Vacation Rentals by Owner

CA&V Retreat 2012

Guest: Schneider (Cincinnati Ohio)
Date of Stay: 05/04/12 Review Submitted: 05/10/12

This place was awesome, 6 adults for a fun filled weekend. We partied, fished, hiked and relaxed listening to the, what sounded like HUGE, bull frogs but we could not find them. Would recommend this to families and couples. Unlike some properties in the area it was secluded and we were the only ones around. Very nice place just to get away and back to nature! Right on the same road as the Zip Line tours.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Beautiful cabin in an idyllic setting

Guest: Jim (Cincinnati)
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

My family and I recently stayed at Hillbilly Heaven for three nights in early January of 2012. We had the perfect 3 day get away in this cabin. The pictures on the website are true to form and capture the place well. The cabin was very clean and organized and had all of the amenities that we were looking for. Hillbilly Heaven is cozy yet had plenty of room for the four of us. My children absolutely loved the upstairs loft and the beds and couches were very comfortable (a must for us!). It snowed the first day of our stay and we had a great time playing games, sitting by the fire and enjoying the comfort and serenity. We cannot wait to return to this cabin and will highly recommend it to our friends and family. Very special place.

Recommended for:Families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Awesome cabin in fabulous location!

Guest: Carla& John (Cincinnati Oh)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

We had a GREAT time staying in your cabin! The cabin was beautiful inside and out, as well as fully furnished....was so surprised to see a kitchen stocked so well! Beautiful location...and of course, John enjoyed fishing in the lake just literally a couple steps from the house! We caught the biggest blue gill we have ever seen, as well as a few bass. Hiking in the gorge and returning to the cabin made for a wonderful time! We cannot wait to return and we will have to stay longer than just a weekend.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Summer Gataway

Guest: Dave (FLorence, KY)
Date of Stay: 08/07/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

We were looking for a place to stay where my Dad, son, and I could fish and hangout. For the past several years we had stayed at Lake Cumberland State Park and rented a pontoon boat, but last year Dad said he could not go on a boat anymore. The cabin and lake fit our needs perfectly. My Dad cannot walk far due to a serious heart condition, and the dock for fishing was very close to the house. Steps down to the dock would have been more convenient for my Dad, but he managed walking down and up the small hill with a cane. We fished and caught several small ones and a few keepers (which we released). What was nice is the dock is in the shade from early morning to about 3 pm this time of year. We brought our own charcoal and cooked out for dinner our first night. We enjoyed the lake view from the large covered porch that evening and in the morning as the frogs/birds sang. On our second night we had dinner at the Natural Bridge Lodge which was excellent. We have always found the food at KY State Parks to be very good (better than some National Parks). The accommodations were great and the unit was clean. We had a great time and felt the cabin was worth the money. We plan to go back next year if Dad is able (we will celebrate his 80th year of life this month). Happy Trails

Recommended for:People with disabilities, romantic getaway.

Will not visit again - June 2011, Dayton, OH family with adult children and spouses

Guest: John and Pam (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 06/24/11 Review Submitted: 07/02/11

The owner website promotes the cabin as a luxury cabin but my family did not find this to be true. We were disappointed in the level of cleanliness. Many flies were on the interior mullion window ledges, cob webs hung from the lamp fixtures, rugs were not washable (including bathroom rugs) so were dirty and had not been swept. Living room furniture looked as if it had not been vacuumed prior to our visit either. There was some urine on one toilet lid. Lightbulbs were burned out. Although the VRBO site lists that a washer/dryer is available, it was locked and inaccessible. There was no charcoal or gas available for the grills so without making a trip out we had no way to use them. Inadequate bathroom tissue supply. The porch was not well maintained, cluttered with cigarette butts and a bottle of antifreeze. The "boat" leaked and took on about 3" of water in the few minutes we had it out. A very disappointing visit. The owner did respond to a complaint of cleanliness upon our arrival and dispatched his cleaning person, a very sweet lady, but in the several hours it took for her to arrive we had spread our things out and had started dinner so it was awkward getting anything done. The cabin needed a thorough spring cleaning which can not be accomplished with just the $50 the owner pays to have the cabin cleaned. The owner blamed it on him not being there to check but it really is his responsibility to maintain the cabin as it is presented on the website. I did not give it a "Poor" rating because it was on a lovely private lake, was quiet, and the owner returned our deposit quickly. Still, we really feel that we deserved a partial refund for the rental fee. Again, disappointing.

Owner response:As the old saying goes, “you cannot please all the people all the time”. I have had 171 renters in the past three years and this is the first negative response. All past reviews have been 5 stars. This cabin is advertised as an upscale cabin, not a luxury cabin. I answered this renter’s phone call, listened to her complaints, and immediately contacted my cleaning service. They arrived in approximately 1 ½ hours to do any additional requested cleaning. Upon arrival, they were told no cleaning was required. I also offered a reasonable rebate, which was refused. Apparently not enough. No, we do not supply charcoal and there are two tanks of propane. One on each deck. If one is empty, simply replace the empty with the full one. It is obvious the flat bottom boat is in disrepair and is not advertised. It will be disposed with on my next visit. Our policy has been to make the washer and dryer available for reservations of 5 days or more. In summary, these people apparently expected a mountain cabin to be a Ritz Carlton facility. It is my conclusion they wanted a substantial refund, an amount never stated, and a bad review is their retribution.

