Pet-friendly holiday rentals in Effingham

I used to live on Vandalia Lake, so I knew what to expect from the location - but the house is much nicer than pretty much anything else you'll find in Vandalia. It was the perfect place to spend the weekend while celebrating my granny's 82nd, and it's very likely we'll rent it again in the future, assuming it remains available for that purpose. The main living/kitchen/dining area is wide open and great for hanging out without feeling cramped, and the screened balcony/patio is a lovely place to enjoy the outdoors without being forced to "enjoy" the bugs. Everything is light, airy, modern, and well-maintained. This isn't one of those listings where the photos look great and the reality is worn and dirty - what you see is what you get.

Great place. Fit our needs well. The little extras were nice and appreciated. Looked newly updated with some originals left to give the charm of the age of the house. The stairs in particular. You could tell they were the original stairs. That being said, as others had stated, if you have trouble with stairs you might not like these stairs. There are a few trains that go by behind the house and do blow their horns. It can startle you the first couple of times. They do provide earplugs. One of those nice, thoughtful items. I would just suggest maybe leaving some on bedside nightstands with a note about the trains. We had 10 people staying and it was comfy and roomy. The arcade games and play station were some more added fun features that were enjoyed. For being a dog friendly place, I was impressed with the cleanliness. The provided doggie bags for clean up, treats, bowls, poof, and more made our furbaby feel right at home. We all enjoyed our stay there! Thanks Josh and Casey(sp.?)

We loved our stay! The home looks great and our 2 dogs loved the backyard! Beautiful home!

The place was spacious enough for 5 adults, clean and comfortable. The boathouse is covered, keeping the boat dry during the rain. The neighborhood was quiet and evenings on the deck were enjoyable. Christy made sure to message during our stay and at the end to make sure everything was okay. We had a nice, relaxing vacation.

Wow, what a well-laid out, neat cabin! Thought of everything. Beautiful, wooded, private setting… this is a jewel in eastern Illinois!

Marla is a great host. We have stayed with her multiple times and each stay is wonderful. Clean home, very responsive host, and close to downtown Centralia. We definitely recommend this property and host.

Really great location. We were able to walk to the capitol, a great bakery, the Abraham Lincoln Museum and a ghost tour, all downtown, and everywhere else we wanted to go was an easy drive. The neighborhood isn't what you'd call pretty -- it's office buildings, parking lots, apartments, etc. -- but it was quiet and we never felt unsafe. The loudest thing was the train that goes by every so often about four blocks away. I think it's legally required to blow its horn in the middle of the city, but maybe not overnight. You can hear it, but it's not obnoxious. The host was great. We had no problems getting in and out and there was plenty of room for our dog as well.

Great long term 3 and half month stay in lovely Shelbyville!! Truly enjoyed my time there and amazing backyard for your pups and great deck too!! Thanks so much for everything!

Our family loved our stay here! It was perfect for a mixture of ages (ranging from newborn to 15years old). Everyone was able to enjoy the space, the kids loved the pool, we enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the deck overlooking the pool. The house was comfortable, it felt familiar, my husband said the decor defitnely reminded of his childhood. The home is perfect to enjoy with family and friends or to lay back and relax on a rainy day.

Renee was a great host with quick response time and provided added resources for what shelbyville had to offer. The house exceeded our expectations and we appreciated all the amenities that the house had to offer- will be recommending to other organizations to use for retreats!

Me and my family of 12 spent 4 nights in this beautiful home! There were two lakes, one out front and one in back. We did most of our fishing at the lake in the back on the pontoon. All together we caught a total of probably 40-50 fish a day. 1-2lbs bluegills and some pretty good sized bass. The power went out but the generator immediately kicked on. The house had everything my family needed and more! Tom, our host was very interactive and was able to help us with anything we needed. The sleeping in the loft, for the most part is completely open so not a whole lot of privacy with our big family. But the beds were comfortable and everything was pretty clean! For the house being in the middle of the woods the bugs weren’t too bad. There was always something to do! So many games, kayaks, paddle boats, and more. Take the time to eat at Skillet Fork Grill nearby!!! It was the best breakfast out i’ve ever had. My family LOVED this place and we’ll definitely be back for a longer stay!

We had a beautiful weekend here! The porch, pool and kayaks made the weekend amazing. The house is large and has lots of space! The owners were very responsive and made the weekend perfect!

My husband and I took my 9 yr-old niece and 12 yr-old daughter on a little lakehouse vacation. We enjoyed our stay...and the girls loved the heated pool (the lake water was still very cold at the end of May). On a cool and cloudy afternoon, we enjoyed a couple hours at the Arena Trampoline Park, an inside activity-area with trampolines, obstacle courses, slides, climbing wall, and bouncy soccer and basketball courts. We also loved our pickleball time 2 days in a row....and the area parks and restaurants. The girls swam until dark most evenings...and then especially enjoyed sharing a room that included a library of children's movies to watch on an old VHS player....they were mystified at the process. Lol! My husband and I loved the sun room, our favorite part of the lakehouse...sipping coffee, quiet conversation, perfect view to keep an eye on the girls as they swam and such peaceful outdoor scenery with the trees and lake. So many memories!

Had a wonderful trip out to Sean’s place. The kids loved it and we would rent ago.

Right in the center on what’s going on. But nobody really seems to nice you. Walking distance from all the cool stuff to see while still feeling like you have some privacy. It was a nice place

Great place. Really close to EIU. I love that I can take my puppy 🐶

We were very happy with our stay. Nathan is a great host and the house was fully stocked with any little thing we could’ve needed. Our toddler appreciated the children’s books and we enjoyed the selection of board games. It’s a great location in town where you can walk to restaurants and the coffee shop. We felt right at home.

Such a peaceful stay at the farmhouse! We enjoyed having a safe place to relax.

Another great stay at Cabin #2. Super clean and comfortable. It’s easy to find, quiet and has good amenities with the coffee maker and mini fridge with freezer. The cabin still feels new. The tv is good size and the shower with shampoo, conditioner, bar soap and plenty of hot water were much appreciated after a day of driving. There’s extras provided with a hair dryer, blanket, kitchen table and two seats. I like there’s a luggage rack and bench inside along with a mini table on the front porch. The ceiling fan, dehumidifier and cold air conditioning kept the temps comfortable inside. The outside porch light was nice to have for safety. These cabins are a (not so) hidden gem and are kept really nice. I cannot recommend these properties and host May enough. Communication and instructions were clear and friendly. Thank you May for a wonderful stay and offering such great accommodations.

Absolutely peaceful! It was a very beautiful cabin with everything provided. My husband and boys all caught some fish. I am already trying to rebook to bring my mom down for a getaway.

Very cozy home, super clean, just like the pictures but better. My son had so much fun on the pedal boat fishing. Having a place out front for our dog was accommodating and let us relax as well. She has everything you could possibly “what if” need for your stay, we will definitely be keeping this ace in our back pocket when we are passing through again!

Katherine's home was very clean, well appointed and the size was perfect for our small group. We enjoyed sitting in the covered porch and sipping our morning coffee to start our day. Everything was so well stocked. I forgot my own shampoo and Katherine's had so many choices to choose from. Fear not if you think you forgot something, rest assured Katherine's probably has it. We slept well in the cozy beds, I even crawled back in and took a nap. I often take short spontaneous trips to Terre Haute. I'll consider myself lucky if her wonderful home is available.