The Acorn Guesthouse

Charlotte & Robin were great hosts, and The Acorn felt so cozy and welcoming. It was spotless, and the decor was super cute. I especially loved the basket of little crochet acorns. Had a great time staying here, highly recommended!

The scent in the Acorn guest house made the stay impossible for us, and the way the situation was handled left me feeling misled. My partner has a moderate to serious sensitivity to scented products and perfumes, so I asked the host beforehand about scented products and laundry supplies. They said they try to keep scents to a minimum, use scented laundry detergent but no fabric softener sheets or liquids, and could rinse the linens twice in hot water before we arrived. Based on that, I booked Friday evening through Monday morning for our weekend. My wife reacted as soon as we entered. My sense of smell is weak, but even I could smell a heavy amount of scented product. We put our bags back in the car, and I looked around inside. There was an open container of Tide pods near the laundry and the garbage bags were Febreze-scented. I also noticed what seemed to be scented cleaners or air fresheners, though we didn’t stay long. I used to work as a professional cleaner, so I tend to notice details. There was some dust in corners and on surfaces between knickknacks. Most people might consider the place quite clean, but my partner and I have high standards and are trained to notice those things. I didn’t confront the host right then because there wasn’t a quick fix. The scent had likely soaked into the upholstery, linens, and other porous surfaces. From my cleaning experience, getting it out would take extensive work, including steam cleaning the upholstery, carpets, and linens. I left with my partner and drove to Nelson to find dinner. People without a scent or perfume sensitivity would probably enjoy the space. It’s cozy and nice, with all the amenities you could want for a getaway. Around 6:30 pm in Nelson, I messaged the hosts to explain the strong scent, say we wouldn’t be staying, and mention the dust. We had booked through airbnb, and the message thread showed they read it shortly after, but they didn’t reply. A couple of hours later, I asked whether they’d consider refunding Saturday and Sunday nights. No answer. We found another place for the weekend and carried on with our holiday. Early Saturday afternoon, I messaged again. I said that if they wouldn’t reply, I assumed they weren’t considering a refund, and that I wouldn’t cancel the reservation so I could write a thorough review. I sent another message later, appealing to their compassion: it was our 20th anniversary weekend, and we hadn’t planned or budgeted to pay for accommodations twice. They read the messages and still didn’t respond. By mid-afternoon Saturday, I contacted airbnb support because I couldn’t get any communication from the host to try to resolve things. The support agent asked for photos. I explained I hadn’t taken any and couldn’t photograph a smell. The agent said they would contact the host. Maybe an hour or two later, the host messaged me through airbnb. They said they didn’t agree to a refund and had no idea what we were smelling. They also said they had removed all air fresheners, which suggested there had been more than one in the space and they hadn’t told us about them. We’re out almost $500, and I feel very misled. They also warned me against “making any false or derogatory comments in your review,” saying they would post a very factual review of me and a public reply to my comments. How very cordial and welcoming.

The hosts were super nice, and it felt like a real home with everything you need. It’s a good place for a short or long stay, and I’d definitely visit again. Handy if you’re planning to go to ainsworth hot springs, visit Kokanee Glacier, or see everything around there.

We loved our stay and would definitely come back. The kitchen was well stocked, and there was a BBQ for cooking. Everything was very clean, comfortable, and up to date, and the owners were very nice.