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Weekend Away

Guest: Ohio couple w/no kids (Dayton, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/20/10 Review Submitted: 09/15/10

Beautiful cabin inside and out! There is one other cabin just across the lake within your view. There was some traffic that came through, maybe once a day, other than that, total nature. We hiked the nearby Susannah's Arch Trail and saw deer and wild turkey. The lake provided good fishing. We did not use the boat, but caught some bluegill from the dock. The porch swing was a great place to drink your coffee in the morning. We used the kitchen and it had all utensils needed.We drove to the Lodge to eat at the breakfast buffet which was very good and only 6 miles away.We also ate at Rose's Restaurant and Dairy Bar. It was unique with signed and decorated dollar bills covering the ceiling. A must is stopping at Ye Ol Country Peddler for some fudge. They have many different flavors and we had to stop on our way out to get some for the road! We hiked to Natural Bridge and then went to Miguels Pizza for one to take back to the cabin. There we enjoyed the Dish TV and watched scary movies until we couldn't stay up any longer. We took our PT Cruiser to save gas and it did ok, but the driveway is steep and rocky. We will take my 4 wheel drive truck the next time. I have and will recommend to all my friends and family.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Hill Billy Heaven says it all!

Guest: T & R (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 07/13/10 Review Submitted: 07/19/10

My husband booked this cabin as an anniversary gift, it was beautiful, very clean, and a perfect location. If secluded quiet time is what your looking for, this is perfect. The lake was well stocked with bass and blue gill. Directions made it easy to find, even though we had stayed in the area before and had an idea where it was before we got there. The only thing I could think it would need would be utensils for the grill. We were unable to find them when cooking outside. But even that very small detail didnt tarnish the beauty of this cabin and its surroundings. We plan on returning soon, this time with the kids & BBQ utensils.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway

Guest: Gary & Peggy Cashero (Beavercreek, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 02/06/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/10

Had a wonderful time at your lovely cabin during New Year's. The setting overlooking the lake is just gorgeous and the snowfall we had added to the beauty. The cabin was well equipped and cozy for our winter stay. Look forward to returning in warmer weather to enjoy the deck and firepit. The limited hiking we were able to do (because of the cold) was great! Thank you, Barney. We certainly enjoyed it.

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Guest: Amy & Curtis (Newport News, VA)
Date of Stay: 11/04/09 Review Submitted: 11/04/09

We stayed here for half of our honeymoon and we really enjoyed it. It was very peaceful and relaxing and we really enjoyed sitting on the porch swing. We would definitely recommend this cabin to others and look forward to staying there again in the future. The owner was also very helpful; we left a lot of important information about the cabin at home on accident (wedding frenzy!) and he was very easy to reach, returned my phone calls promptly, and helped me with all of the info I needed! Very impressive; thanks a lot!!

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Guest: Jessica104 (-)
Date of Stay: 08/13/09 Review Submitted: 08/13/09

Sounds great! We have stayed at several cabins, usually a different one each year and the group unanimously wants to come back to yours. It's our favorite for sure

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Guest: Selena3 (-)
Date of Stay: 08/13/09 Review Submitted: 08/13/09

Thank you so much for the opportunity to rent your cabin. We had a magical time. We had deer eating lilly pads in the lake several times, as well as, Racoons on the porch. As you advertised we could see the fish from the porch. I really enjoyed reading some of your book collection and will be purchasing Secert by Rhonda Byrne in the near future. Again, I want to thank you for this wonderful opportunity to use your lovely HOME

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Guest: Jason78 (-)
Date of Stay: 06/17/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

Thanks Barney, We were impressed all around. I love your hunting decor in the cabin. How is the Deer hunting in the area? Ever get ducks in the pond? I was amazed that there were no bugs to speak of...in Michigan we would have been swamped.

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Guest: Mary Ann 1 (Milwaukee, WI 53066)
Date of Stay: 06/16/09 Review Submitted: 06/16/09

Many thanks for sharing your beautiful "log cabin" with us! We delt truly "at home". You have thought of everything. Especially enjoyed your books & movies and the night time frogs sing in the pone. Losved the logs, the decorating & the coziness. Hope to return.

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Guest: Jason77 (-)
Date of Stay: 06/16/09 Review Submitted: 06/16/09

I wanted to send a quick note to thank you for our stay at your cabin. We could not have had a better time, and the cabin was phenomenal. I have plans to come back with my wife and bring my parents for a long weekend

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Guest: The Shroyers (Lexington, KY)
Date of Stay: 04/10/09 Review Submitted: 04/10/09

We visited Hillbilly Heaven Cabin for a couple of days during our son's spring break from school. We this a couple of times a year, stay in cabins and hike. This cabin will be one we return to definitely! The beds were comfortable, the house has everything you need as far as towels, linens, paper products, and kitchen supplies. But more so, the lake was good for canoeing on with our toddler and the huge porches gave us room to spread out and really enjoy or time. We liked that the fire pit was right beside the lake too. Would definitely recommend a stay here to anyone looking to relax and enjoy the beauty of Eastern Kentucky.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/04/09 Review Submitted: 02/04/09

We had a wonderful weekend in January. Very peaceful and private. It was a great getaway from city life and we hope to come back again soon. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a some time away to relax.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/09/08 Review Submitted: 07/09/08

We loved our stay at this cabin, even on the days it rained. We seat on the porch in the swings watching it come down on the lake. It was so nice and peaceful. The Baileys

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Guest: The wilsons3 (-)
Date of Stay: 01/03/08 Review Submitted: 01/03/08

We had a wonderful time in your cabin over New Year’s weekend! We had everything we needed and more. I was so happy to find everything we needed for cooking was in the kitchen, can opener, grater, scissors, etc. I have never been to such a well stocked place. Thank you for sharing! Have a Happy New Year! The Wilsons

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/28/07 Review Submitted: 08/28/07

This was a perfect place for our anniversary. I don't know what was best, the whirlpool tub for 2, the privacy, or the lake. This was like staying at someone's house instead of rental property. Very comfortable beds. I'm looking forward to returning.

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