Frequently Asked Questions – Vacation Cabins – Helen GA

Of course, you can always call our office at 706.754.2533 or 888.906.4334 with any questions any time, and we’ll respond in a timely manner, or email us at  [email protected]. Below is a list of frequently asked questions we have received from our guests about our cabins in Helen GA.

Where are your cabins located? 
Helen is approximately 1.5 hours from the city of Atlanta. Our mountain and golf resort vacation cabin rentals are located in or around the Alpine Helen, GA area.Atlanta and easily accessible from the two major highways that head north through Atlanta (I-85 and GA 400).  Several properties reside within a gated resort offering reduced golf packages and a variety of amenities guests can use.  Most of our cabins are easily accessible from the main roads, and many offer spectacular mountain views.

What is your cancelation policy?
Cancellations 30 days before arrival receive a full refund less $50 transaction fee for 1–3-bedroom cabins, and $100 for 4–6-bedroom cabins. Cancellations 30 days or less from your arrival date are responsible for full amount of rental fees. We highly recommend protecting your trip by purchasing CSA Travel Insurance during these uncertain times — particularly if you have any concerns about cancellation.  If you choose to decline travel insurance, and an unforeseen circumstance arises, Pinnacle cannot assist you with rescheduling/refunding your trip, etc.

Are the cabins easy to get to? 
Some cabins are located on gravel or forestry roads, so please check with our office should this be a concern with your vehicle.  Most of our vacation cabins are accessed from public roads or paved mountain roads, all of which are accessible year round (with the exception of the occasional snow storms during the winter months).

How old do you have to be to rent a cabin?
25 years old with a major credit card in your name for our smaller cabins.  Our larger or luxury cabins must be responsible adults over 30 years old. 

I’m local, can I rent a cabin?
Any resident within 30-45 minutes of the properties requires approval of the homeowner.  This is for several reasons, including past experience.  We realize there are sometimes extenuating circumstances that require a vacation so close to home.  For small cabins, a romantic getaway, etc. typically is not an issue.  However, our larger properties, in particular, require additional information and approval from the homeowner. 

What are your rental policies?
Please refer to our Terms of Use provided as you go through the reservation process.  You can read all terms and conditions prior to accepting them, and continuing with your reservation. 

Do you have any cabins that sleep more than 10 people?
Not all have separate private bedrooms but may have futon sleepers or sofa beds that allow for the additional sleeping capacity.  Yes, we do have properties that will sleep 10 or more guests.

How much are your cabins? Do you have any other fees or charges?
Price depends on many variable factors. Nightly rents is based on the cabin size, location, number of guests, and the season.  All charges are clearly itemized when you reserve your cabin online.   Our fixed charges consist of the rental fee for the property, lodging tax (as mandated by the county and state), a cleaning fee which includes a complete cleaning of the cabin as well as the hot tub, and a service fee which supports our platform, provides a save and secure booking experience, and 24/7 customer support throughout your stay.  

Are there any hidden or unnecessary charges? What other fees can I expect?

Of course you can always call us if you have specific questions.   All other charges are optional based on your wants or needs such as a pet fee for when you bring pets, firewood, additional supplies, etc.  No, we clearly list each charge required for each cabin when going through the booking process.Do you charge more if we have more than 4 guests in a cabin?
No.  Each cabin has a price established with a maximum number of guests.  There may be special situations where additional guests are allowed over the maximum, and those would be subject to an additional charge of $25 per person/per day. 

What furnishings are included in the cabin?
 Please bring additional supplies of products you need for stays over 2 days.  and include the following unless specifically stated otherwise: Fully equipped kitchen with oven, stove, refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee pot, dish and flatware, full complement of cooking pots and utensils, towels and linens for each bed and bath, dressers or closets for storing your clothing, central heating and air, gas or wood burning fireplaces or faux fireplace, cable or satellite TV, telephones with local service and patio furniture. Cabins are stocked with start-up supply of paper towels, toilet paper, dish/dishwasher detergents, and garbage bags. All our mountain cabin rentals are fully furnished

What should we bring that’s not in the cabin?
We also provide a local information sheet that includes info on restaurants, grocery, local houses of worship, etc.   There are local grocery and drug stores in the area where these items are available.   We provide 1 set of towels per person.  Please bring extra towels with you if you require more.  Cabins are outfitted with kitchen cookware, but please bring any specialty cookware items that you might require during your stay. Our recommendation is to bring any personal or preferential items not listed above that you think you would like to have while on vacation such as hair blower, personal items, etc.

Where are the nearest grocery stores? Should we buy all our groceries before we check in?
If you are staying in and around the Helen area, Betty’s Country Store is right in the  Depending on which mountain vacation home you rent, you have a few options. village of Alpine Helen and has excellent pre-made foods, fresh meats and produce, and is basically a mini-grocery store.  There is also an Ingles in Cleveland at the intersection of GA Hwy 129 and GA Hwy 75 (also known as the Helen Highway).  We recommend buying groceries on your way to the cabin so you can settle in and get the most out of your vacation time.

What if we need to make a change to our reservation?
Changes can be made up to 30 days before arrival and are subject to a $50 change fee. No changes can be made 30 days or under before arrival.  This includes cabin, date moves, etc. 

Do you have any pet friendly cabins?
Yes, we do have pet friendly cabins. On the Accommodations listing page, look for the label, “Pets: Yes” .  Bringing pets into a non pet friendly cabin is a serious offense as many guests have severe allergies.  If you plan to bring your pet, make sure you reserve a cabin that is clearly listed as Pet Friendly.

