Notestone Reserve was recently featured by VoyageOhio, with Stacey Osorio sharing more about the people, experiences, and ideas behind our family-owned Hocking Hills property.
The feature, Meet Stacey Osorio of Notestone Reserve, gives readers another opportunity to get to know the story behind a property that has grown from four rundown cabins into ten unique Hocking Hills stays across 14 wooded acres in Laurelville, Ohio.
For us, that story has never simply been about building vacation rentals.
It has been about taking something with potential, putting in the work, learning some lessons the hard way, and creating a place where people can step away from everyday life for a few days.
From Four Cabins to Notestone Reserve
When our family first took on the property that would become Notestone Reserve, it looked very different from what guests see today.
There were four existing cabins that needed serious work. What initially seemed like a renovation project quickly grew. Cabins were raised, foundations and basements were added, plans changed, contractors changed, and we learned firsthand how complicated it can be to build and renovate in Hocking Hills.
We were not coming into the project as architects or resort developers. Our background was in real estate, long-term rentals, and renovating homes.
A lot of what Notestone Reserve became was learned through doing.
Some lessons were expensive. Others completely changed how we thought about the guest experience.
Over time, those original cabins became part of a 10-rental property offering three very different ways to stay in Hocking Hills: tiny homes designed for couples, glass mirror homes surrounded by forest views, and larger dog-friendly cabins for families and groups.
Building the Kind of Place We Would Want to Stay
One thing we have learned is that travelers notice the small details.
A private hot tub is great. So is a beautiful cabin. But after a long hike, guests also appreciate having firewood waiting at the property instead of searching for it at a convenience store.
They appreciate opening the kitchen and finding olive oil and basic spices. They appreciate having shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion available when something was forgotten at home.
Families have different needs. That is why we have added things such as pack-and-plays, a playground, and a shared game room with a pool table, arcade games, foosball, board games, Legos, and an 85-inch television.
Guests traveling with dogs receive thoughtful extras too, including treats and waste bags.
Many of these decisions did not come from a hospitality textbook. They came from listening.
We read the reviews. We pay attention to questions. When guests tell us something would make their next visit easier, we remember it.
A Different Kind of Hocking Hills Stay
Today, Notestone Reserve sits on 14 acres near Laurelville, about seven minutes from Rock House and approximately 20 minutes from Old Man’s Cave.
Every one of our ten rentals has its own private hot tub and fire pit.
Our four tiny homes are compact stays built for two. Our two mirror homes, Muir and Thoreau, place floor-to-ceiling forest views around three sides of the bed. Our four larger cabins give families and groups room to spread out, and dogs are welcome in each of them.
The goal was never to make every rental feel the same.
A couple celebrating an anniversary is looking for something different than parents bringing three children and a dog to Hocking Hills. A group of several families may want to stay on the same property while still having separate cabins at the end of the night.
Having ten different stays allows us to accommodate those trips without losing the quiet, private feeling that brought people to Hocking Hills in the first place.
The Experiences That Remind Us Why We Built It
Some of the most meaningful parts of running Notestone Reserve have very little to do with construction.
We have had families come here to reconnect. Couples have celebrated anniversaries and important milestones. Parents have watched their children experience Hocking Hills for the first time.
One experience that has stayed with our family involved providing a stay for a terminally ill man who had only months to live.
The goal was simple: give him and his family a place where they could spend time together and make memories.
Moments like that put the entire project into perspective.
Cabins matter. Design matters. Cleanliness matters. But ultimately, the property exists because of what people do while they are here.
That is also why giving back through donated stays to nonprofit organizations has become meaningful to us.
VoyageOhio Shines a Light on Ohio’s Independent Businesses
Being included in VoyageOhio feels especially appropriate because the publication focuses on the stories behind independent businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, and other people building something within their communities.
Notestone Reserve is still very much a family operation.
We are hands-on owners. We have been involved in the decisions behind the spaces, the amenities, the renovations, and the experience guests have when they arrive.
Even after growing to ten rentals, we do not want that personal connection to disappear.
Read Stacey Osorio’s VoyageOhio Interview
We are grateful to VoyageOhio for taking the time to feature Stacey and Notestone Reserve and for giving independent Ohio businesses a place to share the stories behind what they have built.
You can read the complete feature here:
Meet Stacey Osorio of Notestone Reserve on VoyageOhio
And if the story makes you want to experience the property for yourself, you can explore our Hocking Hills cabin rentals and compare all ten stays at Notestone Reserve.
We are still building, still improving, and still reading every bit of guest feedback that comes our way.
The property has changed quite a bit since those first four cabins.
The reason behind it has not.