Kishauwau Cabins — Hotel in LaSalle

Kishauwau Cabins is a beautiful, relaxing getaway retreat. My husband and I tried it out for a couple nights in December for our 25th Anniversary. We left wishing we had time to stay longer! We stayed in the Wilderness Cabin. Our first impression upon walking inside was just how cute it was 🙂. It (along with the majority of the cabins) is designed for two people. Our cabin was one big open space with a sleeping area, kitchen area, living room area and table for two. We had a wood burning stove (that acted as a fireplace basically) which my husband really enjoyed creating fires in. It was very easy to use based on the instructions that were left in the cabin, and it really warmed the place quickly! (There is a thermostat you can adjust so you don't have to use the stove if you prefer.) The kitchen was well appointed and clean. The queen size bed was very comfortable and also clean. The large bathroom had a small sink, a very small shower, and a large whirlpool tub (all clean). All the cabins here are tucked into the trees and separated from each other. If you want to just hang out in your cabin, you can pop into the main office and borrow puzzles, games or DVDs from their large collection, or bring stuff from home to occupy your time. (Heads up, there is no cable, and cell reception is spotty in the cabins - the idea here is to unplug.) We enjoyed sitting on the back porch swing just looking out at the snow covered trees in the ravine off the backyard. Many of the cabins back up to wooded areas for privacy and solitude. If you want to go out, like we did for our anniversary dinner, we drove about 20 minutes to Lasalle where we had reservations at the Uptown Grille (amazing food!) We also spent time hiking around Mathison State Park in Oglesby (beautiful place!) All the information on Kishauwau's website is very detailed as are communications you receive from Terisa, the owner, once you book your stay. She wants to make sure you have a wonderful time, and is available to answer questions or deal with any issues should they arise. I could go on, but will end my review by saying we will definitely be back (maybe try the place out in the summer or fall?), and I hope you try it out as well. You won't be...

Who needs Starved Rock when you can have Kishauwau?

My stay here was from 4/10- 4/12, 2020. Terisa, the owner, is a wonderful woman. I was originally booked to stay in the Wilderness cabin, but Terisa bumped me up into the Pines cabin as a way to say thank you for not cancelling my trip during the pandemic. I walked into a cabin that was spotlessly clean and immediately felt a sense of peace. Some may find it odd that I went all by myself, but as a single mother sometimes "me time" is desperately needed. There is no internet here, barely any cell service, and no cable TV. It was so refreshing to unplug! If you depend on technology then I'm afraid you won't fully enjoy it here, which is a shame because this place is a real gem. The whirlpool tub in the bathroom is heavenly, but a word to the wise, you only need 1-2 pumps of the bubble bath. I may have gotten a bit tipsy and used more than that, causing quite a mountain of bubbles I thought would never dissipate (oops!)

Starved Rock park was the original plan for my visit, but due to COVID is currently closed. However, this property has it's own hiking trail and river access, and as soon as I saw the view I was hooked. The access to the river is a hill on the backside of the grounds, it is very steep, would not recommend for small children or the elderly. But if you can make it down you won't regret it, I promise. I spent a good 4-5 hours exploring, hiking, and fishing. Didn't catch any fish but that didn't matter to me, I was just glad to get the chance to clear my head and my heart. I would definitely bring bottles of water if you plan on hiking and don't like drinking well water. (Not a problem for me but probably for some).

I brought my own food, the kitchen was stocked with pots, pan, dishes and utensils. Also brought my own toiletries and some DVDs to watch at night before bed. The private fire pits are great, and you can purchase bundles of wood for only $5 each. I was able to eat dinner by the fire and listen to the creek in the ravine down below. Each night before bed I read through the notebooks left on my table, full of stories from past visitors. What a sweet touch.

I was very sad to have to go, but I am definitely coming back...

We loved so many things about our stay that overall it rates 5 stars. We stayed in one of the dog friendly cabins and while our dog didn't really know what to make of the place - not allowed on furniture and a little jittery around the wood stove - we made the most of it. You should manage expectations if you choose to stay here. There's no internet, no broadcast TV, no reliable mobile signal until you leave the property. This was fine by us because we were getting away from the city. There was a TV in our cabin and we borrowed a movie from the extensive selection in the office. We bought bundles of wood during our stay from the cart in front of the office (Be aware that it is a cash-only affair). The cabin itself is a little larger than a hotel suite- maybe 600sf- with a full kitchen and bath. The kitchen is well appointed-plenty of pots, pans, dishes, glasses and utensils to gets us through our stay-and while there's no dishwasher, washing dishes for two really isn't hard. The only improvement we'd suggest is better lighting in the kitchen and dining area. There's plenty of natural light during the day but at night the light bulbs just aren't bright enough and the lights aren't located in the right spots. As far as loacation, it's a short drive to the state parks and local attractions but has that remote feeling we were looking for. We didn't get to enjoy the outside much because it's winter but there's a great outdoor space outside each cabin with a fire pit, a charcoal grill and a picnic table. We're coming back and bringing...