Historic Writers Lodge w/spa as featured in San Diego Magazine. Walk to town. Reviews, Deals & Photos 2025

Q: Is Historic Writers Lodge w/spa as featured in San Diego Magazine. Walk to town. pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

Q: Where is Historic Writers Lodge w/spa as featured in San Diego Magazine. Walk to town. located?

This family-friendly Idyllwild lodge is located in a rural location, just steps from San Jacinto Mountains and Mount San Jacinto State Park. Idyllwild Nature Center and Idyllwild Park are also within 1 mi (2 km).

10/10 Excellent

Jeannie D.

4 February 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great time

Had a great family vacation

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ron D.

28 October 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mountain Cabin Ambience

Very comfortable, homey location. Will definitely go back again.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brian G.

19 February 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Stay

Ida the property manager was on top of it all. Place is beautiful, will be back. High marks

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ersin S.

8 March 2019

Great host, great house

Excellent cabin, good for 3-4 couples, walking distance to the town center. Will come again for sure.

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

KIRK W.

20 June 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday Retreat with Family

We loved it.

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Mike M.

3 January 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

New Years

Great location. Close to town. Loved the fully stocked kitchen and bar ware. Hot tub was great on the cold days. Ida was very responsive. Would definitely come back

Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Larissa D., Chula Vista

10 July 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Restorative Retreat

Grateful for Ida—she made our retreat at her home feel so restorative. She offered to help find a massage therapist for our group and provided information about the local restaurants, hiking trails etc. We spent the majority of the time in the great room and outside decks and it was lovely. The house is a short 5 min walk to the shopping and restaurants.

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sara V.

11 April 2019

Fantastic getaway.

We enjoyed our stay at the Mystery Lodge. We had four kids and three adults and there was plenty of room for everyone. The bathrooms were well stocked and even included shampoo, conditioner and body wash. The living area was roomy allowing for game nights. The kitchen was great too with plenty of appliances, pots, pans and cookware. We especially loved the large table in whic everyone could eat together.

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rick E.

5 July 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mountain get-away

We were there for our mother's 84th birthday. The home was roomy and well stocked. Ours was a summer visit with hot days. The owner purchased a portable a/c, this was very much appreciated. Upstairs bedrooms were warm, but the outside deck was a wonderful place to visit enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Angela K.

12 April 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nostalgic home away from home!

This was one of the best values I’ve experienced in short term rentals. The cabin has everything you will need for a short or long term rental. Our host was very informative and responsive. Rustic charm and authenticity with a dose of comfort and thoughtful planning (including fresh cut flowers in every room and home made banana bread). I’m confident that if we had a need: she would’ve been able to point us in the right direction if she was unable to solve it herself. It really felt a home away from home. We hope to visit again soon.

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lance H.

25 April 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic getaway at the Mystery Lodge

This was the perfect spot for an Easter weekend getaway with the family in the mountains. The house exceeded our expectations and matched the description quite accurately. The house was very clean, which isn't always the case when you stay at unknown rentals. The space was more than enough for 6 adults. We especially loved the spa, the balcony views, the fireplace and the cool bar. The host, Ida, was very personable and super accommodating. Check-in was seamless.Thank you, Ida, for a wonderful weekend filled with great memories!

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Denise S.

19 March 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Heavenly Get Away

A very roomy place to spread out and relax. Furnished nicely in all the rooms. The kitchen fully equipped for cooking and entertaining. Our group just wanted to relax and not be on a schedule. A nice view of the mountains and surroundings.

10/10 Excellent

Christine V., San Clemente

27 February 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Family Get Away

We all had a great time at the Mystery Lodge. There was plenty of room for our family of 6 adults and 5 kiddos. I have never stayed in a rental house that was stocked so well. I literally felt like I was at home and had access to anything we needed. Ida prepares the house to be very welcoming, including fresh baked banana bread and fresh flowers everywhere AND the little gift certificates to the town candy store, which she left for the kids, were a huge hit! We would stay here again if we return to Idyllwild.

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Marco M.

5 January 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very cozy.

Second time renting this house. Ida is awesome.

10/10 Excellent

Leslie B., Encinitas CA

24 December 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A perfect haven in the mountains

We have returned over and over to this wonderful property because it’s a historical treasure and the owner is stellar! Our memories are amazing! We shall return again absolutely!

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Diane L.

2 October 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday celebration

Had a wonderful time with family and friends celebrating my birthday. Hot tub was so relaxing and the bar area was the bomb! Kitchen was big enough for several people to prepare food at the same time and very well stocked. Beds and linens very comfortable. Views were outstanding as well. Definitely would recommend this property for big group celebrations.

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Trish M.

26 August 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful family getaway!

Our experience here was amazing! It was the perfect spot for two families and kids to getaway for the weekend. The spa was relaxing, the views from the deck beautiful and Ida was quick to respond to any questions I had!

