We loved our stay at this property. We would absolutely stay again. Four friends, and it was the perfect mix of togetherness and privacy (with each of us having a room, plus three bathrooms). The house feels privately nestled away in a forested area, with a sweet burbling fountain out front, and we saw turkeys and deer. :). We enjoyed long evenings on the back deck overlooking the lake, or in the great room relaxing on the big couches. The dining room table was perfect for meals at one end and we actively worked a jigsaw at the other. The large kitchen was well stocked for meals, and coffee in the morning. Itâs a lovely, old-world-style chalet, close enough to Galena for shopping and dining but far enough way to serve as a sanctuary. Our host was quick to answer questions and highly courteous and accommodating. You canât go wrong staying here.
Beautiful view, nice house interior wise and has a lot of potential. However, the outdoor space is completely not maintained. The deck was dangerous with rotting deck boards, detached/ rotting safety railings, exposed nails in the deck boards/railings with mold and algae on outdoor furniture. There were rodent droppings on the deck (that we had to sweep away) as well as on the furniture inside of the sunroom. The sunroom was filthy and dusty, it was evident the tables had not been wiped down in a very long time as well as the floors. There were a lot of safety hazards from the upstairs deck to the leaking fridge, we were constantly wiping up water off the floors to ensure no one fell. The owner was aware that there was an issue with the fridge from the time we arrived and told us that the fridge is known to have issues. She said she would have someone come to maintenance the fridge the following day as it was leaking and not reaching a cool temperature; we were not followed up with and no one came to maintenance the fridge. There was a slow drain in the master bath, which my brother slipped and fell in the shower and as a result, scratched up his back on the stone wall. The outside was also full of weeds and did not overall reflect the images shown in the listing. Just overall a very disappointing experience.
From the bicycles, to the fishing poles, to the nice warm bedding and blankets, this get-away was everything my family of seven needed. I am very grateful and thankful to the very thoughtful owners.
My friends and I had an incredible time at the Galena Chalet! This property and all of the gorgeous surrounding views felt like a fairytale. The accommodations were perfect and comfortable. We all had so much fun, the only thing missing was a longer stay! Next time :)
We travel to Galena as a family/friend group
and it was our first time staying at this property. Stephanie was an amazing property manager! She was very accommodating and a great communicator! Upon walking down the front steps, you immediately feel as if youâre walking into a French cottage. Itâs straight out of a storybook! The decks were huge with gorgeous views of the lake. The home felt so quant and cozy.
Great location & house. Very clean and very well stocked.
Stayed for a large family gathering, with teens and adults. Had a memorable experience. Host also helped us get into boating club nearby.
Very clean and very well stocked to meet all needs.
I enjoyed my Bachelorette weekend with my best girls in this beautiful house. It's just outside Galena with scenic views. We even saw an air-balloon float past. It was perfect for all of us to cook together and watch movies and celebrate my upcoming marriage
This property was so beautiful inside and out. Truly such a unique home with views unlike anything Iâve seen in the Midwest. Stephanie was a great and prompt communicator who was very helpful.
We had the most spectacular week ever! The Chalet is just so amazing in so many ways. Breathtaking views, immaculate inside, and everything that you can think of is there. (or at least thatâs how we felt) We even brought sleds for our grandkids, but they already had them there. Stephanie responded quickly to our questions and even had people shoveling and salting the driveway and sidewalks for us the day we left after the snow. My grandson even said he would give us his Christmas money so that we can come again!
Amazing property with a stunning view of Lake Galena from the house! We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!
The town of Galena is only 10 minutes away and is a very charming town.
We will be staying there again soon.
We used the Galena Chalet as a meeting place for our mini reunion. The house was prefect for our party of 6 adults and two children. The amenities were perfect. Thank you for sharing your property with us. oh and canât forget to mention the view and the decks. BEAUTIFUL!
College friends for 37 years (4 couples) - great place to relax, laugh and enjoy marvelous views and conversations. The views from the large deck are amazing and plenty of room for all of us. Large open kitchen with everything you could need and amazing dinner table. We will be back!!!
The house and views are beautiful! Itâs a very unique property set down into a wooded area with views of the lake. Itâs very well appointed, clean, charming and comfortable. This is a perfect house for friends and family to meet as there are many bedrooms and places to hang out together. There are only 2 and a half bathrooms but they are set up in a way that made it pretty easy for multiple women to get ready. This is an older house so with the charm also comes a couple negatives like no central air and some creaking. There are air conditioners in the main rooms which cooled everything except a couple of the back bedrooms downstairs which got a little warm. Put the morning people in those back bedrooms downstairs under the kitchen because once people are up walking around, you can really hear the creaking. But overall, this was a great place to stay and we hope to come back.
The view at Galena Chalet is gorgeous every time you look at it, thereâs no doubt! But we were there in August so an old home + hot weather = mustiness and a bad mix for anyone with allergies. Probably not an issue if you plan to stay in cooler months! That being said, spacious and very pretty.
This is an amazing property and we felt very lucky to have gotten to stay here. The views are incredible, and the house is very spacious. Many reviews mentioned the lack of central A/C, so we were prepared to be hot during a summer weekend in the mid 80s and high humidity, but there wasn't a moment where the house temps were uncomfortable at all. The wall unit is more than sufficient.
I'd recommend booking activities well in advance. If you're not familiar, Galena is super busy in the summer and there were a few things we wanted to do that we couldn't because they were booked. My only 4 star rating is for speed of communication. Most of the time Stephanie back to us within an hour or two away, but it did take a couple of days for her to reply to a question about boat rentals that we asked because online info is sparse. If we had gotten her message sooner, we may have been able to rent one during our stay.
One other thing to note, if you're not an early riser and you're traveling with people that are, I would recommend being strategic about which room you're in. The basement rooms under the kitchen are *loud* in the morning because of the floors are creaking in the kitchen from people walking around. The only thing that blocked out the sound was noise-cancelling airpods with white noise playing.
Overall, we loved it and would recommend the place to anyone traveling with a big group that will appreciate the views and character of the house.
5 family women and 6 grandchildren spent 5 days at the Galena Chalet. The home is exactly as advertised and the location is superb! We spent time at the Owners Club outdoor pool, rode the bikes in the garage, rented kayaks at the Territory Marina went kayaking on the lake and made lots of food together. The house is very well equipped with everything we needed and allowed our large group to spread out and come together as desired! The view is fantastic and the deck is beautiful for early morning coffee and star gazing! We loved our stay!
Stay at the house with my mom, sister-in-laws, nieces and my daughter. The house is very clean, charming decor, and the view from the deck is unbeatable. We spent every morning and evening sitting together talking.
Beds were comfortable, kitchen well stocked.
This was our second trip to this awesome Chalet. We chose to go during the winter to watch the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Lots to do before the game and in town. The property is as beautiful in Winter as it is during the Summer.
Short Stay Chicago began renting professionally furnished rentals in 2005. We have homes in Chicago and the Galena Territory. We hope that you will rent with us - and allow us to provide you with enjoyable accommodations for your short stay.
Nestled deep in the woods, the Galena Chalet is situated on three acres overlooking spectacular vistas of Lake Galena. Perfect place for bird & eagle watching, a dinner party, snow sledding, golfing, tennis, a girls spa trip, a bridal or baby shower, birthday celebration, antiquing, or a family/friends getaway retreat.