Today we’d like to introduce you to Rocky & Gianni
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Originally from San Diego, California, my husband, Gianni, and I (Rocky) slowly migrated up the coast through San Luis Obispo and San Francisco before making the leap to Salt Lake City, Utah. We have always been outdoor lovers, but after a decade in the startup world (as part of an outdoor company no less), we had forgotten how to relax and we were in desperate search of a new city that could integrate the wilderness into our everyday life. After a few years in the heart of downtown, we struck gold and moved our family of critters into a remote haven among the aspens at 8,000 feet outside of Park City. We now live in and work from our Chalet with The Treehouse Utah nestled next door and The Hideaway Utah just up the lane. We cherish our solitude and love being surrounded by Mother Nature.
We started this tiny cabin hosting business, The Forgotten Cabins, from nothing more than a shared childhood dream of sleeping in a tree fort when we introduced The Treehouse Utah to the world, followed a couple of years later by The Hideaway Utah. We are honored to host hundreds of guests every year and can’t wait to have you experience the same quietness and beauty when you visit our home. Located just 20 minutes outside of Park City, we believe in the magic of our mountain to create beautiful memories for you and your loved ones. Whether you visit during our gorgeous green summers to escape the heat of the valley or runaway to a winter wonderland that feels like the inside of a snow globe, this oasis will be an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
The Treehouse is our original OG rental. This beautiful, one-of-a-kind oasis really is embraced by an evergreen! The tree is 100% living; it is estimated to be a 200-year old fir and it has happily resided inside The Treehouse build since it was originally built. The Treehouse boasts a gorgeous lofted bedroom with skylight and 270-degree windows with views of the Uinta mountains. It was Airbnb’s Most Wish Listed Stay for the entire state of Utah, making us one of Park City’s most unique and comfortable accommodations.
The Hideaway was hand-built in 1976 and just this past year, we became stewards of this beautiful two-acre property to share the same unforgettable experience with our guests. We took on an intense 3-month renovation project modernizing the frame for year-round use and modernizing the structure top to bottom. Our renovations focused on modernizing the structure from top to bottom.
In addition to the essentials, like full wrap-around we added a ton of fun additions in like the fully redesigned loft (like a fully suspended hammock floor, floor-to-ceiling glass wall, and powder room), downstairs bathroom, and full wrap-around kitchen. The Hideaway Utah was ultimately designed as a cozy and organic space to provide a secluded experience with Mother Nature and the views are also nothing short of spectacular.
We can’t wait to host you at The Forgotten Cabins!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We have the most amazing guests and we love sharing our mountain life with them… but mountain life isn’t always as easy as it looks! We do our best to keep the journey 100% magical for guests by being on top of so many things behind the scenes. Our primary job is to make everything look effortless, but in reality, it’s a ton of work.
We’re situated at 8,000 feet and our area receives over 450″ of snow a year with about 8 months of winter. This type of lifestyle is beautiful, but living at such a high altitude and being so remote requires significant winter preparation and maintenance. We spend most of our summertime preparing for winter, whether that’s chopping wood, restaining decks, fixing equipment, or otherwise. And when winter actually comes, the mountain always has a way of teaching us new lessons.
Sometimes it’s how to keep a fire burning all the way through the night so that we don’t freeze due to the furnace being out or how to best recover a vehicle stuck in the snow (trust us, we recover a ton of vehicles who didn’t know what they were getting themselves into before visiting). All that said, we wouldn’t have it any other way and the work is worth the effort, but sometimes we do dream about living in a tropical place where all we do is wear sandals and fish.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Forgotten Cabins?
Gianni and I were partners in an outdoor apparel company in San Francisco before moving to Salt Lake City. He handled our company’s operations and I handled marketing. Both of us still work full-time, the hosting business is just our passion project and creative outlet, but we utilize the same balance of skills. Gianni is our resident handyman, ensuring our spaces are always operational, and I take point as the main person to interact with existing guests and find new guests!
We lived in San Francisco when Airbnb first launched and used the platform to travel Europe for a month on our honeymoon. After touring dozens of spaces, we knew what kind of experience we liked and (especially what we) didn’t like. Most of the spaces were reasonably priced and semi-clean, but they lacked that wow factor you get from a 5-star hotel, especially for a special occasion. So we took that to heart when we designed our spaces and made sure to prioritize personalization, affordable luxury, and cleanliness. We take note of ALL our guests’ names and why they visit and use that information to curate a unique experience with special touches that speak specifically to them. Our goal at The Forgotten Cabins is to make every stay memorable.
We know that we achieve this because every guest always comments on how we go above and beyond and our guestbook speaks volumes to the impact we make. Knowing that we’ve delivered an unforgettable experience is our favorite part of hosting!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Sleeping in a treehouse… which is why we value what we offer to guests now so much. We built these spaces to have an intimate experience WITH Mother Nature and we appreciate every moment that she reveals herself to our guests.
The reaction of their faces, lit with excitement when they see our resident Moose, Marvin, or the grandness of The Treehouse’s 200-year-old fir… those are the reasons why we host. The Hideaway has now given us the opportunity to let families stay with us and introduce their kiddos to the magic our mountain offers.
We love our guests and we love our home and have them meet one another is the ultimate reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theforgottencabins.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforgottencabins/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/theforgottencabins
- Other: hello@theforgottencabins.com
