I found this place on a 3rd party booking site while looking for hotels in the area and really…read moreliked the set up of the hotel in the pictures. When we got here at about 7pm, we were greeted instantly by a front desk clerk who was really friendly and quick. Check in was such an easy process, which was really helpful since I had a 5 year old who was dying to swim after spending 10 hours in the car with the promise of the end goal being to swim at the hotel. The hotel lobby and hallways were all really clean and well maintained, and the room was nice but I was really surprised at the size of the bathroom. Everything was well stocked and the shower worked amazing. The pool area was clean, it was nice that there was a baby pool that's 1.5' deep attached to the pool. While the pool area felt a little crowded because of all the people there, everyone was really nice who was in that area. While the friendliness of the guests isn't a reflection of the hotel itself it is a helpful reflection of the travelers that go through the area. There is a handful of restaurants nearby with Red Lobster and Olive Garden literally being in the same parking lot. We walked to Olive Garden in about 2 minutes. The continental breakfast was ready and out by 6am start time, and was pretty decent. They had a good selection of breads, pastries, cereal, fruit, yogurt, waffle makers, eggs & sausage and biscuits & gravy. I'd definitely stay here again if I'm in the area, and I'd recommend it to anyone staying with kids.

Very dirty. Shampoo and black hair in shower. Black mold on ceiling. Dirt smeared on door frames…read moreand walls. Dirty sofa chair. Very noisy. Heater is loud and music blasting from other rooms all night. Shady people in parking lot and felt very unsafe. One of the worst hotel experiences I have ever had.

I've known more than my fair share of hotel rooms. Waaay more than my fair share, but this was the…read morefirst and only one I'd come back to, just for the pure joy of what Gary has done with the place. For the same price (or cheaper!) of a bog standard hotel room in a soul destroying hotel chain at the University town 30 minutes down the road, you can find yourself cocooned in a tempurpedic bed with rich cotton sheets, after stepping out of the jacuzzi in your palatial bathroom, sipping on the best of the local wineries, dreaming about the fluffy chocolate chip pancakes Gary, the owner, has promised you for the morning....bliss. Each of the rooms in this old school house has been painstakingly restored and uniquely decorated to retain original blackboards, classroom reading circles, hard wood floors, school house memorabilia, and loads of charming antiques from yesteryear (I even found a pair of old ladies bloomers hanging in my closet!). All this is combined with the best of modern air-conditioning, flat screen televisions, a fridge, kitchenette, sink, and microwave, enormous bath, dining table, and lounge area. Perhaps the wifi has been updated since the previous reviewers, because I had no trouble. Gary has a meticulous attention to detail, which shows up in the decor, the handmade and locally sourced breakfasts, the personal orientation to the town's restaurants and vineyards, and the extra effort to make every guests stay in Anna not just comfortable, but sublime. Being in Anna on a business trip, we were expecting to hustle in and out of the rooms on the way to meetings and not see a soul; but Gary took extra efforts to make sure we had a hot healthy breakfast served to our rooms before dawn, to prepare different meals for different tastes, stocked the rooms with complimentary bottles of water, cookies, and nuts, and even packed us delicious snacks for the road in case we were hungry. If you are here for the first snow falls of the season, I hear Gary will lavish you with one of his mind-blowing Skor Bar brownies, but I'll have to come back for that next time. I would recommend a stay at the Davie School for a romantic getaway, a girls weekend on the wine trails, a family hiking vacation, a company retreat, or somewhere just to rest your weary mind, drink some wine and get fat on Gary's duck egg omelets. Or like me, just get out of your hotel membership program funk and be reminded of the joy of travel and the art of customer service again.

The converted school was very interesting, with old school desks on display. Each room had a theme,…read moresuch as music and art. The hospitality was great, and the breakfasts were outstanding. They served one of the best verstions of French Toast I have ever had! All in all, a unique and charming place to stay.

Excellent location out in the woods. The room we stayed in was warm & inviting with a great bed…read more This was our first B & B stay & We're hooked. There were fresh flowers in the room and the regular breakfast was great. We'll order the gourmet breakfast next time just because! Yes...we'll be back.

