Upon entering the property the smell of old cigarette smoke and dust over powered me. The place was filthy. I immediately call VRBO to tell them I could not stay on the property. The VRBO agent put me on hold and reached out to the property owner who was on premises in no time. The unkind property owner asked me what the problem was and when I showed him the dried feces on the toilet and the dirt and hair in the tub he admitted it was his fault for not cleaning. When I asked him about the smell and the dust that was an inch thick on all the furniture his response was “ your the only person out of 400 that has complained.” I attempted to have more dialogue with him about my concerns but he told me to get out. So my family and I left . We had to pay for a hotel room and to top it off VRBO won’t help me at all. They refused to refund my money. I have video evidence and all. Buyer beware! The owner is aggressive and mean.

My children and I enjoyed a wonderful stay at Tom's cabin over Spring Break. The pond was a fun place for my kids to play and enjoy themselves. The cabin was clean and perfect for the four of us. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Quiet but very close to the city - cute/clean/homey

Cabin was a very cozy quiet spot. Loved the arcade machine and owner was very relaxed. You are within 5miles of beautiful hiking over at giant city state park. We will definitely be trying g to return. Only criticism was the cabin could use a good deep clean. Wasn't dirty by a normal person's standards, but if you are a neat freak you'll probably not be pleased

So much to say...Communication with the owner went well. He was very nice and knowledgeable about the area. He gave a lot of suggestions for where to go and what to do although he seems to be a bit scattered in his thought processes. The cabins are located close to town, tucked away in the trees. If your not careful you will miss the drive to get to them. Once you turn into the road leading to the cabins, cabin one will be on your left. This is the cabin we saw online and booked but when we got our email, we were told cabin three. So, we continued down the drive. Here you will find a lot of junk laying aside the road, really unkept and "hillbilly" style. Once we got to cabin three, the deck and exterior could use a lot of cleaning up, if you plan on sitting outside, know the table, chairs etc. will need to be cleaned unless you want dirt on your clothing. Once inside the cabin however, you will find an eclectic mix of furnishings and decor. The cabin interior is clean and well kept.

Easy - no problems

Nice little cabin that was great for launching out for day trips into Shawnee and the surrounding areas.

Nice little cabin that was great for launching out for day trips into Shawnee and the surrounding areas.

Loving dog friendly environment, we have two big huskies who enjoyed nature as much as we did . Highly recommend hidden gem escape from city .

Loving dog friendly environment, we have two big huskies who enjoyed nature as much as we did . Highly recommend hidden gem escape from city .

Good

Good

If you are looking for a quiet cabin in the woods then this is a good place. Noting fancy but clean and comfortable!

If you are looking for a quiet cabin in the woods then this is a good place. Noting fancy but clean and comfortable!

Lovely group of cabins, great property and ponds, and a great host!

Lovely group of cabins, great property and ponds, and a great host!

Tom is awesome and all his cabins are great. I'm going to visit regularly!!!

Tom is awesome and all his cabins are great. I'm going to visit regularly!!!

Tom was a gracious host who was nice enough to introduce himself and being us more firewood when we needed it! I give this little secluded piece of heaven a 10/10! Thanks Tom!!

Tom was a gracious host who was nice enough to introduce himself and being us more firewood when we needed it! I give this little secluded piece of heaven a 10/10! Thanks Tom!!

Our host were available, friendly and helpful. We visited/ toured all of the cabins on the property during our stay. Each unique and cozy in their own way. Quaint, quiet and relaxing. We will stay there again.

We will definitely be back to Cabin #2! It is in a good location to be able to get to places and things to do. Secluded, but not out in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t get to use the little pond, but that would have been fun to float around on a bit! Thanks for sharing your place Tom & Martha!

We will definitely be back to Cabin #2! It is in a good location to be able to get to places and things to do. Secluded, but not out in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t get to use the little pond, but that would have been fun to float around on a bit! Thanks for sharing your place Tom & Martha!

Close to lots of great hiking, wineries, orchards. Felt remote but close to town, convenient. Loved the cabin decor

Close to lots of great hiking, wineries, orchards. Felt remote but close to town, convenient. Loved the cabin decor

The cabin was clean and had everything in it we needed! The firepit outside was nice too for in the evenings. The property was big with a nice pond!

We arrived very late on Thursday, and Tom came and helped us find our cabin. The lights and air were already on, everything was beautifully decorated, and the beds were very comfy. Tom checked in often, and was quick to bring wood whenever needed

This cabin was terrible, we have never been so disappointed. The interior smelled of mold and urine. There were black spots on the air vents, dust, cobwebs, and grime everywhere. I killed two spiders, there was a dead moth in the bathroom upon arrival, and I counted at least 3 more spiders as we were trying to leave. We cut our vacation short due to the conditions-- the smell was so bad it woke us up during the night. We only stayed one night as we arrived very late, our children were tired, and there are no other options nearby. I have tried contacting the owner several times with no response. In addition, VRBO is only willing to help me try to reach the owner, they will not take action on the issues either. I have never, ever had such a bad experience. Do not stay at this property. Do not use VRBO-- if you have trouble they will not help. The fact that this property is still available for others to book is indicative of their level of responsiveness. I have offered pictures of what we saw and have described the conditions. They will only offer to reach out to the owner again.

We stayed in cabin 2. Although we did indeed have access to the pond there are two other cabins closer to the access and although the other renters were very nice and gracious it is a very small pond and rather awkward to share. The grounds are cluttered and unkempt. The beds were nice with good linens. We had a good laugh over '1' steak knife and shared it! The boys enjoyed the pinball machine. We all enjoyed the fire pit but everything outside was grimy. Not bad for the price but a bit short of expectations.

This was now our 7th stay with Tom at Cabins By The Pond. our third stay in cabin 2, it is always wonderful, we love the ease of check in and the lengths that Tom goes to ensure we are comfortable.

property was great, only complaint,late at night dish t.v. reception was horrible,maybe clean the growth from the antenna on roof and by dish itself. thank you

Toms wooded cabin was perfect for us. I love being in the woods yet yet having the conveniences this place offers! It was very close to Giant City which I believe is the best State Park in Illinois. We hiked there numerous times and also golfed at Keller’s Crossing which is a scenic golf course on the edge of Shawnee National Forest. Loved the pinball game on a rainy day! The place was clean and cozy.