For the 5th Year, Once Again Featured in Midwest Living …
 Hidden Lake
 One of the Best in the Midwest!

Thinking About Staying With Us?

Yes, after 15 years, we'd like to sell Hidden Lake but please, if you're thinking about staying with us, don't hesitate! It's likely to take years to sell and in the meantime, we are still having fun. So don't be worried that we won't take the same care. In fact, we just attended the Professional Association of Innkeepers Conference in Little Rock, AR and have return with lots of new ideas! Besides, perhaps after you stay, you'll be interested! We'd love to see a former guest buy the property whether its to enjoy it as a bed and breakfast or as their new home in the country.

What's For Sale?

Located on 18 acres of rolling hills of 'Southernmost Illinois', Hidden Lake is located just 30 miles north of Illinois' most southern tip, along the immensely popular Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and within the confines of the Shawnwee National Forest. Drawing visitors from St. Louis, Chicago, Central Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, this property is being offered turnkey. From furnishings to linens to gift shop inventory to even the gardening tools, John and I (I'm MaryJo, by the way) seek to pack up just our personal belongings, leaving the rest of Hidden Lake for the new owners.

Why should you be interested Hidden Lake as your bed and breakfast? Well, Hidden Lake provides the unique combination of an upscale B&B complete with beautiful furnishings, special services and luxury amenities in a picturesque quiet country setting. Hidden Lake offers large, double jacuzzis and fireplaces together with in-suite spa services and wine trail limousine tours while at the same time providing quaint lakeside fires, woodland walks, picnics in the gazebo, paddle boating and fishing all on-site. Not a combination you find very often.

Moreover, Hidden Lake is surrounded by numerous and diverse area attractions drawing visitors from a multi-state region. These attractions include the Shawnee Hills and Southern Illinois Wine Trails, of course, but also the Little Grand Canon, the Cache River Wetlands, Giant City State Park, Garden of the Gods, Cave in Rock State Park, Metropolis - the Home of Superman (yes, but it's hugely popular!) and Harrah's casino, Ferne Clyffe State Park, Trail of Tears State Park, Little Grassy, Cedar and Crab Orchard lakes, Bald Knob Cross, the historical site of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Presidential debate, and much, much more.   

And with its long tourism season, guests flock to the area from mid-April through mid-November with the winter months bringing those looking for a romantic escape or even an early warm up from a long cold winter up north. Guests can visit almost 2 dozen wineries, hike, rock climb, go antiquing, pick berries, apples and peaches, fish on site and area lakes, kayak, canoe, paddle boat and even scuba dive or they can cozy up in front of a fire, receive an in-suite massage, relax in a warm jacuzzi and just unwind. You will often hear guests amazed by how much there is to do in Southernmost Illinois.

As importantly, Hidden Lake offers a very flexible design allowing you to operate your way. You can maximize the business opportunities offered with this property, renting all 7 guest rooms/suites year round, with ample space to add lakeside cabins, an event center, even a winery of your own. Alternatively, you can take a more laid back approach, perhaps just supplement other income by renting the Guest House suites only and enjoy this country home and all it has to offer yourself. Or you can operate the B&B part-time, renting only on the weekends or only "in-season". If you choose, you can also subdivide the property, selling off lakeside and wooded lots for country getaways. It has already been surveyed with that idea in mind. The choice is yours! You choose the B&B environment and income level that fits your lifestyle! Or do as we have done over our 14 year tenure, take as much or as little business depending upon your needs and desires at the time!

So more specifically, what does the purchase of Hidden Lake include?

• 18 acres of rolling hillsides with a 2 acre, private, stocked lake overlooked by a picturesque hilltop gazebo complete with a paddleboat for lazily enjoying the water and a lakeside fire pit for cool evening fires. If 18 acres sounds like too much, please know that Hidden Lake can be sold with 4.5 acres and still retain lake access.
• 7 acres of woods and gardens including an herb garden just steps from the kitchen door, a 16x25 fenced vegetable garden, and woodland trails, dotted with garden statues and funny forest faces
• A 4600 square foot Main House of brick construction with 3 guest rooms and 1 guest suite plus owners quarters including a 2 car attached garage. Originally built in 1981, roofing replaced with a new 40 year roof in 2009, a 20x20 sun room overlooking the majority of the acreage added in 1998, new baths, new high end kitchen, new landscaping, new hardwood, tile and carpet throughout, 400 amp electrical, and new plumbing also in 1998
• A 2500 square foot Guest House with three, 500+ square foot king suites including two with double whirlpools and gas fireplaces built in 1999 and including an additional 3 car garage and a 10x12 garden storage shed
• Signficant improvements in 2009 to increase the efficiency of both buildings: Lennox high efficiency heat pumps added in 2009 to each building; zoned heating and cooling throughout including guest accommodations in both buildings, high efficiency Marathon hot water heaters added in 2009 replacing less efficient ones in both buildings, 8 to 12 inches of celulose insulation added in 2009 to further reduce heating costs
• Furnishings, linens, amenities and decor for a combination of 7 rooms and suites - 3 queen rooms and 4 king suites, all with private baths; 3 of the suites featuring large double whirlpools, and 3 including cozy fireplaces
• Gourmet kitchen with custom built Amish cabinets, Sub-Zero, Viking and Bosch stainless steel appliances and fully stocked with all of the pots, pans, baking goods, serving dishes, table linens the new owners will need to whip up signature Hidden Lake dishes as they incorporate their own touches
• Laundry including new 2011 front load Whirlpool washer and dryer and a 1950s mangle, perfect for making light work of ironing those table linens
• Sun room furnishings including breakfast seating for twelve, area photographs, and "The Gift Nook", a small gift shop featuring coffee mugs, post cards, note cards, music CDs, hats, robes, nightshirts and more
• Formal dining room furnishings, family room furnishings, owner's quarters furnishings and a fully equipped work out room

Asking $749,000

(or $679,000 with 4.5 acres)

Why are we selling? We've taken the business as far as we can and now need to turn it over to someone who has the vision to do more. We happened on this adventure 14 years ago and although we have throughly enjoyed it, it's time for us to retire. The growth of tourism in Southernmost Illinois makes this property ripe for expansion into lakeside cabins, a special events center, or even its own winery. And if you're not interested in expansion, you can enjoy the grounds as we have or even sell certain aspects of the property to those desiring their own country getaway.

I think you'll find that our web site does a great job of providing an initial overview to the Southernmost area, to the B&B, and to the opportunities available. Understand that this property is being offered fully turnkey. I know a lot of owners say they are selling "turnkey" and then don't. In our case, John and I are looking to take only our personal possessions and our pets as we leave. Of course, we are flexible so if you have your own furnishing, we will happily move ours out in whatever rooms you choose.

So, please take a look and let us know what questions you might have. Then call or email us to set up a tour! Know that all reasonable offers will be considered. Having been in business for 14 years, Hidden Lake has a large volume of repeat guests and referrals. We'll be happy to share our numbers with you once a confidentiality agreement has been signed.

Thanks again for taking a look at Hidden Lake B&B. John and I will look forward to hearing from you!

 Additional Photos

Welcome | Reservations | Accommodations | Photo Gallery
Amenities & More | Policies | Special Packages | Directions
Area Attractions | Great Ways to Spend the Day | Calendar of Events
Meet the Owners | Brochure & Information Request | Frquently Asked Questions | Property for Sale