How much does it cost to stay at Cucu?

Cucu costs from €215 per night midweek, with a two-night minimum stay. The rate depends on the day of the week with Sunday to Thursday nights being the cheapest, and Friday and Saturday nights around €100 per night more expensive. We do also offer one-night stays sometimes but these are the most expensive way to stay. We would highly recommend the full 72 hours at Cucu if you are coming to spend time analogue in nature.

What's included in the price at Cucu, and what costs exta?

The price covers the cabin for two adults, bed linen and towels, firewood for the stove and fire pit, coffee beans, tea, sugar and cooking oil, the full analogue kit (phone lockbox, film camera, cassette player, board games and books) and a three-hour session in the forest sauna. Optional extras can be added at checkout: bringing your dog, the bath spa experience, an extra sauna session and a bottle of bubbles. No cleaning or booking fees are added on top. You pay 25% when you book and the rest 60 days before you arrive.

Where is Cucu, and how far is it from Dublin?

Cucu is in Co. Westmeath, on the Meath border between Athboy and Delvin, about 80km and one hour by car from Dublin. Without a car, the 111 bus from Busáras takes around 1 hour 45 minutes, followed by a ten-minute taxi. Parking is a 300m walk from the cabin, so bring outdoor shoes. We send the exact what3words location once you've booked.

Yes. Cucu runs on solar power and has a hot shower, a compost toilet, a gas hob, a fridge and a wood-burning stove. There's no Wi-Fi (which is sort of the point) and the cabin is designed to be used analogue, so everything you need for two or three nights without a screen is already inside.

Do I have to lock my phone away at Cucu? How does a digital detox work?

No, but we really do recommend it. When you arrive there's a lockbox for your phones, plus an old Nokia for emergencies, a film camera, maps and a cassette player, so you have everything you need. It's self-policed: if you take your phone out, nobody will know. The science shows It takes 48 to 72 hours for your mind to properly leave your phone behind, and so we really do recommend a two night stay or longer.

Can I bring my dog to Cucu?

Yes, dogs are welcome at Cucu for €40 per stay, to cover extra cleaning. There's livestock on the 350 acres around the cabin, so we kindly ask that all dogs are kept on a lead when outside the cabin.

Is Cucu good for couples? Groups? Families?

Cucu is built for two: a king-size bed on the mezzanine loft upstairs, a copper bath on the deck and nobody within sight. Guests have used it for anniversaries, honeymoons and at least a few proposals. It sleeps two adults and isn't suitable for children. For a group of four, Saoirse is on the same 350-acre estate, far enough away that you won't see it, so you can book both and meet at the fire. See all our spaces [here.](https://www.samsu.ie/cabins)

Cucu red timber cabin in Westmeath woodland, Ireland â€“ digital detox cabin stay one hour from Dublin

Guest relaxing in the outdoor copper bath on the deck of Cucu red cabin, Westmeath, Ireland

Kitchen with terracotta tiles, sink and cooker overlooking Westmeath countryside at Cucu cabin

Double bed with reading lights beneath round porthole windows inside Cucu cabin, Westmeath

King sized bed with porthole window in unique Cucu cabin

Red-framed picture window inside Cucu cabin overlooking Westmeath woodland, the perfect reading nook

Open wooden analogue kit with polaroid film camera and printed booklets, nokia phone.

Reading loft in Cucu cabin with paper lantern, bookshelf and porthole Ã¢â‚¬â€ a quiet journaling spot for a digital detox stay, Westmeath.

Wood-burning stove on a red tiled hearth inside Cucu cabin, Westmeath, Ireland

Ceramic basin with exposed copper taps and stacked white towels in the plywood bathroom of Cucu cabin, Westmeath.

polaroid photographs from digital detox kit inside the Cucu cabin in Westmeath, Ireland.

Kitchen window with fresh herbs seen from outside Cucu red shingle cabin, Westmeath

Wood-fired stove and outdoor copper bathtub in front of Cucu red cabin, Westmeath

Wooden deck chairs and drinks on the private terrace deck of Cucu cabin in Westmeath woodland

Guest reading on the wool-blanketed window seat overlooking Westmeath woodland at Cucu cabin

Cucu, a red off-grid cabin with private deck and firepit in a Westmeath forest clearing

Round porthole window on the red shingle facade of Cucu cabin, Westmeath

Wood stove, log store and loft ladder inside Cucu off-grid cabin, Westmeath

Guest climbing the ladder to the sleeping loft past the bookshelf at Cucu cabin, Westmeath

By Samsú

Cucu

4.9

Hosted by Rosanna WestMeath

Sleeps 2 max

Cucu is the most unique cabin in the Samsú series and designed to makde you feel like you are cocooned in nature. Sitting on the edge of a forest, you'll wake to morning birdsong and big round windows framing the wildlife outside. The delux king-size sleeping area sits upstairs on a mezzanine, with a net at the end of the bed to read in, nap in, or just lie back, listen to the cassette player, and watch the world go by. Completely off-grid, Cucu has a fully equipped kitchen with two hobs, a fridge, and everything you need to cook your favourite meals, inside or out. Built for going analogue, you'll arrive to a phone lockbox, a film camera, an old Nokia for emergencies, board games, books, and a few other essentials for a few nights of slow living. There's an indoor log burner, an outdoor fire pit, and a copper roll-top bath for those starry evenings. You’ll also enjoy a complimentary three-hour session in our forest sauna as part of every stay.