We just got back from a 4 day/ 3 night road trip to Southern Illinois and this was our B&B for our…read morecelebration of our one year anniversary! Rhea and Tony (the owners) didn't miss a thing! On their 125+ acre of property there are 2 rooms that rent (not attached to the house) for anywhere between $65-85 a night (I believe) and there is a log cabin suite for $130.00 per night which is what we choose. What an amazing place, so romantic, it is so beautiful! They have a private entrance to the log cabin that you walk through grape vines with beautiful flowers and hummingbirds all around. Our cabin had its own private Jacuzzi, fireplace, grill, king bed and wrap around deck. The also have a hot tub outside for all to use. She had the whole room stocked with everything you possibly needed during your stay important to remember the chocolates too! We were joined to the house by a breeze way but you never heard a sound except for the occasional bark from Daisy the new puppy! Rhea made us "Continental" breakfast every morning and it was out-of-this-world! The first day she made us strawberries and pancakes. The second day was an amazing egg souffle with peaches and blueberries and the final morning we had cherries and waffles. I was hoping she would slip me some of the recipes! Their property has many walking trails and one lead to a cave that Daniel Boone etched his name in the wall. Now, did I climb up to see, heck no! The other paths lead to 3 ponds stocked with fish and one had a row boat you guys could get out on and fish, made my husband's day! I highly recommend, if anyone is heading to Southern Illinois for outdoor fun or to hit the wine trail, consider this B&B, its the best I have ever stayed in and plan to go back!

The service and atmosphere at Giant City Lodge Restaurant was excellent! Giant City and the Lodge…read moreat Giant City is an amazing scenic location and historical site and is well worth your time. If you're eating at the restaurant, I highly recommend the chicken dinner, fish dinner and chicken livers. Every main dish has exceeded my expectations in taste. Biscuits were tasty and the apple butter stellar. The portion size in the pork shanks disappointed relative to the house specialty. Also, I found the side dishes lacking. BBQ beans were overly sweet, buttered corn was soggy, cole slaw was saturated in mayo, sliced tomatoes were nothing special, watermelon was bland and the mashed potato gravy detracted. I cannot speak to the other side dishes. If I were to eat there again, for the main course I would order the house specialty all you can eat chicken or fish but try different side dishes.

Always nice to drop in and have a meal. We stayed nearby and wish we'd stayed at GC. We spent…read moreSunday in park carving and enjoying nature. Needed a bag of ice and checked lodge they sell 10pound bag for $2.75 and super friendly while helping. Look forward to visiting again.

When we booked the entire property(mansion, barn and grounds) 2+ years in advance we were elated…read more The tour of the mansion and the property were beautiful. We had also been to a few events at the property before touring it. 9 days before our event(wedding), the owners tried to cancel. 5 days before our event, the owner asked if a man we did not know could share space in the mansion with our wedding crew. The day we check in at the property the barn was not ready. It was dirty and we had to clean it. We also had to place all the tables and chairs that the owners said they would set up per the contract. Every single chair was covered in filth. The owners did not properly clear the snow either. The day of our event the owner kept inserting themselves into our guests and networking. They were also seen taking photos during the ceremony. The guests were facing the owner when they took the photos. The electric service in the barn is not capable of running 3 roasters. We asked about this before planning to use them for the meal; we were told it'll work just fine. It did not. After the lights went out(during reception) my husband, an electrician, looked the service over and said there was no way the roasters could stay on. Due to the owners not clearing the snow properly we had 5 guests get stuck while trying to leave. Going back to when we checked in; Rhonda told us to call her if we needed anything. We dialed her several times and she never answered. I had to go physically find her. There was also a trailer parked right where everyone would walk past to get to the barn. It was loaded up with dead appliances, a used mattress and cardboard boxes. An absolute eyesore. There were also two vehicles parked out there to die as well. Two dead lawn mowers in the tree line too. None of these issues were present when we booked. Everything was pristine and stunning. Inside the mansion the bathrooms were not clean. Toilets had murky water and mold growing in the bowls. There were also dead insects everywhere. As long as Rhonda and Bryan are in charge of the property, I do not recommend Historic Bell Hill. It is such a shame for such a grand property to be ill managed.

