Quiet and Charming with Fantastic Views

Guest: Susan (Averill Park NY)
Date of Stay: 06/21/09 Review Submitted: 03/24/11

Absolutely loved Sandpiper cottage!! The decor is beautiful and the floor to ceiling windows offer amazing views of the lake from the kitchen and living area.Coffee in the morning on the upper deck sitting in the adirondack chairs was so relaxing. The beach was great and the water is so clear, unlike any we've seen coming from the northeast. Enjoyed fires at night in the fire pit, felt like camping without the tent. Lots to do around town if the beach is not your thing. The owners were very helpful and made sure our vacation was a memorable one. We will definetly go back again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.

Creating memories

Guest: Judy (Niles)
Date of Stay: 03/23/11 Review Submitted: 03/23/11

My husband and I still cannot believe our lucky discovery of this wonderful retreat on Lake Michigan several years ago. The main cottage sits back from the bluff but with perfect views of the lake. On the bluff is a platform overlooking the lake that provides panoramic views of Lake Michigan and people enjoying the beach. We loved our stay in the cottage so much that the following year we rented the adjacent cottage for our daughter and her family (girls 3 and 7) and to our delight, because of the wonderful time that they had and the subsequent conversations we have shared, we realized that we helped to create a memory for our granddaughters that cannot be duplicated. Needless to say, we will be returning this year with great anticipation. It is the perfect Up North location and our hosts, The Hansens, are charming and accommodating and care for these properties as if they were living there.

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

SUMMER LODGE - FANTASTIC & FUN

Guest: Ruth G (Grand Ledge, MI)
Date of Stay: 07/11/10 Review Submitted: 03/22/11

I have rented both properties over a ten year period and will feel fortunate to stay again this year. It is not only family oriented but you feel like a part of a family with the concern and care that the owners provide. As in most beachfront properties in this area, there is sand (easily swept) and there are a lot of stairs to get to the beach. There are, however, intermittent landings to pace yourself on the trek down to the amazing beach. Lodge on the Lake's fantastic beach area is more than adequate for the owners, renters and their visitors. The cottages are small inside but the clean, updated furnishings included with your accommodations are everything you need. Just bring your personal items and food and get ready to soak in all that this location has to offer, to name a few: private deck for morning coffee or starry moonlit nights; silky beach you walk for miles; sunsets that take your breath away; wondrous changing water for calm kayaking or wave breaking body surfing; swimming or walking to the sand bar for a coastline panoramic view and a community deck overlooking the Lake to read or laze the day away. I'm a repeat lodger and YOU WILL BE TOO!

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

“Great hide-away with incredible views and hosts to match”

Guest: Shelle (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 03/11/11 Review Submitted: 03/21/11

Beautiful cottage, superbly clean, with fantastic views. The hosts were exceptional and treated us like royalty. We were looking for a place to unwind and relax. The beautiful beach became the perfect place to have an afternoon nap in the warm sun. It was a perfect hide-away and very relaxing. We loved sitting by the fire pit in the evenings with a glass of wine and a bag of marshmallows. Very fun and will definitely come back!

Recommended for:

1 Week Summer Vacation - A little disappointing

Guest: Michelle (Rochester Hills, MI)
Date of Stay: 08/30/10 Review Submitted: 12/14/10

This cottage is decoratted nice - but it is SUPER small! It does have beautiful views - but plan on sharing your "private beach" space with the owners who live down the street. On the most beautiful day that we were there (one of the only nice days) the owners invited about 20+ people to bring food, drinks, chairs, etc. down to the "private beach" area that we were paying for - to have a party! It was extremely rude as my husband, 2 small children and I were wanting to spend the afternoon down there as a family. They invited us to come down to party, but we politely declined the offer. It was over Labor Day weekend and I literally felt like crying since we knew that the forecast was rain the rest of the time we would be there. I had imagined our kids playing in the sand and water, catching a little sun, and enjoying time alone with my family! Didn't happen!!! They stayed there for hours! There were other days that the owners had guest down at the beach we were paying for as well - to kite surf, watch the sun set, etc. Unbelievable! The shower felt like needles darting into our skin. One of the screen doors in the back was busted and was basically not usable. When you pull up to the back - you park your car far away from the actual cottage - they provide a wagon for you to hull all of your luggage and groceries to the cottage, which takes a few trips! The beach is located down a steep hill where you will need to take many many stairs to reach. Also plan on sweeping the floor several times/day as the yard is basically sand, deck, weeds....sand will get everywhere in the cottage. For the price, it was a TOTAL rip off! I would stay there only if it was more than half the price! The beach was lovely and there are adrionick chairs on a small deck that overlooks the water, but again not worth the money or the hassel!

Owner response:My heart breaks to hear a comment like this. We have people who have been coming to us for over 25 years and wouldn't dream of staying anywhere else.They have become our summer families. Since 1991, we have not had a bad review. I hope people reading this will take that into account. Those of you out there that have had a good experience, I ask you to please respond to this. This young lady called about 2 months prior to renting and called with questions about twice a week. I answered them all with patience,which she herself acknowledged. She knew the exact size of the cottage as well as the bedrooms. She knew it was on the beach, (which is hard to find!) and a beach is made up of sand. Part of the "beach experience". We repaired the screen within 1 hour of her calling. She had never been to Lake Michigan before and clearly didn't know what to expect. She has 2 small children and brought everything but the kitchen sink, which is why it took so many trips. I wanted this young couple to experience the beach, so I even gave them a discount before they arrived. My bad. I knew when she called, over and over that she could not be pleased and should have gone with my instincts. As to our Labor Day party, we were there for a little over 2 hours and did invite them to join us. We have 140 ft. of beach front. There is more than enough room for everyone especially since there was no one occupying our other cottage. Had she come to me with her displeasure I would have rectified the situation, but she did not. I'm sorry you had a bad experience Michelle, I wish you had come to me first.

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