Digital detox

Meadow

Sauna

Outdoor Bath

Sauna & Outdoor Bath

Dog friendly

From €215 per night

(2 nights min)

Cucu - Samsú's most unique cabin perfect for couples, friends or solo trips who want a digital detox

Who is Cucu for?

Only an hour from Dublin, Cucu is for the burnt-out who need to reset. Cucu is for couples, friends, and solo travellers who need to properly switch off and spend real time in nature. Cucu comes with the signature Samsú analogue kit, and no Wi-Fi, of course. If you've been meaning to go analogue for months and never quite manage it, this is the cabin that makes you. It's also a space for design lovers. Cucu was designed by Studio Bucky and featured in Dezeen, Dwell and others for its architecture and interiors. Every detail has been made for living analogue. Things to note: There's a 300m walk to the cabin from the carpark, so pack outdoor shoes depending on the weather. The Cucu cabin is on the same land as our Saoirse cabin, although far enough away that you will never see it, but great if you want to book for a group. There is a ladder up the mezzanine area where the bed is.

Check-in 15:00

Check-out 10:00

Sleeps 2 max

1 x King size bed

Wilderness level - 4/4

No encounters

What’s there to do?

You're on the edge of Ireland's Ancient East. A short drive north brings you into the Boyne Valley and Newgrange — a 5,000-year-old passage tomb, older than the pyramids. Closer to home, just outside Athboy, is the Hill of Ward, an Iron Age royal site and the ancient home of the Samhain fires. And the 350 acres around the cabin are yours to wander whenever you'd rather not drive at all.

We would advise that if you’re coming to Cucu and Samsu for a digital detox, it is best enjoyed by not leaving at all.

Have a soak in Cucu's custom roll top copper bath and watch the cows in the nearby rolling meadows.

Enjoy a three hour session in our forest sauna nestled on the edge of a lake, enjoy soaking up the nature views while you sweat.

What's in the cabin?

Outdoor bath

Phone lockbox

Outdoor firepit

Organic toiletries

King size bed

Hot shower & Eco-toilet

Indoor wood stove

Fridge and gas hob

Film camera

Coffee beans & Tea

Cassette player & Tapes

Board games, books & radio

Salt pepper, oil, and sugar

Car Not Necessary

Towels and Bed Linen

Parking 300m

And, how do I get to the cabin?

Once booked, we will provide you with a what3words pin for you to find your cabin. But for now you can know it’s located on the Meath & Westmeath border between Athboy and Delvin.

By car

80 km from Dublin and a journey time of 1 hr.

By Public transport

Approximately 1:45 hr from Bus Aras Station on the 111 bus and including a 10 minute taxi at the end. We recommend checking timetables in advance depending on the day of the week and time and pre-booking the taxi in advance to avoid waiting times.

See what others thought of Cucu

Overall

4.9from 19 reviews

Cleanliness: 4.8/5
Likelihood to Return: 5/5
Host: 5/5

Meet your host

Rosanna

A note from your host

I'm Rosanna, a self-confessed workaholic and screen addict. After burning out, I discovered the power of time offline in nature. I build and design digital detox cabins in Irish nature to help the 'always on' switch off. I also founded Samsú! My dad and I burned all the cassettes you'll find in the cabin and handwrote each song title on the back. What makes this place unique is the analogue kit: a Polaroid camera, a lockbox for your phones, journals and an old Nokia for emergencies, as well as the nature all around.

A few things you might like to know

Favourite Morning

No phones, a Van Morrison tape on the cassette player, coffee in bed, followed by a sauna and a cold shower.

Ideal Sunday

Anything that gets me out of my head and using my hands: art, pottery, gardening, painting or building.

Still have some questions?

(IV) Newsletter

Every so often, we send a note about slowing down, what we're learning, ideas we have, tips on great stays, oh and some nice discounts too...we would love if you would join us. No spam, we promise

From €215 per night

(2 nights min)

Who is Cucu for?

Check-in 15:00

Check-out 10:00

Sleeps 2 max

1 x King size bed

Wilderness level - 4/4

No encounters

And, how do I get to the cabin?

Once booked, we will provide you with a what3words pin for you to find your cabin. But for now you can know it’s located on the Meath & Westmeath border between Athboy and Delvin.

By car

80 km from Dublin and a journey time of 1 hr.

By Public transport

Meet your host

Rosanna