Freewyld opens in Uptown Idyllwild

Residents may have noticed a change on North Circle Drive at River
Drive; the property previously known as Strawberry Creek Village has a
very different look, and is now known as Freewyld. The Crier spoke with
Freewyld founder Eric Moeller, a resident of Leucadia.

Moeller cleared up an impression some neighbors had that the project
included two cabins across River Drive from the old Strawberry Creek
Village. Those cabins, also short-term rentals (STR), were recently
painted by their owner in similar but different dark hues, before
Freewyld opened, and the uniformity of tone is just a coincidence.

Freewyld has four cabins and other amenities, including a large
playground and outdoor areas for events. The property has been an STR
vacation rental “community” for some time. Residents may remember that
one cabin was themed as a schoolhouse, one as a mill, one as a barn. Now
the cabins have themes drawn from the mountains, with names like
Juniper, Coulter Pine, Ursus (black bear) and Black Mountain.

Moeller said the idea for the project started in 2020, during a
six-month pandemic road trip, staying in rustic cabins, inviting friends
to go hiking. In 2021, he acquired the property, and in 2023, completed
the remodeling.

“I’ve been in the hospitality space for about 10 years. Idyllwild has
been a second home for us for eight or 10 years, staying in different
STRs.” The chance to buy the Strawberry Creek Village was “an
opportunity to craft our dream hospitality space.” The previous owners
had, according to Moeller, done “a really good job with the structures,
taking care of it.”

As to the change he is bringing, he said, “I think the modern traveler
is seeking something different; they are seeking elevated spaces. I’ve
traveled the world, staying at Airbnb, cabins, hotels. The places that
have inspired me the most are those where people have put in a lot of
intention… invested in beautiful, timeless design. It’s all about
creating the experience for people, not just a cabin in the woods.

“People are really seeking an experience. We put a lot of focus in that
experience. The furniture, the colors, the quality, how do they feel? We
wanted to create something Idyllwild would be proud of, that brings
value to the community.”

He described the themes of each cabin. “We took a piece of Idyllwild and
used that as inspiration for our design. Black Mountain is our favorite
place to hike, to go star gazing. We went with deep blues and greens.
Juniper everything is green or brown. Ursus is the black bear,
everything is black or copper. I was reading stories about the Ursus
bear, using that as inspiration to choose elements.”

Moeller takes care of marketing and customer service himself, but has
team members on the Hill for cleaning, maintenance and 24/7 emergency
service. “Boots on the ground to make sure everything is up to our
standards and guests are taken care of.” He showed an awareness of the
local attitudes towards STRs, having attended a few of last year’s Town
Hall meetings. “The whole world is figuring out how to work with STRs, I
get it. We do our best to make sure our guests are respectful of the
peace and quiet. We love Idyllwild for what it is. As much as the town
is changing, our hope is that it is changing in ways we can be proud of,
enhancing what we love about Idyllwild.”

For more information, visit freewyld.com.