We attended a wedding a week ago for my brother and his wife. The grounds were beautiful, but the…read morevenue was not equipped for an indoor reception and did not provide day of wedding coordination or hospitality. The barn was not equipped for cold temperatures and the venue did nothing to rectify this. The previous reviews were from the former owners. I cannot recommend this venue based on our experience and the lack of service, especially if you are planning a wedding in late autumn through early spring. The venue is not at all prepared for cold temperatures.

Great spot to stay! Exposed brick walls, lots of light, wood floors, up to date, comfortable,…read morewi-fi, awesome! Great location, close to many of the best southern Illinois vineyards. Not far from Giant City State Park and Bald Knob.

We had the front unit for a "girls weekend." The interior is very nice, clean and updated. We…read morereally liked the front unit because we could sit out on the porch and watch what was happening in town. I understand that the rear unit is more private and has a fenced patio. The kitchen area is well stocked with full-size appliances. Most anything you would want is there, glasses, plates, corkscrews, etc. There is one bathroom, and two bedrooms each with one queen-size bed. In the closets there is additional bedding and some inflatable air beds. I was concerned when we made the reservation because the building is the old general store, and some times I find old buildings musty. FEAR NOT! All of the interior walls are new construction and there is a beautiful original brick wall in the common area and bedroom. The owner, Brian, was friendly and helpful. The Loft is located near some of my favorite places on the Shawnee Wine Trail,

Super clean hotel with friendly staff. Our room was very comfortable. An hour after check in staff…read moretexted me to ensure room was up to my liking. Also, at 8 pm they serve cookies and milk in the lobby, how cute is that?! The lobby has plenty of seating and has a pool table. This hotel has quiet hours which is nice to get some rest. I like the smell of their lemon lotion and soap in the room. Breakfast was nice. I would recommend this hotel.

Tru of Hilton is a very clean, secure and spacious hotel. The curb appeal of the well kept lawn and…read morefront entrance lives up to the Hilton Brand. Nancy the hotel representative was professional and very courteous in offering freshly baked cookies to guests as well as offering a little trivia about the hotel. The hotel is close to a strip of eateries as well as access to the freeway. The rooms are decor mod and compact with the essentials. Diamond Members are treated with top notch courtesy that makes you want to comeback to a quiet relaxing environment.

I came here during my Cross-Country solo adventure/road trip. I was on my way to experience 'The…read moreGreat River Road' in MO ' and this was one of the stops. This State Park is perfect for the entire family. When I went there was especially gorgeous with lots of wild flowers and yellow and orange leaves. The tragic history that gives Trail of Tears State Park its name provides a sharp contrast to the serence and peaceful setting and the abundance of recreational opportunities. The park is located on the site where nine of 13 groups of Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi River in harsh winter conditions in 1838-39 and thousands lost their lives on the trail. This clean park has shaded picnic sites, hiking and horse trails, campsites and opportunities to fish in both the Mississippi River and Lake Boutin.

If you are a trail runner stay away from the red trail. I started at the trailhead from Lake…read moreBoutin. The first half mile of trail is fine. After that it becomes overgrown. At 1.4 miles of this nine mile trail I had to turn back because the trail was impassable with fallen trees and overgrowth. It didn't look like a recent tree downing, it appeared to have been here awhile. I don't think these trails are used very often. Maybe I got off trail. Hard to tell since it was not well marked either. Maybe people only go half a mile and turn back. I had to jump in the lake afterwards to rinse off any potential poison oak/ivy oils. Either way I would not recommend the red loop for running. If you enjoy bushwhacking, running with a machete, and doing volunteer trail maintenance then this trail is perfect for you. That's the only situation where I would suggest this trail for running. Best of luck out there.