Great Family Vacation

Guest: Lee & Cindy (Califon, NJ)
Date of Stay: 08/10/09 Review Submitted: 08/31/09

Our family of 13 (8 adults, 5 children under 9) thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Victoria this summer. The setting was beautiful. The house was spacious, well-appointed and comfortable, allowing for togetherness as well as private space for downtime. The amenities provided really enhanced the experience, whether it was time for a meal, a game, or simply, relaxation. The area activites and attractions offered something for everyone, regardless of age. Also, the fact that the entire rental process was handled so professionally and smoothly, from beginning to end, was greatly appreciated. Everyone agreed it was our best family vacation. We hope to be able to do it all over again someday!

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words. We are excited to have you back next summer! We love repeat guests that take exceptionally good care of our home.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

Outstanding Slopeside Retreat

Guest: Ann Marie (Pinckney, MI)
Date of Stay: 02/02/12 Review Submitted: 02/08/12

What a great find on the slopes of Boyne Highlands! This home was perfect for our group. It was exactly as advertised, clean, and well maintained. Each bedroom had comfortable beds with plenty of room for use of the cots. The loft area was also very spacious with a comfortable futon. The game room area in the basement was perfect for the kids to hang out and play pool, darts, and air hockey. The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed to cook for our group. It was also great to have a large table in the dining area for eating meals. There are empty cupboards available to put food and snacks as well as space on top of the cabinets. We did bring a few crock pots with us to have some meals ready after a day on the slopes. It was also great to have a hot tub to relax after a day on the slopes. It is located outside on the large deck that wraps all the way around the home. It had a great view of the hill and the woods around the home. The hot tub was easy to maintain to enjoy throughout our stay. Jessica was wonderful to work with while renting this home from start to finish. The rental agreement was clear and specific. We did have some questions during our stay. She was prompt in responding to our questions and extremely helpful. Everything went according to plan, and we were very pleased with everything. The location of this home is absolutely perfect to ski in and ski out. We enjoyed skiing and snowboarding every day. It is exactly what we have been looking for at Boyne Highlands. We are delighted to have finally found the perfect home in the most ideal location and look forward to renting next year!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Lots of Good, a little not so good...

Guest: Craig (Zionsville,IN)
Date of Stay: 01/12/12 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

The Good: (1) Location... on the top of the mountain, definitely need 4 wheel drive to get up those hills but is ski in/out which is nice. (2) Owner communication.. Always responded quickly to our emails/calls. Very responsible. (3) Lots of beds.. Good space for up to four families (4) Size.. not a lot of large houses in the area (5) Hot tub... small, but great to have out there (6) Kitchen/Dining area... plenty of space for all (7) Boyne Highlands... Awesome ski area (8)Property Care... Everything very clean and well kept. Plenty of kitchen equipment. The Bad: (1) Gas leak... we arrived to the smell of gas in the house. Unfortunately we had driven 10 hours through horrible snow to get there arriving at 11 pm. We talked to the owner and called the gas company. They came around 1 am and turned off the gas/furnace. A contractor came at 3 am to try to find the leak. The house overnight got down to 52 degrees. The gas was turned on again in the morning. Needless to say we were up most of the night waiting for these people and trying to figure out what to do. Thank goodness this was fixed. (2) Owner response... not much she could do about the leak, obviously, and she did offer to extend our stay (then had to reneg as the other owner was coming right after us) then she offered a spring weekend which would not work for us. It took a lot of discussion to get her to give us the first night credit, but she finally did. This should have been a given. (3) Cable... trying to watch the playoffs was very difficult. The TVs were nice for DVDs, but the cable is really subpar. (4) Not on night skiing... had to drive back to the lodge to do this. (5) Fisheye lens... the couch and TV looked huge in the pics..my son was kept looking for that couch! (6) Downstairs... we didn't use this at all, it has a cement floor in the gameroom. Would probably be great for teens, but as we had 8 kids with an average age of 7, they were not interested. With the good and the bad, we'd stay there again... what are the chances of another gas leak?

Owner response: Thank you for your honest and constructive feedback. I am extremely sorry that you had to experience the gas leak and I appreciated how understanding all of the members of your group were during this unforeseen event. I did do everything in my power to get the problem resolved within 10 hours of your initial complaint working throughout the night. I think your assessment of our home and your experience was fair however, I would like to respond to a few of the negative points. I respectfully object that I “reneg” on the extended free stay. When I didn’t get a response from anyone in your group, I sent an email the night prior to your scheduled departure confirming you couldn’t take advantage of an extended free stay as the co-owner of the home was planning on coming up after your departure to take a look at the furnace. When the co-owner arrived at the home, he discovered that someone has rearranged the inputs on the TV and that is why the cable wasn’t clear. Often children rearrange the inputs when they are hooking up their gaming stations and don’t put them back properly. The cable is actually clear as it could be. The large L shaped couch sits 6 comfortably. We didn’t use a special camera lens to make the couch appear larger. You will see others comment about how much they liked the large leather couch within these reviews. We disclose in the contract and on our website that this home is not lit for night skiing. However, Boyne will shuttle you back to the home at any time if you don’t want to park a car down at the lodge. We also disclose in the contract, website and directions that a 4WD vehicle is required to get to the house during the winter season. It is at the top of a ski mountain and would be unsafe to try and drive up in anything other than a 4WD vehicle. The downstairs game room is finished but we have not installed any flooring other than an epoxy finish on the cement. We are planning to add new flooring in the game room in spring of 2012 to help soundproof and insulate the area. I am surprised to hear that children weren’t interested in the game room. All of the children we have vacationed with practically live in the game room and the hot tub. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for improving it as we plan to undergo a game room makeover this spring. Thank you.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

One word...AWESOME!