Do you charge extra for pets?
Yes, we charge a $100 pet fee (dogs only please – maximum of 2 under 25 lbs) so we can thoroughly clean the extra amount needed to ensure the house, furniture and property is fresh and clean for the next guests, who may be allergic to animal dander.  No aggressive breeds are allowed. 

Are fireplaces available year-round?
No, interior fireplaces are operational from October through April, based on temperatures.  Pilot lights are turned off typically first of May as temperatures dictate.  Rule of thumb – if A/C is required to keep your cabin comfortable, fireplaces will not be operational.

Do you have cribs?
We don’t have cribs, but we do have Pak n Plays available for rental during your stay for an additional charge. Please inquire with the reservations office for details.

Are there wild animals around there?
Yes. Here in the mountains and protected natural forest, it is very common to see wild deer, turkey, and even a bear occasionally. One way to think about the environment of our mountain cabin rentals is that you are basically going camping in the mountains but staying in a beautiful vacation home. Some vacation cabins are more secluded than others and hence you may see more wildlife than others. For your safety, we highly recommend NOT attempting to interact with the animals but instead, enjoy watching their natural character in their natural environments.

Do all your cabins have hot tubs and wireless internet?
Those cabins that do have WiFi are clearly labeled. Check the amenities on the specific property page for details.  You can always call or email us and ask us which ones do as well.  However, some owners prefer to disconnect when at their cabins. Most of our cabins have hot tubs and  wireless internet.

I heard the counties in the mountains are dry and don’t serve alcohol.  Can we buy alcohol near you?
Yes! Although White County has been a dry county, they recently passed legislation that convenience stores located outside the city limits of Cleveland are allowed to sell beer and wine.  However, the village of Alpine Helen is not bound by those restrictions and you can purchase alcohol at one of three package stores in the Village any day except Sundays.   Restaurants within the city limits of Helen are also allowed to serve alcohol. 

What is there to do around the cabins?
Everything…nothing….it depends on what you like to do. There are an abundance of outdoor activities available in the mountains from mountain biking to hiking to rafting to stream and lake fishing.  Memorial Day 2019 kicks off the opening of the Georgia Mountain Coaster, the only Alpine Coaster in the state and right in the heart of Alpine Helen. 

We also have several award winning wineries and vineyards open year round.  This area recently received the designation of The Dahlonega Plateau, which allows winemakers and consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to the wine’s geographic origin.

The surrounding mountain towns offer shopping, agri-tourism, festivals and dining and then there’s always the preferred mountain getaway activity of kicking back in the cabin while gazing out over the mountain view, yawning deeply and slumbering into a deep and peaceful nap. Visit our Local Area Guide for more information about things to do in our area.

What time can we check-in/out? Why is check-in/out so late/early? Can we have a late check-out/early check-in?
Check-in time is 4pm and Check-out time is 11am. We require at least 4 hours between check-outs and check-ins in order to properly clean and prepare our mountain vacation homes for the next guest arrival. Therefore, we start our cleaning at 11am which gives the departing guests enough time to leave and our housekeeping team enough time to finish by 4pm.   

You can reserve an early check-in or late check-out as long as there are no departing/arriving guests at your cabin the same day.   The fee for early check-in is $45, and the same for late check-out.  Any unauthorized early arrivals or late departures* will result in a fee of $100.  

*Should we have guests arriving same day as an unauthorized late departure, the fee could be equivalent to a night’s stay.  Our schedules are based on arrival time of 4p and it is very disruptive to crews when guests arrive early unannounced or depart late.  If you have reserved an early check-in or late check-out, below are the times for that option:

Early check-in:  2:00pm
Late check-out: 1:00pm

What if we are going to arrive after your office hours? How do we check in?
Pinnacle is always available after-hours should you need any assistance.   A week prior to your arrival you will receive the driving directions to your cabin along with the code for the lock box.  We are set up to where you drive directly to the vacation cabin using the detailed directions we email you. There is a lock box at each of our properties that contain the key to the front door.

I want to use my GPS to drive to the cabin. Can you send me the address of the rental cabin?
Always use the driving directions provided by Pinnacle.   Being in unfamiliar surroundings in the countryside is not how you want to start out your vacation. Some roads are relatively new and don’t exist on GPS software yet. Use our detailed turn by turn directions that we email to you to navigate to your cabin.   Accuracy is based on the GPS service used and may not be reliable. We strongly recommend not using GPS to find your cabin.

What happens if we have an emergency or a serious situation after hours like the power goes out or the hot tub isn’t heating correctly?
For questions relating to any malfunctions or issues with the cabin, you can reach Pinnacle at any time by calling our office. Obviously there will be times when we cannot fix the issue – such as a power outages or third party providers (Satellite TV, Internet, etc). However, we always strive to correct whatever issues arise during your stay.  For life threatening emergencies, always dial 911 first.

I accidentally left something behind at the cabin and I’m too far away to turn back and get it? Will you go get it and ship it back to me?
We will be happy to ship any of your left behind personal items for the cost of the packaging and shipping plus a $25 processing fee.

I want to book a cabin but I have to check with my friends or family to see what dates everyone wants to come so can you hold it for me until I confirm dates?
We can’t block the calendar for any of our mountain cabin rentals until the down payment has been received (same as airlines don’t give up seats until they’ve been paid for). We recommend determining your dates prior to checking on cabin availability.   Remember you can always cancel your reservation no later than 30 days prior to your arrival date for a cancelation fee based on cabin size. 

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