Hills O’Brown Vacation Rentals

Favorite place to stay I’m Hills O’Brown Vacation Rentals. Patty and Ron are always so helpful. The prices are always great and I love all the little perks kayaks, bikes, dvds. Great location

So here we go. We’ve stayed with hills of brown at least 10 times over the past 15 years. Hills of brown owns a ton of land in the area and has no competition so they do as they please. Every time we tell ourselves never again and yet hear we are again. On arrival and weeks prior they will not give you the location of your cabin. No exceptions. Not a big deal by there account, but when you have multiple people coming from different states it is a big deal. There directions are always a joke on a printout with turn at the cvs type directions. As other people have stated the 4 pm check in is a hard line in the sand. When the time arrives you have cars backed up on to 46 and a 30 minute wait to get your key. There office staff is very hit or miss. Some are great and some are terrible. Once at our cabin we found there were excavating people still working on the septic system. Very nice people but was not warned that they may still be there. Good news was the septic worked while we were there. The next morning we noticed when we went for showers that there was no hot water. The hot water tank was located in a locked room and someone had turned the breaker off? Now how does that happen and not get caught by the cleaning staff or a employee checking if it’s ready? Wifi is always equal to about 3G. Not good. Once the hwt was taken care of we did have a pretty nice time. Over 50% of our visits something is wrong with the cabins.
The last issue we have at every cabin is the hot tubs are small, out dated, and not very clean. (I own one at home and know proper maintenance)
Next time air b&b is gonna be the way we go. We could of had a better place for $ 400 a night and supported local people directly. Our timing just didn’t work out in this trip. We paid $ 535 a night plus tax and it’s high like 17% !! Spread over 8 people it wasn’t terrible but I expect a great place for the price we paid.
Total Charges Before Tax:
$ 1,070.00
Tax — Sales:
$ 74.90
Tax — Innkeepers:
$ 53.50
Tax — Surcharge:
$ 32.10
Tax — Handling Fee:
$ 20.00
Total Charges After Tax:
$ 1,250.50
This is a cut and paste from my emailed receipt. What’s a tax surcharge? Handling fee really? Then the housekeeper leaves a envelope for a tip?
Lots of red flags. You’ve been warned.

I am shocked at these ratings! Some of them I can understand Cuz its the houses… but to complain about bugs? Just a heads up– THESE CABINS ARE IN THE WOODS! Lol.
We had a wonderful experience (look at the last 6 pictures updated by myself). We drove 4 ½ hours to get here, and had a scare when we arrived because reservations were a little mixed up. The people that work at this facility though we’re very accommodating. They upgraded our stay without any extra pay. We made sure that it had a pool table and hot tub! We brought food and cooked for the weekend. The whole experience was very relaxing and wonderful.
Just some recommendations while you’re out there:
–18^th hole golf course (we came here to eat and to listen to the live music on Saturday night)
–Nashville «downtown» is adorable, and ideal for any Shoppers, or wanting to get some great souvenirs!
–rawhide Ranch for horse back riding (they have zip line here as well)

Is a half-​star an option? Guess not. I really don’t understand how this «property management company» is still in business. Over the years, I’ve probably rented 50 – 60 cabins for weekend getaways and this was, hands-​down, the worst experience in recent memory. Arrived for Labor Day with a group of friends at the «Creekside Cabin». It appeared the «creek» dried up about 20 years ago, as there was not a drop of water anywhere to be seen. Water, no. Mosquitoes, yes. Had a lovely «hot tub» advertised, which would be great if you were a little person terrified of water (it was about half-​full with no hose in sight to fill). A/​C never worked from the moment we arrived until we departed. The fridge didn’t work on the first night and had to be reset by maintenance. They did bring four box fans (circa 1978) which basically blew around hot air for two nights. Awesome. They were nice enough to supply a 10 year-​old, rusty charcoal grill, so that was a special perk for us. I’d RUN for the Hills instead of using Hills O’Brown again. Or shack up at the Super8 — it’s probably nicer.

