In a twist of irony, this became their ultimate refuge.
An anticipated family getaway to the mountains turned sour as their chosen lodge closed unexpectedly due to safety infractions, leaving them utterly stranded without accommodations for the night.
Eager for adventure, Sarah Ruppenthal, her husband, and their two teenage sons set off from the Gateway Inn located in Ashford, Washington, in the predawn hours of August 5, as reported by SFGate. Their aim was to explore the natural beauty surrounding Mount Rainier, a leg in their meticulously planned grand tour of the Pacific Northwest.
Their day, intended for absorbing the grandeur of Washington’s iconic peak—Mount Rainier, which majestically rises 14,410 feet above sea level—took an unexpected downturn. Upon returning to the lodge around one in the afternoon, they were stunned to find it unexpectedly closed, without any prior warning.
Utility workers delivered the unwelcome news: the family had to gather their belongings quickly and vacate, as the power was set to be disconnected imminently.
“We had to hurry and rinse off by phone light and pack up to leave,” said recalled Ruppenthal, whose family thankfully found a last-minute room at the nearby Nisqually Lodge, which was markedly more expensive.
Pierce County had imposed the closure and subsequent evacuation after an investigation found that the Gateway Inn had been renting rooms despite getting shut down in February over unresolved safety hazards.
These ongoing violations included “dangerous electrical conditions, non-working smoke detectors, unsafe exits, chimney problems that created smoke and carbon-monoxide risks, and unpermitted construction,” Pierce County spokesperson Christina Rohila told SFGATE.
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“The conditions identified during multiple inspections create significant safety risks,” said Rohila, noting that they had to repost enforcement notices because they’d been taken down. The Gateway Inn will remain shuttered until it addresses the problems.
Unfortunately, the Ruppenthals weren’t the only ones who found themselves inn deep trouble.
Marilyn Mitchell only learned of the lodge’s closure after 13 hours of flying and driving, whereupon they were forced to stay at a sprawling Airbnb as a last resort.
She and her family have yet to be reimbursed for their non-existent stay.
Janine Andrews, 56, and her husband found themselves in a slightly better position after they spied a Facebook advisory announcing the Gateway Inn’s closure before they’d arrived, the Seattle Times reported.
The post had showed an orange sign on the hotel’s front door warning visitors, DANGER, DO NOT ENTER OR OCCUPY.”
When they called hotels.com — the site they’d used to book the Gateway Inn — the staffers said they were unaware of the closure.
Andrews managed to score a reservation for the same days at the Packwood Lodge for just $20 more per night, and, unlike some of the other unfortunate parties, also received a full refund from hotels.com.
“I was shocked that we were able to remedy everything,” said the relieved tourist. “I think we got saved at the end of the day.”