Your vacation rental in Branson is ready for your arrival! Many of our homes have great bells and whistles to help make your trip memorable! But that means you might need some instructions on how to use these amazing amenities. We have many videos on our YouTube channel to help you during your stay. If you have a question on how to use something- you might find a detailed video there! We also have more tips and suggestions below!
USING THE FIREPLACE
There are a few different types of fireplaces our cabins may have: electric, gas, or wood-burning. Fireplace season is usually November through February for gas and wood-burning fireplaces. We do provide a starter amount of firewood for wood burning fireplaces seasonally. More can be purchased either from us, a local gas station, or a convenience store.
Electric fireplaces have an on/off switch, a timer or a remote. You can find detailed instructions on how to use your electric fireplace in your welcome book. There is also often a note next to electric fireplaces with instructions on how to use them.
For a gas fireplace, check that the pilot light is on. If it is, use the switch/timer near the mantel to turn on the fireplace. If the pilot light is off: Open the panel near the fireplace, turn the ignitor knob clockwise to put in the OFF position, then turn counterclockwise until in the PILOT position to push in. While pushed in, press the ignitor repeatedly to ignite the pilot. If you have a grill lighter, hold it by the pilot assembly. Once you see a blue flame, stop pressing the ignitor or remove lighter while still holding in the knob for 10-15 seconds. Release the knob, turn counterclockwise to ON, and check the wall timer for ON, OFF, or AUTO. Select AUTO and turn wall timer until flames appear. If this does not work, please call for assistance.
Wood-burning fireplaces are opened by maintenance in fireplace season. We provide a starter amount of firewood. If you would like more, you can either purchase it from us in advance (or by noon for day of delivery) or you can purchase it from a store nearby.
ENJOYING THE HOT TUB
For the best guest experience, our hot tubs are serviced between every guest. If you arrive to a luke-warm hot tub, please note the water was refilled for to your arrival and may need time to heat up fully. If the hot tub is not heating: make sure it is not in sleep mode (SLP or SL on the display), try resetting the GFCI breaker, and make sure the water is covering the jets. If these do not work, please call for assistance. Hot tub jets do not shut off completely. If jets aren’t working, try turning the individual jets left or right to open and close them to your desired strength. If the hot tub lid is left off the hot tub for too long, the temperature will drop. So please keep the lid on the hot tub when it is not in use.
Things to Know:
- Sulfur smell (from well water) and sediment (from Ozark water) are safe and normal.
- To wake hot tub from sleep mode (SL): press light + temp buttons.
- Switch modes with temp and set buttons.
- Keep water level above jets using a hose; adjust water flow by turning jets.
- The floater contains bromine, which keeps the hot tub clean.
POOL DAYS IN THE CABIN
Some homes have private indoor pools. Pool temperatures are set for optimal performance and to prevent condensation in the pool room. Temperature can’t be raised above that, but if you have an issue with the pool not heating, give us a call. We will do our best to have a vendor check it out for you during your stay. If a replacement part is required, we will schedule an appointment based on vendor availability.
MOTHER NATURE…IN THE CABIN
A cozy cabin in the woods sometimes comes with unexpected pests. While we do have a service that comes to each of the homes regularly, pests sometimes try to relax in our homes.
Ladybugs love Branson as much as we do! If you have a lot in your cabin, you may sweep or vacuum to remove them. If there are too many, we are happy to help come clean them up as well!
You may also experience carpenter bees on the outside of the cabin. Since many of our properties are constructed of wood, the bees love to bore holes for nesting inside the wood. This type of bee is fairly harmless and only the female can sting if provoked, so if you see bees flying around aggressively, it is more likely to be the male protecting his territory – but he cannot sting. Because of the chemicals and spray, we only perform carpenter bee treatments (if necessary) between guest stays.
If you have any issues with unwanted guests, please feel free to contact us.
USING WI-FI AT THE CABIN
If your property has Wi-Fi, the network name and password should be located on the cover of your welcome binder, on the fridge and in your checkin instructions email. You may also find the password on the bottom of the router. Remember: internet service can be spotty or slow in the Ozarks. If you can’t connect, unplug the router for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait 2 minutes for it to reset. You may also have to reset your own device. If you still can’t connect, give us a call and we’ll contact the provider or help you troubleshoot!
NAVIGATING YOUR TV/CABLE
For TV with no signal: Look for the INPUT button on the remote and flip through the HDMI options. Some TVs require you to turn on both the TV and the cable/satellite box- if you have two remotes, you might need to press the power button on both. If you don’t find signal, try to unplug and plug the box back in to refresh the signal. Be sure the TV, box, and all cords from them are securely plugged in. If there is an error message, let us know and we will do our best to have maintenance troubleshoot for you.
HOT WATER
Some cabins/homes have smaller water heaters, so please note this when taking a shower and/or bath. If someone in your group takes a bath, you may need to give the heater time to back up so you can enjoy a hot shower.
HAVING FUN WITH CABIN GAMES
If a game table in your cabin – air hockey, foosball, darts, pool table, etc. – is broken or missing pieces, please give us a call. We will do our best to help you locate the pieces or send someone to fix or replace the items when available. Because these are provided through 3rd-party vendors, game issues may not be able to be resolved during your stay.
KEEPING YOUR REFRIGERATOR COOL
The refrigerator can take up to 24 hours to cool everything down if you arrived and filled it up. When you keep the refrigerator door open for an extended period of time and load the fridge with all room temperature items, it may take time for everything to cool down. If it’s too warm, remove any non-essential items and do not turn to the highest setting. This can freeze up the unit and make it shut off. If the freezer is working, ice may be clogging the flow of cold air to the refrigerator if you turned the settings up too high.
USING THE HVAC
Once you arrive, the AC needs time to slowly decrease. While you may be warm from unloading vehicles, please do not drop the AC below 68 degrees as it can freeze up the unit and stop working.
WELL WATER
One of the benefits of coming to the Ozarks is enjoying the wooded areas around. you. Many of our properties have well water systems, which can sometimes have different smells and color and contain some sediment since the water is coming from the well tank. Water conservation is key with wells, as the tanks need time to refill after each use. The well pump may stop working at times, so resetting the breaker can help get it restarted. If the electricity goes out, the pump will stop working; the breaker may need to be reset once the power is restored. If the water stops working at your home, please let us know!