We stayed at the Creekside Cabin over Labor Day. HO’B has a different check in practice than any other place I’ve rented in the past. You have to go to their office and sign papers/​get keys. They weren’t all that friendly in the office, but just chalked that up to the busy weekend.
Once at the cabin, we walked in and the dank cellar smell hit right away. Very dark in the cabin, and really warm. Put all the stuff in the fridge and turned down the A/​C so it would cool off. After hanging out for several hours, the fridge never cooled and the A/​C never blew cold air. We called the maintenance number and they sent someone out to look at both. Fridge was reset, and the A/​C was «fixed.» Or not. It never did cool off. The next day we called again, and they sent someone out who confirmed that the A/​C was broken and would not have the part till the following Tuesday, after we check out. They brought fans. That night the power went out and we called the maintenance line again and we were told to call the power company, as though this was our problem to deal with. Someone finally came out and brought flashlights, and he made us feel like idiots for not knowing there was a power grid outage (we couldn’t get into breaker box to check on whether this was just a cabin outage or not).
Spoke with someone at HO’B the next day and she said they would put us up in a different cabin the next day (15 hours before we were to check out). We declined that because there was no point in moving all our stuff at that time.
After checking out of Creekside, I called the next day and asked for a partial refund (they initially thought that 90 $ would be a good gesture out of the 800 $ we spent on the 3 nights). The response was an accusation that we actually did go to the other cabin because the keys were missing. I was also informed that the cleaning crew assessed a 25 $ fee for «moving furniture» even though NOTHING was moved. Was made to feel like we were criminals. Took over a week to get this resolved. The GM wouldn’t call me, instead making her customer service rep Marcy do all the work, even though she didn’t have the power to make any concessions to us.
All said and done, the management company was pretty unprofessional. I would not use them again. Ever. Gave 2 stars simply because they finally agreed to a total refund of 218 $ (not even a full night’s worth).

Very unpleasant stay and managed poorly. Refrigerator and A/​C did not work when we arrived. When we called they told us to wait and it would get colder. We explained that it had been over half a day and neither we’re getting cold. They made it out that we were doing something wrong but finally obliged to call a maintenance guy. When he arrived he confirmed that both actually we’re not working. He fixed the refrigerator but wasn’t able to fix the A/​C (late August, keep in mind). They eventually sent someone else the next day who told us we would need to move somewhere else because he couldn’t get the part to fix it until Tuesday. The rental’s answer to this was to bring us fans. That night the power went out. When we called the agency, instead of helping us, they told us to call the electric company to see it it was just our house or not. We obliged and called them back telling them no, it’s just their property and now even the fans you gave us aren’t working and would you please turn the electricity back on. The electricity was not turned on until 8am the next day. One person in our group has been trying to teach the general manager of Hills O’ Brown ever since then to ask for a refund and they refuse to call back. The people he could reach have offered a whopping $ 218 rebate for our inconvenience. Also, the hot tub was a joke. Half full and the size and depth of a kiddie pool.
If you are looking for a relaxing getaway with no hassles, look elsewhere.

Check in is a the management office– which may not be on your way– for us 35 min. out of our way– then to cabin– another 35 min. (although we were told 15 min. away) and reverse that on check-​out. I have stayed in many rentals which have all had codes to the house or lock box or mailed keys directly to me. Check-​in was not until 4:00– so there was a line of excited people waiting outside who could see a person inside for over an hour, but she did not open until exactly 4:00. They don’t bend on anything. Too many rules, way too many papers to sign, that it seems like a red flag, management is not especially friendly, more housework to do before leaving than anywhere I have stayed before (A tip envelope for their housekeeper is provided), several scraps of paper in the house «DO NOT USE– YOU WILL BE CHARGED»!, or if you leave anything in the house, you will pay to get it back!– or large picture of a lit cigarette NO SMOKING sign in the kitchen— we all know these things, we signed our life away but come on! — All in all not relaxing– couldn’t make it feel like ours for the stay.
Stayed at The Lake House– tasteful furnishings – pretty but distant view of the lake, cramped second floor, uncomfortable showering facility.