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Sandra W., Mission Viejo, Ca

11 June 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable spacious home.

Very friendly owner. Quick walk to town. Idyllwild has lots of good restaurants.

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly K.

25 February 2019

Our stay was fabulous - Ida is far and away the best host we've ever had!

Will definitely be back when the weather is warmer / less snowy.

Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kelly S.

1 February 2019

Very kind and accommodating

This cabin was one of the most comfortable cabins we’ve ever stayed in in Idyllwild. Ida was very sweet and accommodating to our family and even set us up with a bottle of wine for the adults and gift card to the candy store for the kids. We had fresh orange juice daily and plenty of space to relax together. We would definitely stay here again.

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

linda P.

1 February 2019

Historic Authors' Lodge -The Mystery Lodge Idyllwild-Pine Cove

There were eight little individual loaves of banana bread and a bag of gourmet coffee beans waiting for us when we arrived. The cabin was so spacious, quaint, and rustic. Every surface was spotless including a huge variety of barware in the bar. From Champaign flutes to Moscow Mule copper mugs! The numbers of pots and pans and electrical appliances in the kitchen were more than I’ve ever seen before in a rental. Three kinds of coffee pots, a crock pot, electric kettle, .... even a cast iron skillet... haven’t used one of those in years! And enough dishes, coffee mugs and glassware for an army! The central heating was quiet and efficient. There was plenty of hot water even with six women showering! The water pressure was wonderful. The master bedroom/ bathroom was huge and so comfortable. The outdoor space was also very nice. The views from the deck were beautiful. The hot tub was hot and ready when we arrived. Terry loath robes for all six of us were provided! We saw so many stars come out at night while enjoying the hot tub. The location so close to town was great. There were so many seating options in the living room! We loved padding around in our slippers on the soft carpeting.

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Laura C.

30 January 2019

Great family winter vacation

We stayed at this house with two young kids (ages 3 and 5) and three adults. Some kid friendly aspects of the house were that here were a bunch of board games, lots of children's plates and silverware, and twin beds. It was nice that most of the rooms are on one level so that we didn't have to go up and down stairs a lot. The house is very close to the town of Idyllwild, the Nature Center, and hiking.

10/10 Excellent

Laura S.

3 January 2019

Everything We Needed!

The Mystery Lodge is located in a lovely secluded spot — yet a short walking distance from Idyllwild. The four bedrooms and large living room make it a great place for a large group. Ida, the owner, was wonderful. She responded to all of our questions (whether they were via text or email) within minutes. She also left several treats (including fresh-baked banana bread and wine) and made it easy to enjoy the perks of the home (like the hot tub and the fireplace). We would definitely stay with her again!!

Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

14 December 2018

Lovely Idyllwild

We stayed in the Lodge over the Thanksgiving weekend with three small kids and 4 adults. Here are the pros and cons of our experience: Pros: The living room and the master bedroom are both very spacious. The kitchen is well-equipped and the outdoor hotub is a dream any time of day or evening for lovely relaxation amongst the mountains. The property is a quick walk into town and Ida goes out of her way to communicate with her guests about their arrival and making sure they experience a warm welcome. My kids ate the banana bread she baked every day and the flowers around the house along with the gift certificates for the candy store were very thoughtful touches. The absolute best part of the stay was our in-home massages with Tawny who Ida referred to us. If you have the time and the money to experience Tawny, I HIGHLY recommend it. She is a truly gifted healer with the most amazing energy and intuitive touch. It was one of the best massages of my life with a didgeridoo sound bath surprise at the end! Incredible. Cons: Although two of the bathrooms have been remodeled, the master bathroom has not been and needs a lot of updating. Most notably, the bathtub does not drain unless you are physically holding the drain lever down which gets tiresome after giving your small children baths each night. The master bed mattress is very soft and lumpy so if that's a problem for you I recommend sleeping on one of the twin beds which are firmer. The wifi was constantly going in and out of service in the middle of watching shows or movies. It seemed to be better at night and really unpredictable during the day. And lastly, we did have a mouse run across our friend's toes while he was using the middle restroom downstairs. Despite these minor annoyances, our overall experience was very positive. Ida is a very clear communicator and takes a lot of pride in sharing her family home with her guests.

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ben S., Santa Monica

4 December 2018

The perfect getaway

My friends and I (and our kids) spent a great weekend in the house. Ida is super-responsive and the house had everything we needed. We cooked all of our meals so it was a relief to see such a well stocked house. We had an easy walk into town (1/2 mile or less?) and enjoyed the view, scenery and a cozy great room with a fireplace. We will most certainly be revisiting this home again!

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

Historic Writers Lodge w/spa as featured in San Diego Magazine. Walk to town.

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