a regular room for 2 people and bring 4 people–even if they’re kids. It’ll be too cramped, and if you’re caught, you’ll probably get fined.
- Don’t bring air friers or slow cookers. The kitchenette’s power and space are not built for them.
- These cabins are about simplicity. Leave the expensive tech and jewelry at home.
Approximate Price
Prices for a cabin fluctuate based on the location and the day of the week. Weeknight stays usually start around $120 to $150, while weekend rates can climb to $300 or more. You should also factor in the mandatory destination fee (typically around $40) and a pet fee if you choose to bring a dog. Also note that I believe there’s two types of cabins: a single queen cabin (which sleeps 2), and a queen bunk-bed cabin (which sleeps 4). If you have 2 adults and 2 kids and you don’t see availability for the bigger cabins, consider getting 2 smaller cabins. (We did this, and we were put together.)
Important Notes
There’s 3 things I’d consider that you have a good feel for before going to Postcard Cabins:
- Have a good idea on how to start a campfire. You’ll be given a firestarter. (This is a small, dense rectangle with a wick coming out of one side made of compressed sawdust and paraffin wax.) You should be able to put the firestarter between two parallel logs (about a dollar bill’s width apart) and then place the third log of the wood bundle across the two, immediately above the starter. Then, use some kindling (ideally pinecones, dry leaves, and small twigs–but don’t snap them off of live trees! Get these items from the ground) to help the firestarter along, placing them around the firestarter but helping the firestarter transfer the flame to the logs.
- Watch for ticks. When going into the cabin (especially after walking the hiking trails of the property or similar), take your shoes off and do a full-body check for ticks.
- Don’t leave your trash outside, even in the closed metal bin that they provide with your cabin. And when you’re leaving / checking out, put the trash under the sink of the cabin.
Conclusion
Postcard Cabins occupies a niche between “real” camping and a standard hotel. You aren’t exactly “roughing it” given the AC and hot showers, but the lack of Wi-Fi and the secluded setting provide a genuine break from the digital grind. It’s a functional, well-designed way to get outdoors without needing a garage full of camping gear.
