diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/core/saving.py b/pytorch_lightning/core/saving.py
index e54c3406ff1b7f..e11dceee52e199 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/core/saving.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/core/saving.py
@@ -277,8 +277,8 @@ def load_hparams_from_tags_csv(tags_csv: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         rank_zero_warn(f"Missing Tags: {tags_csv}.", RuntimeWarning)
         return {}
 
-    with cloud_open(tags_csv, "rb") as fp:
-        csv_reader = csv.reader(fp.read().decode("unicode_escape"), delimiter=",")
+    with cloud_open(tags_csv, "r") as fp:
+        csv_reader = csv.reader(fp.read(), delimiter=",")
         tags = {row[0]: convert(row[1]) for row in list(csv_reader)[1:]}
 
     return tags
@@ -291,15 +291,12 @@ def save_hparams_to_tags_csv(tags_csv: str, hparams: Union[dict, Namespace]) ->
     if isinstance(hparams, Namespace):
         hparams = vars(hparams)
 
-    # write to a buffer first since cloud_open doesn't support the newline setting
-    strbuffer = io.StringIO(newline="")
-    fieldnames = ["key", "value"]
-    writer = csv.DictWriter(strbuffer, fieldnames=fieldnames)
-    writer.writerow({"key": "key", "value": "value"})
-    for k, v in hparams.items():
-        writer.writerow({"key": k, "value": v})
-    with cloud_open(tags_csv, "wb") as fp:
-        fp.write(strbuffer.getvalue().encode("unicode_escape"))
+    with cloud_open(tags_csv, "w", newline="") as fp:
+        fieldnames = ["key", "value"]
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(fp, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writerow({"key": "key", "value": "value"})
+        for k, v in hparams.items():
+            writer.writerow({"key": k, "value": v})
 
 
 def load_hparams_from_yaml(config_yaml: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -345,11 +342,8 @@ def save_hparams_to_yaml(config_yaml, hparams: Union[dict, Namespace]) -> None:
         hparams = dict(hparams)
     assert isinstance(hparams, dict)
 
-    # cloud_open doesnt support newline settings so write to a buffer first
-    strbuffer = io.StringIO(newline="")
-    yaml.dump(hparams, strbuffer)
-    with cloud_open(config_yaml, "w") as fp:
-        fp.write(strbuffer.getvalue())
+    with cloud_open(config_yaml, "w", newline="") as fp:
+        yaml.dump(hparams, fp)
 
 
 def convert(val: str) -> Union[int, float, bool, str]:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
index 03634138cdc28a..7329213b20d4fe 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
@@ -29,19 +29,19 @@ def load(path_or_url: str, map_location=None):
     return torch.hub.load_state_dict_from_url(path_or_url, map_location=map_location)
 
 
-def cloud_open(path: pathlike, mode: str):
+def cloud_open(path: pathlike, mode: str, newline:str = None):
     if not modern_gfile or sys.platform == "win32":
         log.debug(
             "tenosrboard.compat gfile does not work on older versions "
             "of tensorboard normal local file open."
         )
-        return open(path, mode)
+        return open(path, mode, newline=newline)
     if sys.platform == "win32":
         log.debug(
             "gfile does not handle newlines correctly on windows so remote files are not"
             "supported falling back to normal local file open."
         )
-        return open(path, mode)
+        return open(path, mode, newline=newline)
     try:
         return gfile.GFile(path, mode)
     except NotImplementedError as e: