Hickory Shores Resort

I visited here with family at one of the one bedroom cabins over thanksgiving in 2014. First night my fiancé and I found pubic hair and semen stains on the sheets of the bed and my brother found a semen stain under one of the couch cushions.
To sleep we dressed till we were completely covered and then lay on top of the sheets all night cuddling for warmth and hoping not too much biological matter got in through our clothes.
Next morning called Ralph the owner and he sent out clean sheets. Would have been nice to have those first. Hot water heater was a joke, the mattress and couch hurt my back even when clean, and the stove was from before my father was born.
The one thing they had right was dish tv. Other than that was the single worst resort stay of my life. Pictures of bed spread and couch to follow.

First– This is CAMPING, even if you rent a cabin and don’t sleep in an RV or tent. Camping should ONLY be done with those you love. I was fortunate enough to camp with my cousins. I love my cousins.
There are things very right with Hickory Shores.
The cabins are cute, decorated in themes. Each cabin has a fridge, a cute little stove (or full-​size if you rent a larger cabin, really a prefab home), a TV with Dish Network, dish towels, dishes, pots ‘n pans, linens, towels. The whole family can sleep in beds and pull-​out sofas. The back yard has a picnic table and fire ring. A tent can be easily accommodated in the back yard for extra sleeping space. You will sleep in comfort with a window unit air conditioner/​heater. There is a porch for sitting out.
Have an RV? Rent a trailer spot. These have connections for water and waste, as well as complete hookups. They don’t have much else, but then, if you have an RV or trailer, you’re dragging it all with you, anyway.
Roughing it? There are tent spots. Have the best of both worlds, such as real toilets.
RV spot, cabin, or tent, there are the amenities. The pool is clean and well-​kept (no lifeguard though). There is miniature golf. There are golf carts for those who can’t hike around the complex. There is a family center to rent for your event. If the weather is nice, use the outdoor pavilion instead. There are THREE playgrounds. There is water for boating and possible fishing. Rent a paddle boat. Play tennis. Get an «almost» win in horseshoes, or get a shuffleboard tournament started. Start a camp fire when it’s dark, roast some marshmallows, tell a few ghost stories. Drive to Carlyle, Breese, Beckemeyer, even St. Louis or Belleville. There’s a mall in Centralia, and one in O’Fallon.
However (and there is a «however»), we found some inconveniences in our stay, starting with reservations. I reserved a cabin between my cousins’ cabins. I was called a couple days before our trip, with a request to change cabins. it seemed the maid hadn’t had a weekend off in a month. I can understand that. I could NOT understand why management rented the cabin after telling me they preferred I change my cabin. So we had to warn off the kids from that cabin. And what happened to the maid’s weekend off?
Nobody was there when we checked in. Our GPS took us to a farmer’s driveway, and we were not there precisely before 6 PM. I had to place a nonrefundable $ 100 deposit on the cabin, so it would have been nice to have a person on duty. HINT: Check the Jamaican Bamboozle Bar, as some of the Hickory Shores staff does double duty as bar staff.
We were staying for 3 days, yet received ONE roll of toilet paper. I had to ask for more, which I was cheerfully given.
Hot water would have been nice. There was a hot water heater, which did not work. When my husband asked for help, he was told there was nothing the clerk could do, as the manager was out. We spent three days braving the chilly shower, and heating water on the stove.
I remember when thin towels came in boxes of laundry detergent. I really think the towels we had in our cabin came from that era. To be fair, the web site warns if you need more towels, to bring them. With the present price of $ 90 on weekdays and $ 100 for Friday and Saturday, decent towels should have been the norm.
I can understand the dishes coming from thrift stores in the area. Hunters, children, careless people do not do well with fine china, particularly when one is camping. I could not understand why some cabins had decent ceramic coffee cups (my cousins) and some had small plastic coffee cups with hardly any capacity (our cabin). I also had a hard time figuring out why oh why our cabin was allotted 8 spoons but only one fork. Bring dish soap and a SOS pad, as the dishes need to be done before you leave.
I would have rather had less decoration and more shelf space.
I would have also appreciated cell phone service and a wifi hot spot. We had to run some three miles up to Route 127, just past St. Teresa Church, in order to connect. As my husband had need of at least cell coverage for work, and as we had a dire extended family situation, a phone in the cabin would have been good. If there was a satellite connection for TV, it would have been easy and cheap to install Vonage phones or a VoIP system.
I don’t know if it’s really Hickory Shores fault there were SWARMS of mosquitoes. Nevertheless there were. Some mosquito abatement scheduled right before each weekend would have been a great idea.
There is a Walmart and a McDonald’s with wifi on Route 127 and William Road, near Governor’s Run Golf Course. I would do my grocery shopping and internet connecting there. The canteen did not have much.
Was it worth it? Yes. Does it beat staying at oh, say the Sunset Motel on Franklin? Maybe. Could it have been better for the price? Yes.