While not quite perfect, Hills O’ Brown did provide a good experience before and during a recent long weekend’s stay. Having read some harsh critiques alongside warm praise before venturing to Brown County, I’m of the opinion now that the handful of entries here on Unilocal are a reasonable assessment.
The short version of this review?
* See what you can find about the specific cabin that you want to rent. Having stayed at A Five Star Cabin, I can attest that it’s great (even if there’s a part of me that wants to keep it under the radar). From the photos alone, anyone can tell that there are also some not-​so-​great ones. The individual properties vary in a lot of ways.
* The management company is very buttoned-​up. Take the paperwork seriously.
1) Policies aren’t particularly flexible.
HOB puts a lot of things in writing, from liability waivers to use bikes and watercraft, to a check-​out cleanup procedure. The contract for even a short stay is several pages long and the home/​cabin will probably have a list of rules in addition to the contracted ones. It’s important to read and thoroughly vet all of the paperwork since the company doesn’t come off as one to bend a policy.
2) The properties vary, a lot. There are over 100 of them.
Not only in location and rate, the amenities and style available from property to property differ greatly. Even within the same rate class, you may be able to get a bigger place or something fun, like a pool table, for the same price as a location without these amenities.
3) The stated rates exclude some fees.
There are a number of fees that will (not «can» but «will») increase the total price paid beyond the stated rate from the printable rate sheet. There is the Indiana Innkeeper’s tax (5%), sales tax (7%), a surcharge (3%) and $ 20/​stay handling fee that apply to every rental. Costs for additional guests (beyond double occupancy) may also apply. It’s best to get a written quote in advance (definitely before booking) if you have any concerns.
4) You’re going to do some housekeeping.
Check-​out does involve some light housekeeping prior to the maid service. Dishes have to be cleaned and put away, furniture returned to its original position, beds undressed and towels gathered. In all, it’s maybe 30 minutes of work, but it needs to be done in order to avoid additional service fees.
5) After hours check-​ins could require a page.
If you don’t anticipate arriving at HOB in Nashville prior to their office closing (or if you’re checking in on a Sunday or holiday), the after hours procedure is to arrange for paperwork to be left in a lockbox. Plan on requesting this at least one, but possibly two, business days in advance. Should anything be missing (a key or directions, for instance), there is a paging system to get in touch with HOB. You’ll want a cell phone in order to reach the on-​duty representative since they will call you back within 10 – 15 minutes.
Accepting these caveats, I rented the space known as A Five Star Cabin and found it to be in great shape and well worth its $ 200/​night spring price tag (especially if you can get it on special). The name is actually fair!
The HOB-​posted photos of the cabin’s interior and exterior were accurate, as were the descriptions of the amenities. A thoughtfully appointed home, it’s easy to imagine it as a getaway any time of the year since it has access to both indoor (hot tub, massage chair, satellite television, fooseball) and outdoor (bikes, a canoe + kayaks, nearby access to trails) recreation options. The proximity to the lake isn’t exaggerated (especially when the water is high, launching the included kayaks from within a five-​minute walk is entirely possible). Handy instruction placards throughout the home offered helpful hints including how to add additional players in pinball, why the fireman’s pole is blocked off (although it’s definitely available for use) and how to recline the couch.

We made the reservation via phone but had to cancel five days later. The company never disclosed their cancelation fee. However, they were unwilling to budge and extremely rude on the phone, even though they had over two months to fill the cabin with another reservation. I would not recommend them at all. What a horrible experience. With so many other wonderful spots in brown county, you’re better off taking your business elsewhere.

In the summer of 2011 my sister in-​law bought a few days stay at a fund raising raffle (in Mich). It happened to be in Nashville In, so she invited my husband & I to go with her & redeem. It was a large house w/​a great vista. We all enjoyed. Every spring we rent a group of cabins for all our family to get together. This coming spring I thought the house would be a nice change with the park & so much to do. I checked the internet for pricing & availibility. Before I sent out the email announcement to the fam., I called the management company to get info. This is when things started getting crazy–
I mentioned that I was going to purchase one of the specials 3nights for 2 & would be using my free night on Thursday. I told her roughly which weekend we would be coming which is around the time seasonal pricing changes, so she gave me 2 prices. When I hung up & figured it up, I couldn’t come close to her amounts. This company has sooo many fees and varying fees I can’t believe it. When I called back and asked for a breakdown, she rattled it off quicklly that you take the price, plus 15% fees, plus a 1 time $ 20 fee, plus addt’l people fee. I realized that the price listed on the internet was for 2people (even though it sleeps 8 – 10), & that the addt’l persons fee could vary from $ 10-​$ 50 a person. She said it would be an additional fee of $ 25 a person. So a few days later, I refigured with 15% (7% sales tax, 5% innkeeper’s fee, 3% surcharge?), $ 20 handling fee, daily rental fee, & addt’l people fee. –Still didn’t match. Yesterday I called back with all my figures written out & asked who answered if she would listen to me walk thru it. She had a hard time doing that & kept wanting me to just take her total which didn’t match mine or the other 2. Besides that I had already corrected her about pricing when she was figuring aloud. When she finally listened to me go thru my figures, she said Oh, the addt’l persons charge is $ 15 not $ 25 –and it’s not a 1 time fee but should be added ‘each’ night –and you have to add it to the daily rental before figuring & adding taxes because it’s taxable –and you can’t use the 3 for 2 special because ‘all’ nights have to be Sun-​Thurs. She said maybe it was the new employees.
Is your head spinning? couldn’t follow?
Maybe her figures were correct & maybe others were new, but?
Well I told her, nothing personal, no thanks! Her total was hundreds more!
Time waisted, 3 calls, 3 people, 3 explanations, many totals all different.
Do you think they make it difficult for a reason??? Watch out here!
I think we’ll continue going to the cabins!

If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway at an affordable price in southern Indiana, this is your place. There are so many cabins/​houses to choose from! I’ve been to several different places and they all have a unique feel. Some are modern, some are old and rustic, but they all are relaxing. Yeah, there is the occasional power outage during storms, the occasional critter on the deck, and if you go in the winter, the occasional snow storm that keeps you locked in for a day or two! But, you’re out in the wilderness… relaxing…so…these kinds of things should not be surprising. Let me know if you want recommendations about cabins. I’ve never had a problem with staff, cleanliness, or overall customer service.