Artists Loft Bed and DIY Breakfast - Julian, California

Jonny P

Out of all the places in the world we have stayed this has to be one of our favourites for its shear peace and tranquility and the care and attention put in to it by Chuck and Nan.||||We spent two wonderful nights in March in Strawberry Hill Cabin. We were greeted on arrival by Nan who showed us where everything was and told us all we needed to know about the area. The cabin is beautifully thought out down to the finest detail and felt instantly homely. It was a joy to escape television and wifi and actually get back to enjoying each others company of an evening. Sitting on the sofa, with a glass of wine, in front of the log burner, was a wonderful way to spend our evenings.||||The kitchen is well equipped and all the essential condiments were provided. ||||The location is beautiful. The views from the deck, across the mountains were stunning. There isn't a huge amount in Julian but it is a charming place with a well stocked store and some delicious apple pie. It is also a very easy drive to Anza Borrego which was the primary reason for our visit.||||I really can't stress enough how much we loved it here. Chuck and Nan were great hosts, the cabin was perfect and spotlessly clean and the location was great. If you want a break from the stresses of everyday life and an escape from the constant bombardment of technology this is definitely the place for you. ||||My only complaint is that we only booked to stay here for 2 nights!

Adrian V

My wife, 12-year-old child and I spent a wonderful weekend at the Artists’ Loft Cabin in Julian. The cabin is spacious yet cozy. Full of all those small details that make such a big difference down to the two pairs of binoculars to help you enjoy bird-watching. Wooden floor, cozy furniture, wood-oven and astounding views. The couple that owns the cabin is fabulous! Caring and warm. They make you feel welcomed. Highly recommend.

wzounes

If you need to get away from everyday stress and become a happy positive person again then this is the place to go. The "New" Artist Loft is an incredible experience from the moment you walk in to the time you leave. Nestled in Pine Hills and surrounded by a mix of pine trees, oaks, and other chaparral vegetation the cottage is great place to escape for the weekend or week. Designed and rebuilt with excellent craftsmanship and furnished with antiques to modern amenities, the cottage is warm and inviting. I can write an entire book describing the décor, but take my word it’s amazing. The cottage has a huge porch with views of Mt. Cuyamaca and other mountains to the west and chairs to just sit and think of nothing . Or you can site by the wood burning stove and enjoy a fire inside. Very spacious living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom. Bathroom has jet bathtub. Great hiking trails three miles away at William Heist County park and the town of Julian just four miles away. The cottage is exceptionally clean and the host, Chuck and Nan are very friendly and very willing to answer question and attend to your needs. We will be coming back here for years.||Will and Arwa

Mike Herbst

My wife and I have stayed with Chuck and Nan on multiple occasions. The various cabin offerings at the Artist's Loft are simple, wonderful retreats for a weekend or extended stay.

Everything about the experience helps you focus on your time and the people you're with. No TVs, no dining hall or restaurant. Prepare a simple meal in the quaint but capable kitchen, read a book or play a game. Have a good long sit on the porch and cap it with a sunset.

Our favorite is the one-room "Cabin at Strawberry Hill", but the Big Cat cabin is also wonderful. I'll stay there again the next time I'm feeling the need to do a good bit of writing, the view from the desk is superb.

Suzanne Bradshaw

Incredibly beautifully decorated inside and the view couldn't get any better. Views of Layer upon layer of hills and mountains with sunset beyond from the large covered screened in porch . Above and beyond any expectation. So tranquil so peaceful. The sound of birds and the sight of deer. Could not even begin to change anything about artists loft. Cannot wait to return.

J G

A complaint has been filed with the US Department of Justice as Nan has openly discriminated against my husband for having to have a hearing service dog and used wildlife specifically deer around the cabin as an excuse to charge us a lot more to stay in the larger “pet friendly” artist loft instead of the smaller 2 person cozy cabin at Strawberry Hill we requested. It’s against the ADA requirements- Q. Can hotels assign designated rooms for guests with service animals?||A. No. A guest with a disability who uses a service animal must be provided the same opportunity to reserve any available room as other guests without disabilities. They may not be restricted to "pet-friendly" rooms.||As for her flimsy excuse about the wildlife even though I assured her we follow the service dog rules of bathing her before trips and keeping her on a close leash. She never has barked EVER. We have never heard her voice! She was trained to not chase or even look at other animals, she turns away. She is a well trained service dog from two well known legitimate organizations and is licensed. Even though by law we don’t have to show her I offered to show Nan the CA service dog license and her training paperwork and card my husband carries showing who trained her and that she is allowed in ambulances and hospitals too. I explained all the tasks that she does to help my husband with his hearing loss and explained why we wouldn’t allow her to ever be close to wildlife for her safety too. All in all Nan went on and on about how she had to close off the cabins before and after the dates because of covid and aerosols and the cost of insurance, the cost of doing business so it appears as if she used the excuse of wildlife and bad past experiences with people lying about pets being service animals to make us pay more by booking the larger pet friendly cabin. I kept saying my husband’s service dog is not a pet and she wouldn’t listen. 27 minutes on the phone I listened to her discriminate against my husband before asking one more time if since she was insisting we stay in the large pet cabin with the 3 beds we don’t need could she at least just charge us the cost of the strawberry cabin since we aren’t supposed to penalized with increased charges because of my husband’s disability and she said No. So I finally said well I’m going to report you and hung up. I did double check just in case there was a change in the last few weeks but there wasn’t. I called the CA state park in Julian and spoke with the ranger which is the same wildlife, same forest as Nans property and they assured me that service dogs are still allowed in cabins there AND even on trails. He assured me that my husband’s service dog would not interfere with the deer under her cabin at all!!! That the people staying in the cabins and even her 6 cats roaming the property could interfere more. Her excuse was a flimsy way to try to extort more money out of us. Maybe someone who was trying to pass a pet off as a service dog would have been fine with this since she does have no pets on her listings BUT a legitimate well trained service dog is NOT a pet and we know the law and we are proud of the amazing job the dog does that is potentially life saving. It’s sad we are missing out what appears to be a cute cabin but I’m glad we aren’t monetarily supporting disabled discrimination.

Kris P

Big Cat exceeded all of our expectations, from Chuck and Nan's wonderful hospitality, to the amazing views and rustic, yet very comfortable amenities. We were completely in awe of the woodwork and personality this cabin has. It has been a truly magical experience and we plan to return very soon.

Kay Declined

I adore Nan & Chuck’s cabins. They are close to perfection. Frankly, i can’t think of a single thing that would improve them. After many years, my husband was finally able to accompany me. He loved it too - and he’s a “tough customer”