Guest: Matt (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

I recently stayed here for a guys golf weekend and we absolutely loved the home. The house was very spacious for the many people we had and did not feel cramped at all. The back deck is very open where we shared stories and reminisced about old times. The home is in a quiet setting which is great because we did see some deer in the back yard up on the hill If you have a large group of people for an outing, vacation or golf/ski weekend I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Note: Boyne Highlands has round trip pick up service to take you to Odawa Casino which was a nice touch.

Owner response:Glad to hear you enjoyed your time at the house and took advantage of the shuttle service to the casino. We love Odawa and Sage restaurant. Hope you can make it back some day.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The Victoria House

Guest: Ann (Caledonia, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

We had five visitors from Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa and the home was a perfect location and lovely. They saw their first parade, beautiful views of Boyne and Lake Michigan, Mackinac Island (which thoroughly impressed them). We had a great time and thank you for letting us share your beautiful home.

Owner response:I am thrilled to hear we had guests all the way from South Africa and you all had a great time. Thanks for sharing!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fantastic!

Guest: Hoosiertown (Greenwood, IN)
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 02/22/11

This is our third year staying in the house and highly recommend it as a ski-in/ski-out property. The flow of the house is condusive to larger families including those with kids. There is a large table that seats ~ 9 people which is great for sharing stories. Also, the game room in the basement is fabulous; the game room is chilly until the fireplace gets going. The kitchen is well stocked with dishes and pots and pans. The house is well equiped with bath towels, soap, toilet paper, dishwashing detergent, dish soap, dish towels and laundry detergent. Bring your clothes and food and have a great time!

Owner response:Thank you Jan. We have been lucky to have such great guests 3 years in a row.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Cozy, Fun, and Beautiful

Guest: Crystal B. (Fruitport, MI )
Date of Stay: 02/06/11 Review Submitted: 02/12/11

We just had the pleasure of staying at The Victoria at Boyne Highlands and had a wonderful time! The scenery was gorgeous! The house was spotless with plenty of space to relax, cozy up by the fire, play pool and air hockey, watch college hoops, and get some well deserved R and R! The hot tub was a huge hit and was very welcome after long days on the slopes. The ski in and ski out functionality of The Victoria was also a bonus! Our 2 and 4 year old boys improved their skiing ability greatly at the free kids' ski area while we were at Boyne. It was so great to see their huge smiles while skiing! There are lots of activities to keep young children and the young at heart entertained while staying at the Victoria. We hope to come back again in the future very soon! The owners provided us with everything we needed to have a fun and comfortable stay. We will cherish the memories we made on this trip forever. Thank you to the Victoria!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Thoroughly Pleased!

Guest: StaciLee (Constant Traveler)
Date of Stay: 12/07/10 Review Submitted: 12/21/10

I was searching for a larger vacation rental to host a family reuniting and found the Deswynn online. Let me just say that the pictures do not do the place justice! The house was bigger than we anticipated and we never felt crowded. Plenty of rooms and beds, and the slope is literally 10 steps from the porch. The kitchen is equipped with everything you could need and then some. The hot tub was the highlight of the stay for our 20-somethings age group as we were there too early for ski season. Overall, completely enjoyable, stress-free, flawless stay! :) Thanks Jessica!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Awesome house! Would highly recommend staying here

Guest: Andrew (Royal Oak, Mi)
Date of Stay: 10/06/10 Review Submitted: 10/19/10

This house is perfect. Everyone in my group was amazed, with a ‘wow’ around every corner. The size is perfect, with enough space to accommodate large groups for dinner and drinks. There is ample room for all. I used this house as my ‘home-base’ for my wedding weekend. Because of the size of this house and the amenities, I was able to host my rehearsal dinner here (nicely stocked kitchen with plenty of glasses/ plates/ utensils/ cookware , etc…), hosted all of our closest friends for one last celebration prior to our nuptials, and also used it as a gathering place for all of the out-of-towners to stop on by. And most importantly, it did it with elegance and style! We spent a lot of time outside on the large deck because of the awesome weather we had for October. The large patio set, hot tub, bbq, wireless internet, flat screen, and nice sound system are great features for this rental. I would highly recommend this house to anyone looking for a great stay at Boyne Highlands. It can be a little difficult to find in the Boyne Highlands complex if it is your first time (especially in the dark), but it is well worth the hunt!

Owner response:I am so glad you enjoyed our home and had awesome weather for your wedding weekend! Sorry to hear you had a hard time finding the house. I try to give the most detailed directions possible, but in the dark it can be a challenge unless you know where you are going. Future guests: you can always call me and I will be happy to be your copilot. You can also have Boyne security lead the way up to the house. They are always very willing to help.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Fall Getaway

Guest: Golfing group (Grand Rapids, MI Midwest)
Date of Stay: 09/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/21/10

I had a golfing group that needed a quiet and comfortable place to stay and this place was everything and more. It is located near the top of the mountain and surrounded by woods and fresh air. There is a large wrap around deck that was perfect for hanging out, grilling, poker, and Hot tubing. The backyard was perfect for yard games and the game room is great for after dark entertainment. Big couch and flat screen TV for watching football. We rented mountain bikes and cruised the trails, the golf courses were in perfect shape, the beds are very comfortable and spacious. You get so much house for the price and it is worth every penny. This place has everything a cabin in northern Michigan should have and will provide you with a great stay.

Owner response:Thanks for your response. It sounds like your group absolutely made the most of what our home and Boyne Highlands have to offer. Thank you for taking great care of the Victoria. We hope to have you back soon!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.