Two families had spent the day hiking beneath the breathtaking scenery of Mount Rainier, Washington, only to find their hotel had shut down by the time they arrived back for lunch.
Sarah Ruppenthal and Marilyn Mitchell were among the visitors whose plans were thrown into chaos on August 5 when the Gateway Inn in Ashford, Washington, was suddenly ordered to close, leaving guests scrambling to find somewhere else to stay.
For Ruppenthal, her husband and their two teenage sons, the discovery came after they had already spent the morning enjoying Mount Rainier National Park, expecting to return to their hotel and unwind after a day in the wilderness.
However, they faced a rude awakening when they returned to the hotel around 1pm to find the building roped off, utility workers pitched up outside and the property’s electricity in the process of being disconnected.
The family was given only a short window to collect their belongings before they had to leave.
'We had to hurry and rinse off by phone light and pack up to leave,' Ruppenthal explained to SFGATE Friday.
Fortunately, they managed to find another room at the nearby Nisqually Lodge, but the replacement accommodation cost more than their original booking.
And even after finding somewhere to sleep, there was another unresolved issue: Ruppenthal said she was still waiting for her original hotel payment to be refunded more than two weeks later.
Mount Rainer hotel guests returned from a hike on August 5 to find their hotel had suddenly shut down, as others only discovering the closure after a 13 hour journey
Sarah Ruppenthal, her husband and their son arrived back at the Gateway Inn near Ashforf Washington hoping to unwind after an enduring hike in the wilderness, only to be greeted by closure signs and roped off entrances.
However the situation that day was not the first occasion the residence has been under fire. In February, county officials ordered lodging units at the property closed because of safety concerns including dangerous electrical conditions, non-working smoke detectors, unsafe exits, chimney problems that created smoke and carbon-monoxide risks, and unpermitted construction
For the Mitchell family, the experience was even more brutal.
Marilyn Mitchell, her husband and their son had traveled for approximately 13 hours by plane and car to reach the area.
They were expecting the final part of their journey to be simple, arrive at the Gateway Inn, check in and finally relax.
Instead, they were greeted with locked doors and closure notices and crucially very little cellphone service with which to solve the problem.
The family then faced the difficult task of finding another room in an area where accommodation can be limited, particularly during the summer rush.
The family drove farther into the national park until they could find enough signal to start contacting hotels and searching for alternatives.
Most nearby properties were already full.
Eventually, they found a last-minute rental with enough beds for 14 people.
According to Pierce County spokesperson Christina Rohila, February's violations have yet to be corrected
There was just one catch – only three people were staying there.
But after a 13-hour journey and the shock of arriving to find their hotel unavailable, having far too much space was hardly the biggest concern.
'We are incredibly lucky' Mitchell declared to the outlet, noting that other travelers might not have been able to find anything at all at such short notice.
The Gateway Inn’s closure was not the result of a minor problem.
Pierce County officials said the property had a series of unresolved safety violations dating months back including electrical concerns, chimney problems, malfunctioning smoke detectors and problems involving exits.
The hotel had already faced enforcement action earlier in the year.
In February, county officials ordered lodging units at the property closed because of safety concerns.
Authorities later said the hotel resumed accommodating guests despite outstanding violations.
Inspectors also discovered that enforcement notices posted at the property had been removed and had to be replaced.
The county has made clear that the Gateway Inn cannot simply reopen when it chooses.
The outstanding violations must first be corrected, required permits must be obtained and the property must pass inspection.
At the time SFGATE reported on the closure, the Gateway Inn’s website was still advertising rooms and directing visitors toward a booking system.
That meant some guests were continuing to travel toward Mount Rainier believing they had a bed waiting for them.
Others discovered the closure through online travel groups and social media rather than from the hotel itself.
And finding a replacement room around Mount Rainier in the middle of summer is no easy task.
The park attracted more than 2.4 million visitors in 2025, while this summer has already presented additional challenges, including road and area closures that have concentrated visitors in the park’s remaining accessible areas.
Despite the chaos, Mitchell’s family eventually managed to salvage their vacation.
They hiked around Paradise, took in the mountain views and later continued on to Olympic National Park.
But for visitors arriving at Mount Rainier this summer, the episode offers a stark warning: A dream national-park getaway can turn into a frantic hunt for a bed remarkably quickly.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Gateway Inn for comment.
